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User Manual - Performance Audio

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1. CITACE M EUR The following options are activated for the USE NTI crapp C TEST C0 STOPPED connected unit START FTT I PAR SPL SU 8dBAS an STI PA activated se oy l EAD FR FR ab ERLT ML1 lt gt AL1 Crossgrade activated 84 PAAA A009_STI PA gt gt A008_RMS_ SEET MFE To activate an option press the link below SET IIH B OOkH2 66 0dE 30 SETIH 31 5H2 registration nti audio com al1activation php A005 SPL RTA gt gt A004 SPL F Note License key and internet connection required 2 Receipt of activation key You ll receive the activation key immediately from the above website Copy amp paste it to key field below 3 Enter or paste the activation key A L 1 ustilyzer Follow the online activation instructions Additionally detailed instructions are enclosed with the license number within the individual product package 81 6 Troubleshooting Numeric data import of txt files to Excel Problem The numbers are recognized as text only at the import of numeric test results to e g Microsoft Excel so you cannot create tables or use the data for further calculations Solution The MiniLINK data files use the as decimal separator Therefore please set the decimal separator to at the import procedure of these numeric test results into e g Microsoft Excel Alternatively you can use copy paste in the big view mode select the menu Edit Copy Text and p
2. gt Mic sensitivity 20 00 mV Pa copied into reports for documentation e Select the menu Edit Copy Bitmap to choose the graphics or select the menu Edit Copy Text to choose the numerical measurement data e Insert the clipboard into the reporting document with Ctrl V such as Excel Alternatively import the stored txt file including the numerical measurement data e g to Microsoft Excel by using the Excel import assistant 69 Example Display of SPL RTA test results The SPL RTA sound pressure level measurement provides the following test results e Test configuration e Time relative to logging start e All relevant sound level parameters please refer to section SPL RTA Memory Functions for details aR SPL RTA Log DATA File A003 LOGSPL SPL_RTA_full band Timer mode off Times SECS SSHSSf Time weight fast Selected filter A Weighting acc IEC 61672 Range 20 dB 100 dB gt Mic sensitivity 20 00 mV Pa gt gt gt gt gt gt ActTimer LEQ dB LEQ dt MIN dt MAX dt LePeak LePeak_dt SPL Act OVER_dt OVER Hold UNDER dt 9 9 2 ol J6 6 8 0 D ooo0ococ0c0 0 0 70 Save Test Results amp Screenshots The displayed screenshots can be saved as bitmap files bmp and numeric data as text files txt to the hard drive The file names consist of the first six device serial number digits and the screenshots name For examp
3. Input Range Indicator TWTD Time Weighting These controls are exactly the same as found on the sound level meter screen and also effect both the RTA and the sound level meter measurement e g pressing PAUSE in the RTA screen also pauses the broad band LEQ LCPEAK and MAX MIN SPL measurements 29 X Axis Logarithmic scale fixed to 20 Hz 20kHz Y Axis The scaling of the spectrum s Y axis sensitivity can be adjusted manually e Select the displayed upper value of Y axis and press the enter key e Use the up down keys to scroll the displayed level along the Y axis and the left right keys zoom in out the Y axis e g to alter the display resolution 30 SPL RTA Memory Functions The SPL RTA mode includes special memory features such as in SPL RTA Sound Level Meter e LOGGING records the measured parameters to the internal device memory every time the log interval At has expired in table form SPL RTA Real Time Analyzer RTA e LOAD loads stored test results into the active AL1 display for detailed read out e MATH completes mathematical averaging of various stored measurements selected from the memory Logging The Acoustilyzer can record various levels over time e g for monitoring sound levels during an event for many hours into the instrument memory Every time the recording interval At is elapsed the results are stored and values marked with dt are reset afterwards The logging may stop automatica
4. costly and in some hazardous locations even impossible Therefore these methods are mainly used to verify technical principles during development Technical Methods Already back in 1940 Bell Laboratories started to develop measurement technologies to determine the speech intelligibility Nowadays highly developed algorithms as SII Speech Intelligibility Index and various forms of the STI Speech Transmission Index allow measuring speech intelligibility These techniques take care of many parameters which are important for intelligibility such as e Speech level e Background noise level e Reflections e Reverberation e Psycho acoustic effects masking effects Measurement techniques use synthesized test signals that don t sound like speech but which have many common characteristics to real speech signals The averaged frequency response as well as low frequency modulation is based on human speech Since the speech of men s and women s voices sound different some measurement techniques use separate male and female test signals Speech intelligibility measurements acquire and evaluate the signals in a manner characteristic of the way human speech is altered before reaching the ears of a listener Extensive investigations have shown the relationship between the alteration of speech characteristics and the resulting speech intelligibility These findings are incorporated into the speech intelligibility meter that is able to dis
5. recommends to repeat the measurement and to compare the STI test result with the previous ones 58 STI PA Measurement Hints Any background noise has to be sufficiently static during the measurement e g pink noise fulfills this requirement Verify the environmental conditions prior testing Complete STI PA measurements without any test signal The results shall be lt 0 20 STI Impulsive background noise during the measurement such as speech causes severe measurement errors The STI PA result is usually too high In case such impulsive noise can not be prevented the measurements might be shifted e g to night time and afterwards corrected with the averaged daily background noise using external post processing Any CD Players used to reproduce the STI PA test signal have to be accurate as only limited time shifts 200 ppm are allowed to ensure reliable STI PA test results Pitch control and shock protection shall be disabled NTI recommends using professional players only You may verify the time shift of your CD Player with a 9 kHz test signal e Generate a 9000 Hz sine signal using the NTI Wavefilegenerator available for download at the NTl website gt Acoustilyzer and copy this on a CD e Insert this CD into the CD player and play the 9 kHz test signal e Connect the Acoustilyzer to the audio output directly and measure the signal frequency in the RMS THD mode the displayed frequency shall be in the
6. 6 4 ot oa ait asl 8 8 6 8 8 PF st 9 HArFvVWMDOOOKMOO WKY SW PmooOoOuwuAuMwnwWAaaAMWAIDOM OOORRFRRFRP RFP RP KF DOO HO OO OC CO To log online results please e Select the requested measurement function at the test instrument e Select the Logging screen in the MiniLINK PC Software menu e Select the required log time interval e Press the START button to start the test result logging e Press the STOP button to end the logging process e Press the SAVE button to save the record to file Additionally the present screenshot displayed on the MiniLINK PC software can be directly copied to file by pressing the marked icon with the mouse button Paste the screenshot into any files by pressing CTRL V 73 Remote Test Instrument Control with the PC MiniLINK supports the remote control of the analyzer from a PC Just click on the displayed test instrument and all keys can be operated with the below listed keys at the PC keyboard or using the mouse Click into these areas to change the screen selection 54 6 dB SFL 5S4 0dE e g SPL amp RTA THTG 100 FAST On Off Ctrl P ESC Light Ctrl L arrow keys amp enter AL1 Acoustilyzer Shift or shift or the above indicated areas allow to change the screen selection of the enabled measurement function 74 MiniLINK Tools The MiniLINK PC software includes many useful tools as follows e LCD Fulls
7. Directory History er 4 for Acoustilyzer EML 1dA_v3 12bin AL1dA_A1 xx bin applicable firmware for the connected device Dateiname ML124_ 77 bin Dateityp Abbrechen After confirming the selected device firmware the test instrument firmware is updated automatically In case of any problems during the firmware upgrade such as power failure etc the upgrade procedure can be repeated anytime Note The firmware update deletes the internal device memory 77 Firmware Crossgrade The Acoustilyzer AL1 and the Minilyzer are based on the same hardware platform with different specific firmware installed The available crossgrade packages allow to install the ML1 firmware into the AL1 or to install the AL1 firmware into the ML1 e Select the menu Tools Crossgrade Firmware at MiniLINK Select the displayed firmware version in the screen below Select Firmware File f R for Minilyzer ML1 AL1dA_A1 xx bin Directory History ere for Acoustilyzer Amida v3 12bn J ML1dA_V3 xx bin applicable firmware for the connected device Dateiname ML124_ 7 77 bin i i Dateityp Abbrechen After confirming the selected device firmware the crossgrade firmware is installed automatically within several seconds The instrument displays UPDATING FIRMWARE Note The firmware crossgrade deletes the internal device memory thus the customized start up screen needs to be reloaded onto t
8. Products Acoustilyzer e On the CD MiniLINK PC Software Note At opening the post processing sheet all macros have to be activated 57 e STI PA Error Detection The Acoustilyzer STI PA measurement function has a built in error detection which helps you identifying faulty measurements The error detection checks the following parameters e Invalid modulation indices MF1 or MF2 gt 1 3 e Irregularities during ongoing measurements Both parameters depend on the amount of impulsive environmental noise Impulsive environmental noise influences any STI PA measurement and makes the values inaccurate If the error detection finds any problem the common STI PA test result is displayed interrupted with the flashing question marks Sie ica SETIHEH USE MTI ee rest co TART FINISHED H 815TI SFL 12 1 dEAs e EAL FR FR GO EaLnit eee d SETIHEH USE MTI Ss Test co PART FINISHED 77A STI SFL 38 8 dEAS _ r EAL FR FR GO Eacnt m Ln fn on LN Lal LEI LEI ml E d Lal l LE EM LA e Lal E d A L L L L L L L TEA RE AE AA aE ee PoP nr PUL CA n _ BSS in M Boororo gt MWS 7 E J SS niin Fru 7 ee This error indication might be caused either by e Missing test signal level e Impulsive background noise events Detailed test result screen The octave bands detected with irregularities are marked with a question mark 7 Recommendation If the error detection finds any faults NTI
9. are not supported with this internal microphone XLR amp RCA Monitor Internal Inputs Output Microphone Note Never connect the XLR and the RCA input at the same time 10 Battery Replacement After unpacking insert three 3 pcs 1 5 V alkaline batteries type AA LR6 AM3 into the AL1 battery compartment as shown below The typical life time for a set of alkaline batteries is 16 hours E Presa fo bam the unit RPDF ara ia extents ha bamdigir Barureior E Laa ha iite keyg pod ja Teren la Curen pred bp maiaa hi mai aniias d xl q I Ti ii i t Notes e We do not recommend to use rechargeable NiCd or NiMH batteries e Do not insert batteries of different types e Replace all batteries at the same time never mix old and new batteries e Note the correct polarities of the inserted batteries e Remove the batteries as soon as they are flat and change all batteries at the same time 11 3 Basic Operation In spite of the wide range of available measurement functions and optional setups the operation of the Acoustilyzer is almost self explanatory Menu Bar Test Result oro oto Bee eee ee Escape button Power On Off Backlight Enter Curso Keys Acoustilyzer The LCD is divided in the menu bar on top and the measurement results displayed below The cursor keys and the escape button allow straightforward navigation through the available f
10. buying NTI s Acoustilyzer AL1 a product specially suited for professional acoustical test applications The Acoustilyzer offers advanced acoustics functions including an optional speech intelligibility STI PA measurement module and further basic electrical features We are convinced you will enjoy using it This manual describes the Acoustilyzer AL1 functions and measurements in detail Further application information about the acoustical and electrical measurements can be found on the web site www nti audio com The Acoustilyzer AL1 is available as stand alone test instrument or as crossgrade package for existing Minilyzer ML1 users The same crossgrade option can be used to install the Minilyzer functionalities on the AL1 The STI PA measurement feature is optional The product packages include the following items Acoustilyzer AL1 1x Acoustilyzer AL1 1x MiniLINK CD PC software 1x MiniLINK USB Cable 1x Acoustilyzer Test CD 1x Acoustilyzer User Manual ML1 AL1 Crossgrade 1x MiniLINK CD PC software 1x Acoustilyzer Test CD audio samples 1x License Number Crossgrade 1x Acoustilyzer User Manual 1x Minilyzer User Manual STI PA Measurement 1x STI PA Test CD STI PA test signal Option 1x License Number STI PA 1x Acoustilyzer User Manual CE Declaration of Conformity We the manufacturer NTI AG Im alten Riet 102 9494 Schaan Liechtenstein Europe hereby declare that the product Acoustilyzer AL1 released in 2004
11. e RT60 Reverberation time with 1 1 octave band resolution e FFT Real time zoom FFT e POLARITY Polarity measurement of speakers and line signals e DELAY Delay time measurements between speakers RMS THD Level and distortion measurements e STI PA Speech intelligibility measurement only visible after received STI PA license activation key e CALIBRTE Calibration of connected measurement microphone Easy Operation SFL RTA i2a FLAaT SETIHEH All selectable settings may be adjusted TIHER MH OFF acronone PY PY e Pressing the enter key to select the requested value e Alternatively at longer selection lists the chosen field is flashing Now select the Unit selected with cursor to requested value with the cursor keys change setting Confirm the setting by pressing the enter key again Connectors On top of the AL1 three connectors as well as the internal microphone are located e The XLR and RCA inputs allow to feed a signal to the AL1 We recommend to use the XLR input for best performance minimum noise floor and best dynamic range In case a measurement microphone with unbalanced output is used this shall be connected to the XLR input between pin 2 and 3 e A 3 5 mm 1 8 jack monitor output allows the connection of a headphone Thus the user may hear any electrical input signal e The internal microphone is used to test the polarity of loudspeakers and for delay time measurements SPL measurements
12. enables the transfer of stored measurements from the Acoustilyzer AL1 to the PC Additionally the online data logging from the AL1 directly to the PC is supported Installation a Start up the PC with Windows operating system MiniLINK V3 00 or higher supports Windows 2000 SP3 ME XP and Vista b Insert the enclosed MiniLINK CD into the CD drive c The MiniLINK software installation starts automatically Follow the instructions on the screen If the CD auto start is disabled on the PC follow the instructions below e Click on Start Run at the windows taskbar e Type d setup assuming d is the letter of the CD drive e Confirm with ok After completing the software installation the MiniLINK CD shall remain in the CD drive for the next step d Use the attached USB cable to connect the test instrument to the PC Windows recognizes the new hardware component automatically and starts the hardware installation assistant Follow the instructions of the installation assistant Please select the CD drive with the inserted MiniLINK CD as source for the USB driver when asked by the installation assistant P 19 In case the warning messages Digital signature not found Do not install driver not certified driver or similar come up Don t listen to Microsoft listen to us and continue with the installation 64 Start the MiniLINK PC Software After the successful driver installatio
13. is flashing in the status bar memory field The individual band levels can be read out the Y axis altered or even the LEQ or MIN MAX test result shown SFLeRTA lalua FLAT SETINAT e Return back to the live mode by selecting LIVE HUDE i ET MEH zofia ars LIVE MODE in the memory menu STORE 35 Reverberation Time RT60 The Acoustilyzer supports reverberation time measurements in octave band resolution according to 1503382 with auto trigger auto ranging and averaging functionality What is Reverberation Time RT60 Reverberation time RT60 is the time required for the sound pressure level to decrease 60 dB after the sound stimulus signal is stopped Since ambient noise often defeats measurements of 60dB level decrease in practice the RT60 results are based on T20 measurements This requires only a 35 dB level decrease within each octave band The RI60 test result is the extrapolation of the measured 20 dB decay Test Signal A gated pink noise signal is recommended to be used as test signal Various test tracks with different on off time are included on the accompanying AL Test CD Alternatively the Minirator features the required gated pink noise signal a Bargraph display Start Pause Measurement N Status Number of Test Results taken for TaT TAR automatic Ranging STAT 5 TUF _ f averaging initial record of i E A WEY oO f environmental A Octave ie
14. representation or warranty of any kind expressed or implied in law or in fact including without limitation merchandising or fitting for any particular purpose and assumes no liability either in tort strict liability contract or warranty for products Repair In case of malfunction take or ship prepaid your NTI Acoustilyzer AL1 packed in the original box to the authorized NTI representative in your country For contact details see the NTI web page www nti audio com Make sure to include a copy of your sales invoice as proof of purchase date Transit damages are not covered by this warranty Warnings In order to avoid any problems during the operation of the instrument follow the rules listed below e Use the instrument for the intended purpose only e Never connect the instrument to a high voltage output such as a power amplifier mains power plug etc e Do not disassemble the instrument e Never use the instrument in a damp environment e Remove the batteries as soon as they are flat or if the instrument is not intended to be used for a longer period of time Test amp Calibration Certificate This is to certify the Acoustilyzer AL1 is fully tested to the manufacturer s specifications NTI recommends to calibrate this test instrument one 1 year after purchase Thereafter the calibration and adjustment interval is subsequently one 1 year 2 Overview The Acoustilyzer AL1 is a sophisticated tool us
15. test result read out of previously stored measurements on the test instrument The following measurements support this feature gt SPLIRTA RT60 FFT STI PA Note Any ongoing measurement is continuing during loading and reading a memorized test result Application example using SPL RTA e Select LOAD in the memory menu and press enter e The possible memorized data for loading are displayed e Select the test result of interest e Confirm the selection with the enter key the square symbol in front of the selection is filled up e Press the ESC button cursor jumps to OK and confirm with enter 20 SFLARTA alta FLAT SETIEN The loaded test result is displayed on the SET MIH 4 O0kHz 15 3dE 40 active AL1 screen and the abbreviation LOD is flashing in the status bar memory field i00 ik ik 20 The individual band levels can be read out the Y axis altered or even the Leq or min max test result shown Non available functionalities are not selectable SFLCRTA elualFLAT SETILOD Return back to the live mode by selecting LIVE HODE i SET MIH Hofe LIVE MODE in the memory menu of the STORE upper menu bar WIEH DELETE LOAD HATH Low battery indication A low battery symbol is displayed in the MEM field of the menu bar to indicate that a change of batteries is required 100 ik 10k 40 21 4 Measurement Functions Overview Function SPL RTA RT60 FFT POLARITY DE
16. the cursor can remain for 1 9 seconds at the frequency with the highest level 375 0H2 117 43kH2 17 6kH2 D Pause The FFT measurement may be frozen for a user defined time e Select the PAUSE symbol and press the enter key e The PAUSE symbol is flashing e Select the PAUSE symbol and press the enter key to continue the measurement Cursor Readout Actual level result of the indicated frequency bin The cursor readout displays the bin frequency and the corresponding level The cursor automatically jumps to the highest level in the spectrum Alternatively the cursor readout may be controlled manually e Select the read out data field and press the enter key e A frame is flashing around the data readout e Move the cursor and read the corresponding test results 43 X Axis Linear scale showing from left to right the start frequency the frequency range and the end frequency by 92 bins with zooming functionality Y Axis The scaling of the Y axis can be adjusted manually e Select the displayed upper value of Y axis and press the enter key e Use the up down keys to scroll the displayed level along the Y axis and the left right keys zoom in out the Y axis e g to alter the display resolution How to measure e Select the FFT function The cursor read out shows the maximum level automatically e Select the cursor read out field and confirm with enter A frame is flashing 17 3kH T 315 0H2 z 11 BkHz around the r
17. 0m m t S m r e090 SYTHE H HEASURE EE 130 SETIHEH STORE STO ACT 0 0 m5 14 59m5 14 9ms5 5 1 m ela STAC H HEASURE ES Note Please de activate any shock protection of the CD player since this might cause incorrect test results Test preparations e Switch on the acoustical delay time measurement signal available on the AL1 Test CD e Connect the electrical signal e g from the CD player to the AL1 RCA or XLR input e Wait until the Acoustilyzer synchronizes to the incoming delay time test chirp and the synchronization time bar fills up to 100 The delay time measurement is conducted between the synchronized electrical input signal and the built in microphone of the Acoustilyzer Measure Reference Speaker e Select a speaker as reference speaker called speaker A e g the speaker most in front of the delay line e Position yourself in the sound field of the next speaker under test e g called speaker B to measure the delay time compared to the reference speaker A Note Donot position the Acoustilyzer to close to reflecting surfaces such as walls or floors The reflections may interfere any accurate measurements 49 1 STO ACT 0 0m5 4Y 9oms S i m 7 206 _HEASURE g m C feet F DELAY STORE 14 9m5 SET HEN STO ACT iiH ms 3 5m5 1 2 m roia HEASURE Enable the test signal at the reference speaker A All other speakers shall b
18. 3 Hz FFT SETIHEn White Noise and Zooming SET MN 9342 5H2 74 0dE 100 The energy of White Noise is equally distributed over the linear frequency axis Let s assume we have a White Noise signal with a level of O dB measured using a B ISkH2 O11 43kH2 20 0kHz 30 bandwidth of 20 kHz What happens if we decrease the measurement bandwidth to 10 kHz 4 x zoom by 6 P i We only measure one half of the energy resulting in a level of 3 dB 10 log10 0 5 FFT SET HEN This is exactly what happens if we SET IE 3468 8H2 68 0d6 100 Zoom In using an FFT Every time we Zoom In the measurement bandwidth is halved resulting in a 3 dB lower level in every bin Gi5 6H2 4 3ikH2 4 B3kHz 40 45 Polarity Test The polarity test function detects the correct cable and speaker polarity in combination with the Minirator MR1 polarity test signal The Acoustilyzer provides the following test configurations a Speaker Polarity Test e Feed the speaker system with the ae ane ee 1 73 polarity test signal of the Minirator e Adjust the level at MR1 or amplifier so POSITIVE the test signal is good to hear USE Hd FOLARITY SIGNAL Acoustilyzer settings e IN MIC INT using the internal mic of FOLARITY SETIHEN the Acoustilyzer AL R 3 e IN XLR RCA using an external mic POSITIVE such as the MiniSPL Choose the polarity test frequency range e FULL MID for wide ba
19. 4 L bands scroll cL 63Hz 8kHz Octave Bans 1 50 _ u X AXIS a T level with 10 dBSPL 125 B marks Individual Octave RT60 Lower Mark RT60 Upper Mark Band Spectrum Indicator Indicator 36 b How to measure The room under test is injected with a pink noise signal through speakers The sound source has to be active until balance between injected and absorbed acoustical energy has been reached Then the source signal has to be stopped The AL1 recognizes this interruption triggers the decay time is measured and the RT60 test result is automatically calculated Please follow the RT60 test instruction below TBO ata EETHEN Ranging e Select RANGE and press the enter key to measure the actual sound pressure level in the room without test signal present ETEO laim SETIHEN e The SET RANGE field pops up Confirm ENR the automatic ranging by OK SET RANGE Now the RT60 upper mark indicators are set to the minimum pink noise level needed to successfully complete a measurement The lower marks indicate the environmental noise without any test signal present 37 e Start the pink noise test signal with the appropriate on off time according the room under test Note Use an initial low sound pressure level to protect your ears against excessive sound level and hearing damages e Increase the test signal level until all individual octave band marks for the minimum test signal level are passed As required an
20. ABLE In case DISABLE is selected the user has to turn the unit off manually or it will run until the batteries are discharged Acoustilyzer operation with MiniLINK PC Software During the operation of the AL1 with the MiniLINK PC software the AL1 is powered from the PC and the following power saving functions are disabled Auto Power Off Auto Light Off After the PC software MiniLINK is switched off the Acoustilyzer is continuously further powered from the PC but the power saving features are enabled again AUTO LIGHT OFF defines how long the backlight stays on after any key stroke Possible selections are 3 SEC 10 SEC 60 SEC and DISABLE In the latter case the backlight will stay on until the unit is switched off The longer the backlight is turned on the shorter lifetime of the batteries will be LCD CONTRAST adjusts the contrast of the display Alternatively hold the ESC button down and press the up down arrow key simultaneously in any measurement panel MULTIPLE SETUP allows to store up to four individual settings To enable the multiple setup mode set the corresponding entry to ENABLE and confirm At the next time the Acoustilyzer is switched on the user will have to select the individual setup ID 1 2 3 or 4 in the startup screen All parameter settings in all measurement modes are now stored under this ID at switch off 17 Memory Menu amp Battery Status Indication NIEUW DELETE En IT jOEL ALL o AOOc _kT
21. AOOG_GELAY ok ECan ADOS_SFL_HKIH DEL HEMORY FREE HTZ NIEUW DELETE En IT jOEL ALL AJDE EHE Stun ADDA LSFL RIH DEL All screenshots marked with BMP can be reviewed directly on the instrument Select any record in the list using the cursor Press and hold the enter key The recorded measurement is displayed on the instrument screen The selected record is marked in the memory menu by the full square in the front You can recall the marked record at any time later by holding down the ESC button and pressing the enter key simultaneously Delete individual memory records Each stored result can be deleted individually from the memory Select the DEL field beside the memory location to be deleted Confirm OK within the pop up window and press the enter key The memory location is deleted from the device memory Delete all memory records The complete memory can be deleted by selecting the field DEL ALL 19 HOOS STORE EHF STORE UIEH DELETE Mi HATH ik 10k co FREE 157 Lob DATA ance O ADii SFL ETA DEL O xOiO_ SFL_ KTA DEL O A004 SFL ETA EHF DEL O xOOe2 SFL_ RTA EHF DEL FREE 157 LoD DATA ok CAnceEL O ADii SFL RTA DEL Bee DEL O AOO4 SFL_RTA EHF DEL O xOOe2_SFL_ RTA EHF DEL LOAD Various Acoustilyzer functions support the test result data loading from the internal AL1 memory This features is very useful for detailed
22. Co i Ei Spectrum il Input Range X Axis with manual Y Axis indicator arrows range selection The audio spectrum is displayed without interrupting any ongoing sound level measurements so e g changing from 24 to fu screen will not interrupt the ongoing sound level measurements Input Filter The SPL RTA input filter for the broad band values i23 and the RTA in may be selected independently so e g a FLAT RTA is available while the broad band values are acquired using an A weighted filter Please note that only various filter combinations are possible Note Changing filter settings re starts the ongoing measurement 27 SPLARTA alae FLAT SET HEH SET MH Y O0kH2 10 5dE 95 Lk SPLARTA alie FLAT SET HEH SET MH 3 25kH2 179 4dE 95 SPLARTA alie FLAT SET HEH SET MEH Y O0kH2 174 8dE 95 Lk SPLARTA alaa FLAT SET HEH SET MH Y O0kH2 11 5dE 95 SPLARTA alae A HTO SET HEH SET H 250427 63 6dE 95 The SET menu allows for particular measurement settings and display options as listed below RES Resolution Select 1 3 octave or full 1 1 octave band resolution by pressing the enter key SHOW Test Result The actual SPL MAX MIN SPL and LEQ can be displayed per band The actual SPL is displayed with filled bars The LEQ spectrum is displayed with framed bars The MAX MIN SPL range is displayed with filled bars The cursor read out shows either the maximum th
23. EQ can be used to push up individual band levels Start RT60 measurement e Select the START icon and press the enter key to initiate the reverberation time measurement e The status indication switches to ARMED e Complete several test cycles so an averaged test result is calculated e The individual octave band sound pressure level increases above the upper marks e Upon the sound pressure level has fallen below the lower marks in each individual octave band the RT60 is calculated e Switch off the test signal Confirmation marks are displayed for successful octave band reverberation time measurements 38 RT60 SET HEn Test result read out SE ii aa Ga The detailed RT60 test results in x xx seconds are listed in the RI60 test result screen Select the detailed test result read out screen by e Using the screen menu e Alternatively press the ESC and the left or right arrow key simultaneously Note During the ongoing RT60 measurement the memory menu is not available c RT60 Test Result Read Out Delete selected Start Pause Test Result J b Number of continuously taken test Test Result results Selection N e Octave T l bands scroll 0 84 s 199 5 U oe eo 1 012 5 u 984 7 T a 0 93 Sm g 3 0 91 5m 49122 ag 0 86 5 mm 899 Test Result Relative Test Correlation Factor in in seconds Result displayed as or Meas
24. LAY RMS THD STI PA CALIBRTE Test Result Screens 223 am am FEE EEE Test Features Sound Level Meter Sound pressure level SPL MAX MIN SPL LEQ LCPEAK Real Time Analyzer 1 1 and 1 3 octave real time spectrum analyzer showing SPL MAX MIN SPL amp LEQ per band Reverberation Time in octave band resolution based on T20 results Reverberation Time detailed test results listed in seconds including correlation factor Real time Zoom FFT Polarity Test of acoustical speaker or electrical line signals Delay Time Propagation delay measurement between electrical reference and acoustical signal Electrical Measurements Level RMS THD N Frequency Speech intelligibility of public announcement systems in STI or CIS test results only visible after received STI PA license activation key Speech intelligibility Individual LEQ and STI PA modulation indices of test frequency bands Calibration Menu for external measurement microphones sensitivity set by default to NTI MiniSPL 22 SPL RTA Sound Level Meter The Acoustilyzer features a comprehensive integrating sound level meter with timer for single or repeated measurements All results may be logged into the internal memory for further investigations The measurements displayed on the big and small result position may be altered between SPL Actual sound pressure level e MINSPL Minimum sound pressure level e MAX SPL Maximum sound pressure l
25. SOCI tr AA QO toe COUSTILYZE User Manual TE es p es NTI contact details NTI AG Im alten Riet 102 9494 Schaan Liechtenstein Europe Tel 423 239 6060 Fax 423 239 6089 E mail info nti audio com Web www nti audio com NTIAG All rights reserved Subject to change without notice Release 1 31 5e Apr 2009 Firmware A1 31 or higher MiniLINK Minilyzer Digilyzer Acoustilyzer Minirator MiniSPL and Minstruments are trademarks of NTI Index 1 Introduction CE Declaration of Conformity International Warranty and Repair Warnings Test amp Calibration Certificate 2 Overview Acoustilyzer Functions Easy Operation Connectors 3 Basic Operation Start up Screen Menu Bar 4 Measurement Functions SPL RTA Sound Level Meter SPL RTA Real Time Analyzer RTA Reverberation Time RT60 FFT Analysis Polarity Test Delay Time Electrical Measurements RMS THD Speech Intelligibility STI PA optional Calibration 5 MiniLINK PC Software Installation Start the MiniLINK PC Software Free Registration of your Test Instrument Read Out of Stored Test Results Visualizing the Test Results Test Result Logging at the PC Remote Test Instrument Control with the PC MiniLINK Tools Activate Options 6 Troubleshooting 7 Accessories 8 Technical Specification 9 Appendix Introduction to STI PA 1 Introduction Congratulations and thank you for
26. This 64 5 dB is possible without interrupting SFL 61 5dE RIGE MEE THT the ongoing log 120 FAST FREE i007 Review logging records VIEU DELETE ea CEL ALL The measurement data are saved under a ADee LAuSPL DEL the file name Axxx_LOGSPL with xxx is a continuous running number The detailed records can be read out by using the MiniLINK PC software LOAD Loading Test Results SFLARTA elaa FLAT SET HEH For details see the earlier chapter Memory OOS STORE ENF STORE Menu UIEH DELETE EE HATH ik iok cD 34 MATH Mathematical Averaging of Records SFLCRTA alta FLAT SET HEH The MATH function allows to carry out SET MN 34 AD0B STORE BHF averaging of stored test results WIEH DELETE Load GA HEHORY FREE SH Application example AVERAGING ETA canceL e The available previously memorized O A013 5PL RT A ENF DEL OAQiO_SFL_RTA DEL data for averaging are displayed OAOO4SPL RTA EHF DEL l l O ADO2 SFL ATA EHF DEL e Make your selection with the enter key the square symbol in front of the selection is filled up HEHORY FREE 587 e Select any number of test results for AVERAGING CANCEL averaging A a han C2 BEE e Press the ESC button cursor jumps to E AQOYSFL_RTA EHP DEL i i BCE EHF DEL OK and confirm with enter SFLORTA elts FLAT SETEN The averaged test result is displayed on SET WH 2 00kH2 16 43dE 40 the active AL1 screen and the abbreviation MAT
27. aO ENF o AOOO_RAS THO EHF DEL FREE 997 VIEU DELETE ea CEL ALL o AOOS SFL RTA DEL FREE HTZ UTEU DELETE VIEU DELETE eae DEL ALL o ADORAS THO EHF DEL A0071 RHS THOE EHF DEL HOOG_GELAY EHF DEL HOOS_FOLARITY DEL HOOWFFT EHF DEL HOOS SFL_RTA DEL All measurements can be stored into the internal instrument memory Each record is saved with a file name consisting of the test mode and a continuous running number from 000 999 such as A001 _RMS_THD or A002_RT60 The running number starts after 999 with 000 again You can store the test results as follows e STORE BMP Saves the numeric test results including the graphical screenshot indicated by BMP bitmap in the memory overview e STORE Saves the numeric test result so occupying less memory space e VIEW DELETE The stored measurement results are listed in ascending order from bottom to top so the latest recorded measurement is always on top of the list The remaining memory space is displayed in the right upper corner of the screen 18 HEMORY FREE HTZ NIEUW ADELETE JEXIT OEL ALL o A00B RHS THO EHF DEL HOOVRAS THO EHF DEL AOOB DELAY EHF DEL HOOSIFOLARITY DEL HOOU_FFT EHF DEL AOOS SFL_ KTA DEL SETIHEH SET REF REF ACT 153 4 m5 15 4 ms fe 3sms 25 8 m r 20a Sine Ti CAELE DELAY SYTHE H HEH RY FREE HTZ UTEU DELETE VIEU DELETE EXIT DEL_ALL o _ EHe Stun HE DEL DELETE
28. arly suited to get a quick idea whether unwanted interferences like hum are present Signal Signal Balance Frequency Indicator 4 000 kHz Level RMS Result and Unit F THO f 81 1 dE Distortion _ 4 THD N Level RMS The units dBu dBV dBSPL and V are selectable Distortion THD N The distortion measurement expressed in dB or in is carried out in the bandwidth 10 Hz 20 kHz 51 Signal Balance shows the matching deviation of the incoming signal between pin 2 and pin 3 in percent The arrow position indicates the following Arrow in center the input signal is balanced Arrow out of center linear indication of a balancing problem e g arrow moves left nearer to the number 2 shows the signal level on pin 2 is higher than on pin 3 Arrow at left or right end the signal balance error is 33 or higher 33 equals a difference in the signal level of 6 dB 2UBAL indicates an audio signal only on pin 2 of the symmetrical XLR cable no signal at pin 3 UBAL3 indicates an audio signal only on pin 3 of the symmetrical XLR cable no signal at pin 2 Notes The Adapter 20dB shall be applied for balanced input levels higher than 20 dBu see Accessories for details The THD N results are calculated using a measuring bandwidth of 10 Hz 20 kHz 52 Speech Intelligibility STI PA optional The speech intelligibility measurement STI PA is an optional sales packa
29. aste the data into an open Excel document Factory Reset To reset the instrument back to factory settings proceed as follows e Switch the unit off e Press the ESC button and the On button at the same time for a few seconds e The start up screens shows up reading in the bottom line LOADING DEFAULT SETUP The instrument is now reset to factory conditions 82 T Accessories MiniSPL The MiniSPL is the perfect accessory for acoustical measurements Together with the Acoustilyzer AL1 a comprehensive integrating sound level meter is formed The MiniSPL is a self contained omni directional 1 2 measuring microphone with built in impedance converter pre amplifier and power supply It is battery powered and the XLR output is balanced The MiniSPL is classified as class 2 in accordance with IEC 61672 and is factory adjusted to a sensitivity of 20 mV Pa STI PA Measurement Option The STI PA analyzer option allows the reliable measurement of the speech transmission index according to the latest IEC standards within 15 sec Besides the single value STI or CIS test result a detailed view of the modulation indices and individual band level results is provided NTI TalkBox The TalkBox is the missing link for the complete evaluation of speech intelligibility in emergency life amp safety announcement systems from the talker s microphone to the listeners ear The NTI TalkBox presents the standardized voice like acou
30. available as accessory Max DC Input OU Vee Residual Noise e lt 12 uV XLR input shorted Internal Microphone for Polarity and Delay measurement only e Omni directional Monitor Output e Jack 3 5 mm 1 8 suitable for all common headsets Display Graphic LCD 64 x 100 pixel with backlight Batteries e 3x AA batteries alkaline e Typical battery lifetime gt 16 hrs Dimensions L x W x H e 163 x 86 x 42 mm 6 4 x 3 38 x 1 63 Weight e 300 g 10 5 oz incl batteries Temperature e 0 to 45 C 32 to 113 F Humidity lt 90 R H non condensing 87 9 Appendix Introduction to STI PA Application In case of emergency public address systems in buildings like airports railway stations shopping centers or concert halls have to clearly inform persons in danger about escape information and directions However if such announcements are misunderstood due to poor system quality tragic consequences may result Therefore it is essential to design install and verify sound reinforcement systems properly for intelligibility In addition a variety of other applications such as legal and medical applications may require intelligibility verification Standard The IEC 60849 standard national standards see table requires the verification of electro acoustic sound systems for emergency purposes to ascertain a minimum level of speech intelligibility in case of an emergency under realistic circums
31. conforms to the following standards or other normative documents EMC Directives 89 336 92 31 93 68 Harmonized Standards EN 61326 1 This declaration becomes void in case of any changes on the product without written authorization by NTI Date 1 September 2004 Signature sfet i Va 4 Position of signatory Technical Director CE International Warranty and Repair International Warranty NTI guarantees the functionality of Acoustilyzer AL1 against defects in material or workmanship for a period of one year from the date of original purchase and agrees to repair or to replace at its discretion any defective unit at no cost for either parts or labor during this period Restrictions This warranty does not cover damages caused through accidents misuse lack of care the attachment or installation of any components that were not provided with the product loss of parts connecting the instrument to a power supply input signal voltage or connector type other than specified or wrongly polarized batteries In particular no responsibility is granted for special incidental or consequential damages This warranty becomes void if servicing or repairs of the product are performed by any party other than an authorized NTI service center or if the instrument has been opened in a manner other than specified in this manual No other warranty written or verbal is authorized by NTI Except as otherwise stated in this warranty NTI makes no
32. consider significant and practical auxiliary parameters such as the frequency response echoes or frequency dependant reverberation times For a RASTI measurement only two simultaneously generated frequency bands are considered i e the 500 Hz and the 2 kHz band which then are modulated with four and five frequencies respectively The practical application of RASTI is mainly restricted to acquisitions between two persons However RASTI used to be the only method to measure the speech intelligibility with a portable instrument for a long time Modulation Frequencies aprox 0 63Hz 08Hz 1Hz2 125Hz2 16Hz 2 z 25Hz 3 15Hz 4Hz 55Hz 63Hz 8Hz 10Hz 12 5 Hz E E E A N G S N H ei ey an 3 amp io a ic b o STI PA Speech Transmission Index for Public Address Systems A rising awareness for security issues new technological means and the shortcomings of RASTI triggered the speaker manufacturer Bose and the research institute TNO to develop a new method for speech intelligibility measurements of PA installations The result of these efforts is STI PA which allows quick and accurate tests with portable instruments Like RASTI STI PA applies a simplified procedure to calculate the MTF But STI PA determines the MTF by analyzing all seven frequency bands whereby each band is modulated with two frequencies Supposing that no severe impulsive background noise is present and that no massive non linear distortions occur STI PA prov
33. creen e Update Firmware e Crossgrade Firmware e StartUp Screen EY MiniLINK V2 21 AL1 ANU296A2A2 A1 30 File Tools Help LCD Eullscreen AL1 Update Firmware Crossgrade Firmware StartupScreen ISTI PA_ ie3 sSETIHEN IRNS THD FLAT SETIMEN POLARITY SET HEN ISPLCRTA USE NTI s TH RLRCRCA test co START Fenrsyen 1250M Sac a FULLAHID ES HSSTI 9 92dBu NEGATIVE SPL ME 2dBAS THD N 74 146 ERD TPR FR GD ERLIT USE Whi POLARITY SIGNAL A008_STI PA gt gt AD06_AMS_THD gt gt AO05_POLARITY gt gt A004_SPL_ATA gt gt RTGO elas SET NEN SPL RTA alna FLAT_ SET NEN ISPL RTA 123 A HTO SET NEN STAT STOP SETHH 20042 71 8d6 105 TINER MK SET 00 00 10 REPEAT amp 00 00 02 bN AURG O0 oo SPL RTA 56 4 dBu LOG DATA SPL 59 6 d RAGE m a THTG X l ik iok 35 A003_RT60 gt gt A002_SPL_RATA gt gt AOQOI_LOGSPL gt gt AOQ00_SPL_ATA gt gt Acoustilyzer 75 LCD Fullscreen The actual test instrument display can be shown on the PC monitor in a full screen mode To enter the full screen mode e Select the menu Tools FullScreen at MiniLINK or click onto the gt symbol To exit the full screen mode e Press the Q button on the PC keyboard or simply click into the screen with your PC mouse icon for large screen display EY MiniLINK V2 21 AL1 ANU296A2A2 A1 30 File Tools Help AL1 Memory TIFA aes Se t nen RNS THO FLAT Set Nen FoLan
34. default Measurement Timer Actual measurement in hours minutes seconds Big and Small Result Two of the previous listed measurements may be display at the same time Time Weighting All SPL measurements SPL and MAX MIN SPL are time weighted measurements Changes in the SPL level are smoothed resulting in quicker or slower change of the displayed value Available time weightings corresponding to IEC 61672 are e SLOW long attack and release response time t 1s e FAST short attack and release response time t 125ms The time weighting for the broad band values L23 and the RTA ki are always the same Overload SFLARTA PEEICES Ganon The OVL Overload is flashing if the TIHER MH SET input voltage exceeded the selected a AET AUBEL input range of the instrument As long as 88 8 dBi the OVL is flashing the displayed LEQ oe ee and LcPEAK result is not accurate RIGE MA THT 40 120 FAST 25 Input Range Selector amp Bargraph oe E 40 120 In the SPL RTA Mode the AL1 has three measurement ranges The span of each range depends on the sensitivity of the used microphone For a MiniSPL with a sensitivity of 20mV Pa the measurement ranges are 20 to 100 dB 40 to 120 dB 60 to 140 dB The selected input range is displayed at the bottom of the bargraph and may be changed by operating the range indicator arrows The bargraph provides an analog display of the actual sound pressure level Pri
35. e The level measurement is very useful for applications such as testing of multicore cables see the NTI website for application notes 47 Delay Time The setting of the acoustics propagation delay time from speaker to speaker in e g churches or auditoriums is required so the listening public notices the acoustics of the speaking person from his actual position and not from the side or rear speaker installed The Acoustilyzer measures the delay time of the acoustical speaker signal using the built in microphone against the electrical line reference signal connected at RCA or XLR input As delay time test signal a designated chirp provided on the AL1 Test CD has to be used Delay Time Automatically calculated Delay Time Memory Store Actual JANE SETIHEH Actual WaoTuRE ie ee cre l to Electrical a Reference r mi Signal E 25 8m 2090 Converted Delay Tine i Start Synchronization Synchronization Time Bar Status Indication 100 100 seconds Synchronization The automatic synchronization allows delay time measurements without any connected electrical reference signal for 100 seconds and displays the time remaining for the next required synchronization Manual Synchronization Initiate a manual synchronization by selecting SYNC 48 How to measure 190 SETIHEH STORE ST ACT 0 0 mS m5 t S mr PUPL STRE H Sine To CAELE L 130 SETIHEH STORE STO ACT 0
36. e switched off The delay time of the acoustical signal in reference to the electrical input signal is displayed in milli seconds The distance results in meter feet are displayed for easy verification of the test results The readings are based on 330 m s sound speed at 0 C 32 F Set the actual environment temperature so the distance is displayed correctly Store reference Select STORE to memorize this test result as reference record for further delay time measurements The stored reference delay time is shown in the delay time memory field Measure Propagation Time at Speaker Enable the test signal at the speaker B All other speakers shall be switched off The acoustical delay time of speaker B in reference to the electrical input signal is displayed as big test result Automatic Time Difference Calculation The delay time difference is automatically calculated and shown in the upper small STO ACT stored actual field The automatic difference calculation simplifies the verification of delay line arrangements e g used in larger halls or auditoriums 50 Electrical Measurements RMS THD The Acoustilyzer supports basic electrical measurement functions such as e Level RMS reflects the absolute level of the line input signal e THD N Total Harmonic Distortion plus Noise besides checking the linear purity of a sine signal e g measuring the amount of harmonic distortions this mode is particul
37. e AL1 must be set and calibrated accordingly The microphone sensitivity is set by default to the NTI MiniSPL measurement microphone factory adjustment 20mV Pa MiniSPL is the standard measurement microphone for the Acoustilyzer AL1 Together they are forming a comprehensive class 2 acoustics analyzer Alternatively to the MiniSPL the NTI M2010 class 1 frequency response microphone can be used for highly accurate class 1 measurements Microphone Balance Indicator Microphone arrow has to be centered to verify Sensitivity the balanced mic input singal N NN N e0 miFA DEFAULT SET Ti ciU mi FA LALIERATE REF SIGNAL 114 0 dESFL Default Manual Calibration with Factory Setting external microphone calibrator The following three calibration modes are available CALIERTE __ SET HEM DEFAULT SENSITIVITY 1 0 All MiniSPL microphones are factory B calibrated to a sensitivity of 20 0 mV Pa Reset to default setting by SET T REF SIGNAL Re 111 0 dESFL e Select DEFAULT e Press the enter key 61 SENSITIVITY 20 0 mUFA DEFAULT CAHLIERATE SET Ta REF SIGNAL PO OmUAFA 114 0 dESFL CALIERTE __ SET HEH SET 20 r mem fa AL PO OmU FA 114 0 dESFL CALIERTE SET HEH 2 FAILURE 20 0 Tf nre sens To Low 20 0 ml FA 124 0 dESFL CALIBRATE The sensitivity may be adjusted with an external calibrator Select the dBSPL value field de
38. e max min difference or the minimum sound pressure level of the selected band Simply toggle through these results with upper amp lower arrow keys max SPL min SPL max min SPL 28 SPLARTA alae FLAT SET HEH SET MH Y O0kH2 73 4dE 95 SFLARTA aim FLAT SET HEM SET MDM 3 45kH2 75 5dE 95 RES araf o SHOW SPL THTD SLOWE gt HOLD fel TWTD Time Weighting Applicable for the actual sound pressure level measurement The available response times corresponding to IEC 61672 are e SLOW long attack and release time e FAST short attack and release time The time weighting for the broad band values E23 and the RTA view atm are always the same HOLD Cursor Hold The cursors indicates the band of highest sound pressure level For simple read out and traceability the cursor can remain for 1 9 seconds at the frequency band with the highest level This may e g support finding of feedback frequencies Cursor Readout Actual level result in the indicated frequency band The cursor readout displays the center frequency and the level of the band pointed to by the arrow The cursor automatically jumps to the highest level band in the spectrum Alternatively the cursor readout may be controlled manually e Select the read out data field and press the enter key e A frame is flashing around the data readout e Move the cursor and read the corresponding test results Pause Reset
39. ead out data e Read out other values using the left or right arrow keys FFT ISETIHEN Zoom in out to cursor position SET HI BO e Select the cursor read out field e Use the lower arrow key to zoom in up to a 0 7 Hz frequency resolution and the upper arrow key to zoom out E l 3 94kHz 144 8H2 4 08kH2 0 e Move the x axis by left right key press FFT SE1 HEn Zoom in out with quick X axis shifting ee ea e Select the x axis frequency range field e The zoom in out functionality refers to the displayed center frequency e Use the left right arrow key for quick left right shifting of the x axis 44 Application FFT and White Noise White noise is most often used as test signal when measuring the performance of acoustical systems The FFT shows a flat spectrum with this input signal Feeding white noise into an electro acoustic system and measuring the FFT using a measurement microphone shows the frequency response of the system with very high resolution Please note that the frequency response seen is most often a combination of two effects a The real frequency response of the electronics and speakers b Interference effects resulting in comb filtering With a high resolution FFT interference effects can easily be seen while they are nearly impossible to notice on a 1 3 octave resolution RTA The Zoom FFT of the AL1 allows to Zoom In at any frequency point to a resolution of up to 0 7
40. eatures e Actual settings measurement function filters e Measurement results numerical or graphical display 12 Start up Screen ACOUSTICS ANALYZER ANKE 1SAene Hi 30 INITIALIZING SYSTEH ACOUSTICS ANALYZER AUDIO RENTAL THOHAS SHITH ANKE 1SAene Hi 30 INITIALIZING SYSTEH Menu Bar The start up screen remains displayed by pressing and holding any button during the start up of the unit This supports e g the read out of the instrument serial number from your device The serial number starts with three letters such as e g ANK675A2A2 After the successful registration of the AL1 the start up screen may be customized See details in Customizing start up screen later in this user manual The menu bar allows the selection of the basic test configurations Measurement Screen Functions ARRET F ETA ar arm GaI HH SET 00 00 30 TIHER REFERT Input Setup Memory Menu Piters Screen amp Battery Status macanan 00 00 29 bO S dB SFL SB 1dE RAGE 40 THTG 120 Fast 13 Measurement Functions 123 FLAT SET HEH HH SET 00 00 05 S 00 00 03 41 6 dBi FL S4 5dE THTG 120 FAST Screen Selector SFLARTA ETEJA HTO SETIHEH TIHER MH SET OFF ACT 00 01 09 75 8 dB SFL 68 4 d RIGE MEE THT 120 FAST SFLARTA ae SETINEH SET ITH H z2r B0 idE 495 ik 10k 2S e SPL RTA SPL amp RTA measurement e RT60 Reverbera
41. ed exactly at the end of the log interval Please note that LEQ_ dt MIN _dtand MAX_dt characterize an interval more accurate than this single SPL_Act value 32 110 dB cPeak 100 dB j LcPeak_dt 90 dB 80 dB 70 dB 60 dB 50 dB 40 dB 00 00 15 00 01 15 00 02 15 00 03 15 00 04 15 00 05 15 00 06 15 00 07 15 00 08 15 00 09 15 Example of an SPL LEQ log visualized with Microsoft Excel LCPEAK only OVER_dt A 1 indicates an overload during the log interval At so all values tend to be measured to low OVER_Hold A 1 indicates an overload during the measurement period UNDER_dt A 1 indicates an underload during the measurement period so all values tend to be measured to high SFLARTA ie23 A HTO SET MEM Prepare Logging TIHER AQOS STORE ENF Select LOGGING from the Memory Menu oer ET This will bring up the Logger Setup Screen LJ C uIEH DELETE J up ug p l SHE ede rire Setting of recording time B ei iel FAST The maximum recording time END of the sound pressure level logging depends on the remaining memory and the selected test interval At The logger may record a maximum of about 580 points over a custom defined time The test interval At and the total logging time can be defined by the user in the format hh mm ss 33 SFLCRTA i a FLAT SETIU Note During SPL RTA logging the TIHER MH SET 00 00 30 instrument may be switched to areas display the audio spectrum
42. ed to analyze acoustical signals It is designed for easy and quick detailed analysis of the acoustic environment and to carry out the most important electrical measurements An accurate overview of the actual acoustical signal is displayed on a large LCD TheAL1 is a class 1 accuracy instrument and available with the measurement microphones MiniSPL class 2 or M2010 class 1 frequency response Alternatively other measurement microphones can be used Class 1 acoustics analyzer NTlofferstheclass 1 frequency response microphone M2010 an external phantom power supply is required The Acoustilyzer in combination with the M2010 measurement microphone forms a highly accurate class 1 acoustics analyzer Class 2 acoustics analyzer The Acoustilyzer in combination with the MiniSPL forms a comprehensive class 2 acoustics analyzer MiniSPL is a battery powered measurement microphone It is the ideal accessory for the Acoustilyzer Acoustilyzer Acoustilyzer Functions FLETA The Acoustilyzer AL1 features many ATEO HH SET 00 00 05 measurement functions which are 00 00 04 accessible through a drop down menu bar 41 6 dB 3FL 54 5 d iit The base element is the cursor inverted 120 FAST area which may be navigated through the various functions by using the cursor keys e SPL RTA Sound pressure level amp time averaged sound pressure level LEQ measurements of wideband octave or 1 3 octave values
43. evel e LEQ time averaged sound pressure level e PreLEQ LEQ of the previous timer period only available when timer is in repeat mode e LcPEAK C weighted peak sound pressure level The included Timer allows automatically to e Stop the LEQ LCPEAK and MAX MIN SPL measurements after a user defined time e Reset the LEQ LCPEAK and MAX MIN SPL measurements after a user defined time to start a new measurement Timer Pause Reset Test Cycle Measurement Status N Period Timer Clock S A x AS a 4 PN 7 SPL RTA Ee ee La TIHER MH SET lt lt OFF ACT 00 01 09 75 8 dBi miles SFL BE WdE esult THTG 120 FAST Input Range SPL Bargraph and range Time Weighting indicator arrows indication indicator selector 23 Test Applications Timer Status Setting a eee a FLAT SET HEH TIHER MH SET OFF ACT 00 00 27 81 9 dB SFL T1 9dE he THT 20 100 FAST a eee a FLAT SET HEH TIHER MH SET 00 10 00 SINGLE 00 09 50 85 9 dB SPL 13 1d RIGE ME THT 20 100 FAST a eee a FLAT SET HEH TIHER MH SET 00 02 00 REFEAT 00 01 54 Th TY dBi FRE Leq BO 2 dE RIGE MEE THTA 20 100 FAST TIMER OFF applicable for standard measurements All values are recorded and monitored continuously The measurement timer shows the actual testing period length Pressing the RESET icon sets the clock and
44. fault 114 dBSPL press the enter key and adjust the sound pressure level as provided by your calibrator Use up down keys for 1 0 dB steps and left right keys for 0 1 dB steps The level range 80 140 dB is supported Confirm the setting with the enter key Produce the specific reference signal with the calibrator onto the microphone Press enter to execute the calibration whilst the reference signal of the calibrator is still present The frame WORKING followed by the frame CALIBRATION FINISHED is shown centered on the calibration screen The new sensitivity is shown in mV Pa Enter the SPL RTA mode and check the calibration by applying the reference signal again to the attached microphone The sound pressure level of the calibrator shall be shown to confirm the calibration is carried out in good order In case of calibration problems various error indications may be displayed to inform the user about problems such as caused by to low or to high input level the calculated sensitivity is out of the range 2 80 mV Pa 62 CALIERTE SET HEN Manual sensitivity setting Eimi PA E e Select the sensitivity value field e Press enter and adjust the sensitivity aa PE using the up down keys for 1 0 mV Pa steps and left right keys for 0 1 mV Pa steps The setting range 2 80 mV Pa is supported e Press enter to confirm the setting 63 5 MiniLINK PC Software The MiniLINK PC software
45. ge for the Acoustilyzer AL1 Ask your local representative for purchasing details The STI PA analyzer option allows reliable measurement of the speech transmission index within 15 seconds Besides the single value STI or CIS test result a detailed view of the modulation indices and individual band level results is provided The STI PA analyzer fulfills the latest 2003 IEC 60268 16 standard and is a TNO verified algorithm dutch STI PA research institute Find more information about speech intelligibility basics and the historical developments in the APPENDIX to this user manual a STI PA Measurement Screen Start Measurement Progress Bar Measurement 0 15 seconds iea TSE T HEH USE MTI syapr M ST PA TEST c FINIS HE i Result D gt f Measurement G 8iSTI YE Actuall p nuu 5 F L T 1 d E H Sound Pressure ooo N Level E Fl i L FR FR ub Enlil Analogue STI PA Bargraph STI PA Test Result Single value speech transmission index result in STI speech transmission index or CIS common intelligibility scale whereby CIS is calculated as CIS 1 log STI Sound Pressure Level Shows actual SPL value in dBAS including A weighting and Slow time weighting 53 b How to measure Reefs SET HEN e Select the STI PA function meee cg N feegreen e Monitor the actual sound pressure level STI of your environment on the Acoustilyzer LOM EAS display EAD FR FR Gf EnLNT Precondition
46. he fields checking audio systems 84 ACOUSTILYZER 8 Technical Specification Measurements e Sound Pressure Level e Real Time Analyzer e Zoom FFT e Reverberation Time e Delay Time e Level RMS Distortion THD N e Frequency e Polarity Test e Speech Intelligibility STI PA optional Sound Pressure Level e SPL Leq Lc peak Lmin Lmax acc IEC 61672 e Timer for single and repeated measurements e Dynamic range using MiniSPL 30 130 dBSPL e Filters Flat A C X Curve RLB Broadcast Loudness e Logging of SPL RTA results into AL1 memory e Wideband and RTA values simultaneously available Real Time Analyzer e 1 3 or full octave band resolution class 0 filters e SPL LEQ and Max Min display per band Reverberation Time e 1 1 Octave band resolution 63 Hz 8 KHz based on T20 results according to SO3382 e 1 3 Octave band resolution with post processing e Automatic averaging with individual result readout and storage e Source signal Gated pink noise from Test CD or Minirator Zoom FFT e Real time Zoom FFT with 50 overlapping 93 Bins e Frequency Range 10 Hz 20 kHz e Resolution 187 5 Hz to 0 73 Hz Delay Time e Propagation delay between electrical and acoustical signal input using built in mic Resolution lt 0 1ms max time 1 s e Dedicated test signal NTI chirp from Test CD or Minirator 85 Polarity Test e Positive Negative detection through internal microphone or XLR RCA connector e Chec
47. he instrument 78 Customizing the Startup Screen The MiniLINK PC software supports the transfer of customized start up screens to the test instruments The personally defined start up screen will be displayed instead of the factory logo every time the test instrument is switched on e Start the MiniLINK PC software e Connect the instrument with the USB cable to the PC e Select the menu Tools StartupScreen at MiniLINK The following screen is displayed on the monitor E MiniLINK V2 21 AL1 ANU296A2A2 A1 30 Elo E3 File Tools Help AL1 Memory Logging STI PA i23 sSETIHEN FLAT SETIHEN USE NTI rest co START Prnysyep 1750M HSSTI 3 SPL 46 2 dbAS THD N 14 1dE BAD PR FR GD EXLNT AOO8 STI PA gt gt A006_RMS_THD gt gt See enaran Sunts eS RARLYSER NLS _ SETINEN STAT STOP bn AURG DU SETHH 20042 71 8d 105 aay 003 RT60 gt gt 4002_SPL_RTA gt gt RAR THORGRL U3 SATYIALISIAG SYSTEN Image 100x32 Pixels piac amp white Send to Device Acoustilyzer The panel Set Startup Screen displays a sample default factory startup screen The white center area 100 x 32 pixels can be customized by the user The remaining top amp bottom gray area is fixed and cannot be altered 79 Guideline to define the new start up screen Use a pre defined picture The MiniLINK PC software will convert it to a 100x32 pixels black amp white picture automatically The followi
48. ides results as accurate as STI If however impulsive background noise is present during the normal system operation hours it is usually possible to mitigate the effects by also acquiring a measurement at a more favorable time e g under slightly different conditions in the area or during the night time and to calculate an unbiased overall measurement by using the results of both test cycles NTI STI PA measurement table Modulation Frequencies aprox O63Hz O8Hz 1Hz 1 25 Hz Loe 2Hz 25Hz 3 15Hz 4Hz 5Hz 63Hz 8Hz 10Hz 12 5 Hz Ell a pe ao o gt fc vb Portable STI PA analyzers e g NTI s Acoustilyzer are able to evaluate speech intelligibility within 15 seconds per position and are thus well suited for wide area measurements and high productivity Read more on the web site www nti audio com 93 94 95 N www minstruments com
49. ignal 250 Hz band 90 Modulation Transfer Function MTF For a high speech intelligibility it is mandatory that the integrity of the modulations of the transmitted voice signal be preserved Therefore the three core intelligibility measurement methods STI RASTI und STI PA are based on measuring the MTF Modulation Transfer Function This function quantifies the degree to which the voice modulations are preserved in the individual frequency bands The envelope shown in Figure 3 is divided into 1 3rd octave band frequencies thus resulting in 14 frequency bands between 0 63 and 12 5 Hz The modulation transfer function determines for each of the 7 voice bands refer to Figure 1 how well the modulations are preserved Modulation Transfer Function for one octave band OBS O08 l E r 15 315 4 5 E3 E n 25 Modulation Frequency Hz Based on the MIF results as well as further parameters such as the sound pressure level hearing threshold frequency response or psycho acoustic effects masking effects it becomes possible to reliably determine the speech intelligibility The corresponding calculations which are optimized continuously are based on extensive and profound evaluations and comparisons with subjective methods Measuring the complete MTF as required for STI can become rather complex For instance 14 7 98 individual measurements must be executed thus resulting in a total acquisition duration of 15 minutes Therefo
50. ks polarity of midrange speakers woofers sub woofers and cables e Down to 10 dB S N ratio of input signal e Testsignal NTI Polarity Signal AL1 Test CD oder Minirator Electrical e Level RMS THD N Frequency Polarity e Filters Flat A weighting C weighting Highpass 400 Hz Highpass 19 kHz STI PA Option e Single value STI and CIS test result Modulation indices and individual band level results accessible Error indicator e Fulfills the IEC 60268 16 release 2003 standard including amplitude weighting e TNO verified algorithm Frequency e Range 10 Hz to 20 kHz e Resolution 4 digits e Accuracy lt 0 1 Level e Units dBu dBV Vou e Resolution 3 digits dB scale or 4 digits V scale e Accuracy 0 5 1 kHz e Bandwidth 20 Hz to 20 kHz e Flatness 0 1 dB THD N Total Harmonic Distortion Noise e Bandwidth 10 Hz to 20 kHz e Resolution 3 digits dB scale or 4 digits scale e Residual balanced lt 85 dB 10 dBu to 20 dBu THD N unbalanced lt 74 dB 0 dBu to 14 dBu PC Interface e Interneral device memory for up to 580 records e USB interface to MiniLINK PC software e Online data logging from Acoustilyzer directly to PC 86 Input Connectors e XLR balanced RCA unbalanced Input Impedance e 40 kOhm balanced 20 kOhm unbalanced Input RMS upper measurement limit e balanced 20 dBu 7 75 V e unbalanced 14 dBu 3 8 V_ e for input levels gt 20 dBu balanced the Adapter 20 dB is
51. le the screenshot A011_RT60 recorded e g with an Acoustilyzer S N ANK675 is saved as e ANK675_ A011_RT60 bmp amp ANK675_A011_RT60 txt This enables to store various test results of more audio analyzers on the same PC Save the stored test results as follows e Select the screenshots to be saved in the memory field e Press the SAVE button or select in the menu File SAVE e The menu below will be displayed The directory path may differ according the installed Windows system e Select the SAVE DELETE configuration and press SAVE EY MiniLINK 2 21 AL1 ANU296A2A2 A1 30 File Tools Help AL1 Memory Logging Name c Programme MiniLINK Data E E a Save file range j amp All m Selected files Delete files in instrument memory after save Delete files after save ow Selected files Cancel Acoustilyzer 71 When saving the screenshots to the PC the same memorized values can be deleted at the test instrument automatically Just select in the above displayed menu Delete files in instrument memory after save to empty the test instrument memory simultaneously Delete Test Results of Analyzer Memory The memorized test results in the test instrument can be deleted as follows e Directly in the test instrument memory overview e Select the screenshot in the MiniLINK memory screen and press DEL on the PC keyboard or using the delete function of the MiniLINK memory me
52. lly after the preset measurement time has elapsed The results can then be loaded to a PC and visualized as a level diagram using e g Microsoft Excel Note The stored results remain within the AL1 memory even in the event of a battery failure during the recording session The following parameters are recorded during the logging LEQ Leq over the whole measurement period The measurement period is indicated and controlled by the measurement timer PreLEQ Leq of the previous measurement timer period in timer repeat mode only LEQ dt Short time LEQ of the actual log interval At LEQ _dt values may be combined to get the LEQ of any desired period 31 110 dB 100 dB i 90 dB 80 dB 70 dB 60 dB 50 dB 40 dB 00 00 15 00 01 15 00 02 15 00 03 15 00 04 15 00 05 15 00 06 15 00 07 15 00 08 15 00 09 15 LEQ _dt LEO 10 log RA T Minimum SPL value measured within the actual log interval At time weighted value SLOW FAST Maximum SPL value measured within the actual log interval At time weighted value SLOW FAST Example of an SPL LEQ log visualized with Microsoft Excel LcPeak LcPeak_dt SPL_Act without LCPEAK Maximum C weighted peak sound pressure level during the whole measurement period The measurement period is indicated and controlled by the measurement timer Maximum C weighted peak sound pressure level during the log interval At Indicates the actual SPL level measur
53. mary Indicator Range To achieve best measurement accuracy the appropriate range must be selected called primary indicator range Correct setting avoids overflow indications and lowers the influence of noise on the measurement result The two range indicator arrows assist the user to set the optimal range As soon as the indicated bargraph value is found lower than the primary indicator range the down arrow symbol below RNGE will start to move symbolizing the actual SPL measurements are inaccurate The bargraph range needs to be changed manually by selecting the moving left arrow symbol and pressing the enter key Note Changing the ranging resets all ongoing measurements SFLARTA PEEIGED Ganon By exceeding the primary indicator TIHER MH SET range three overload arrows replacing sd gia ali the big result reading roo er 7 a ea Bes e Select the right arrow below RNGE RIIGE THTG and press enter to change to the next e F TT 120 FAST higher bargraph range 26 SPL RTA Real Time Analyzer RTA The Acoustilyzer sound level meter features the individual 1 3 or full octave band test results using class 0 filters The SPL MAX MIN and LEQ values are displayed per band Stored spectra may be averaged by using the available mathematical functions The MAX MIN display is particularly helpful for characterizations of listening areas Set Pause Reset Cursor Readout SET w z S0kHz 11 ede g0 Audio o be
54. n the MiniLINK software can be started e To start the software follow the windows path Start Program MiniLINK e The analyzer switches on automatically and the following screen is displayed on the monitor E MiniLINK V2 21 File Help MiniLINK aus AL1 Acoustilyzer The test instrument is powered by the USB interface and therefore switches on by itself During the operation with the connected USB interface the batteries should not be removed from the device 65 Free Registration of your Test Instrument The Acoustilyzer includes additional bonus features enabled after the registration of the test instrument at the NTI web site Overview of available bonus features Instrument Function Display AL1 Customized start up screen ar ACOUSTICS Eo an eee ee AMAL YCER AUDIO RENTAL THOHAS SHITH ANKE 1SAene Hi 30 INITIALIZING SYSTEH Online registration After the startup the MiniLINK software automatically suggests the registration of non registered connected instruments The test instrument needs to be connected to the PC Proceed with the automatic registration or alternatively select the MiniLINK menu Help Register Offline registration Register your device at http registration nti audio com Registration php Key in your details and the serial number of the device Read out the instrument serial number from your device by starting the instrument and keeping any but
55. nd speaker tests e WOOFER for woofer tests USE HA1 FOLARITY SIONAL Notes e Please note the polarity testing is a simplified measurement of a very complex signal phasing Drivers speakers and cross overs cause severe phase shifts of the audio signal e The polarity of various speakers within the same cabinet can be different This is not a problem nor caused by bad speaker design e Polarity testing is useful for checking the correct wiring of similar speaker systems 46 b Cable Polarity Test FULARITT SETINEn Use the polarity test signal of the Minirator to TN HLRARCA 9 feed the cable under test The Acoustilyzer Ti analyzes the signal polarity at the other end POSITIVE of the cable LUL 4 24dEu USE Whi FOLARITY SIGNAL Acoustilyzer settings e IN XLR RCA e Mode Cable The following problems may be detected quickly and easily e Wrong polarity caused by wrong or defective wiring inside the cable e Cable problems unsymmetrical signals displayed with the balance indicator can help to detect various cable problems such as 2UBAL indicates an audio signal only on pin 2 of the symmetrical XLR cable no signal at pin 3 UBAL3 indicates an audio signal only on pin 3 of the symmetrical XLR cable no signal at pin 2 The balance indicator out of center leads to other cable problems as explained in detail in the NTI application note Signal Balance available for download at the NTI websit
56. ng file types can be used as start up screens pcx bmp dic rle ico wmf Alternatively create a new start up screen yourself using any picture paint programs such as Microsoft Paint Set the file size to 100x32 pixel and insert any text or graphics for the start up screen Save the file as bmp format Press the button Load Image to select the file containing the new start up screen The start up screen preview is displayed on the PC monitor Press the button Send to Device to transfer the file to the device The audio analyzer is switching off and on automatically so you can check out the new start up screen by yourself immediately Sample start up screens ACOUSTICS puppeter ACOUSTICS ANALYZER fi HL HES ANALYZER AUDIO RENTAL THOHAS SHITH ANKE 1SAeAne Hi 30 ANKE 15aene Hi 30 INITIALIZING SYSTEH INITIALIZING SYSTEH 80 Activate Options The activate options menu is required for e Activation of AL1 functionalities on your Minilyzer ML1 or the ML1 functionalities on your Acoustilyzer with the crossgrade package e Activation of STI PA measurement functionalities on the instrument To activate one of the above functionalities e Select the menu Help Activate Options at MiniLINK e The following menu will be displayed MiniLINK V2 21 AL1 ANU296A2A2 A1 30 5x File Tools Help AL1 Memo Logging Mi FS ceP BGG Activate Options 1 Online activation
57. nt microphone is no speaking or additional noise allowed during the measurement A STI PA measurement takes 15 seconds The elapsed test time is visible as blank part in the upper measurement progress bar The test result tendency is shown on the below STI PA bargraph marked with BAD PR poor FR fair GD good and EXLT excellent After the 15 seconds test cycle time the Measurement Status Indication switches to FINISHED and the final STI PA test result is displayed On the bargraph below the quality of the speech intelligibility test result is displayed as e BAD 0 00 0 30 STI e PR poor 0 30 0 45 STI e FR fair 0 45 0 60 STI e GD good 0 60 0 75 STI e EXLT excellent 0 75 1 00 STI BAD POOR EXCELLENT 55 The detailed test result view of the modulation indices and individual band level results is provided on the second STI PA measurement screen STI FA BBE SET EAMD LER E B4 d d TEA RN A A rA ry PEHD HH a mocno M BLS uw Soo oaoo s ML Sw woe m Lo Im _i RELEASES BE BH Ti E gg E LO m in m E m aaa HFA HFE 4 02 0 97 4 05 0 96 D0 i 1 04 nf Detection O0 0 89 99 0 98 21 0 64 Individual Octave STI PA Modulation STI PA Modulation Band LEQ Level Index 1 Index 2 STI PA Modulation Index 1 amp 2 For high speech intelligibility it is mandatory that the integrity of the transmitted voice signal modulations are preser
58. nu e Selecting the delete function when saving the screenshots test results to the PC Test Result Logging at the PC MiniLINK also allows the continuous logging of the Acoustilyzer test results online in customer defined time intervals This test data is saved into the default log file software directly At the end of the logging process press the SAVE button to save and the data are saved under the file name e g ANK675_PcLog_ Level SPL The logging function is ideally suited for long term monitoring or troubleshooting e g in repair or broadcast applications Note For sound pressure logging of specific events the tick box Reset Leq on Start has to be enabled This resets the device timer of the Acoustilyzer at the begin of the online logging and a new measurement is started automatically 72 icon for direct copying of present screenshot EY MiniLINK V2 21 AL1 ANU296A2A2 A1 30 File Edit Tools Help AL1 Memory Logging Interval dt 1 sec x IV Reset LEQ on Start SPL RTA full band SPLPRTA iea A HTO SE THEN Sie are TIER ME SET Timer mode off TIH BET En Liner geti HHiesie Time weight fast 45 5 dB sr Selected filter A Weighting acc IEC 61672 SFL 45 5dE Range 20 dB 100 dB n gt THT gt Mic sensitivity 20 00 mV Pa a 20 100 FAST ActTimer LEQ dB LEQ dt MIN dt MAX dt LePeak LeP 8 8 7 8 2 a 3 AL1 Acoustilyzer NMP NYMOOMDH Jere IMHO oO 6
59. play the intelligibility result as a single number between 0 unintelligible and 1 excellent intelligibility EXCELLENT 0 STI 0 3 0 45 0 6 0 75 1 0 89 STI RASTI or STI PA STI RASTI or STI PA are the most established methods for measuring speech intelligibility All three of them basically apply the same principle whereby RASTI and STI PA are a simplified version of STI This article explains the principles behind these methods Speech Model First of all measuring the speech intelligibility requires a model for speech signals For instance speech may be described as superposition of various phoneme frequencies that are modulated i e of which the amplitude is varied Frequency Spectrum The frequency analysis of a male voice over a certain period results in a typical characteristic as shown in Figure 1 Hi E mi Fig 1 Averaged octave band spectrum of a male speaker Time Modulations Within each frequency band the signal level varies i e it is modulated by the speaker Figure 2 shows the envelope of a speech signal in the 250 Hz band whereby the shape of the envelope is given by the speech contents Fig 2 Envelope of a speech By analyzing the spectra of envelope signal 250 Hz band sequences it can be shown that a speaker modulates the individual frequency bands in the range from 0 2 to 12 5 Hz St Fig 3 frequency spectrum of the envelope of a speech s
60. range from 8998 to 9002 Hz the last digit equals 111 ppm at 9 kHz The STI PA test signals of other test system manufacturers may sound similar but are not compatible Only the NTI STI PA test signal CD V1 1 or higher shall be used in combination with the Acoustilyzer AL1 STI PA measurement of alarm systems shall be carried out at emergency conditions Same sound pressure level and all components are activated At locations undergoing different circumstances e g public areas with few people or crowded areas the worst case STI PA results has to be measured Select typical locations such as positioning the microphone at 1 1 2 meters above ground in sitting areas or 1 5 1 8 meters in standing areas typical measurement positions are normally not directly in front of the speakers 59 10 The person taking the measurements should be out of the acoustic field so not affecting the measurement results For this purpose the measurement microphone can be mounted on a mic stand and connected electrically using an extension audio cable to the AL1 11 Low STI PA readings can be caused by e Excessive sound reverberation echoes or reflections e Poor speaker directivity or speaker coverage e Speaker power setting not in order e g low signal to noise ratio Please see the NTI website or Appendix for further information 60 Calibration In order to obtain correct measurement results the microphone sensitivity connected to th
61. re different approaches have been developed to reduce the test period and to enable speech intelligibility measurements with portable instruments 91 STI Speech Transmission Index The STI result is based on the complete set of 98 measurements Since this approach requires a rather long test period it is less frequently applied in practice However STI represents the most detailed method to measure the speech intelligibility and is mostly used if alternative approaches do not provide reliable results due to unfavorable environmental conditions In practice the STI result is preferably calculated out of the impulse response MLSA that has been acquired e g with a PC based system This approach is much quicker but requires a lot of experience and especially a linear behavior of the setup i e there must be no non linear processing or conditions including compressors or limiters which is a rather rare situation Modulation Frequencies 0 63Hz 08Hz i1Hz 1 25Hz 16Hz 2Hz2 25Hz 315H2 4Hz Hz 63Hz 8Hz 10Hz 12 5 Hz a a A a a a A E sa a a Z gd ee gt 8 kHz eile lel et ele et et el ee RASTI Room Acoustics Speech Transmission Index RASTI acquires only few segments of a complete MTF which at first glance obviously represents an extreme simplification of STI Therefore tight use restrictions must be met to acquire reliable speech intelligibility results with RASTI Furthermore the RASTI result does not
62. rity result in lower correlation values typically 80 100 at reliable RT60 test Correlation results Factor in 40 ATEO _ SET HEH STAT ST F MOR GE AUG O3 BE Uncertainty Factor in Error Indications Delete single test results Uncertainty Factor in applicable for averaged test result Based on at least three individual test results the uncertainty factors are calculated This factor equals the statistical test result accuracy based on the randomly created pink noise test signal typically 0 15 at reliable RT60 test results Please see the standard ISO 3382 for details Various error indications display non successful RT60 measurements These can be deleted individually Non valid results are excluded from average calculations e LOW LEVL This is the abbreviation of low test signal level during the measurement Increase the test signal level and verify that all levels are exceeding the upper marks Use a corresponding RT60 test signal with longer on off times so the lower level mark can be reached e CORR lt 70 The correlation factor is lower than 70 indicating a unreliable measurement result e T gt 18S The measured reverberation time exceeds the time limit of 18 seconds e g caused by a not suitable ranging or environmental noise In this case repeat the ranging and start the measurement again 41 FFT Analysis The Acoustily
63. s e To avoid measurement failures the STI PA test signal level should be min 60 dBSPL e The STI PA measurement should be carried out at emergency conditions Same sound pressure level and all components are activated e No impulsive noise events should occur during the 15 seconds measurement time NOTE Even intermediate noise may affect the STI PA test result Signal Source The NTI TalkBox can simulate a human talker enabling the measurement of the complete system including the microphone part directivity room characteristics Place the NTI TalkBox at the typical human speaker position The Minirator MR PRO or a CD Player with the NTI CD STI PA V1 1 or higher can be used for electrical signal injection for system tests without the microphone part 54 Sie ica SETIHEH USE MTI Cc Test co OT ART STOPPED sree EAL FR FR GO Eat STI FA ical s SET HEH USE MTI eee CO TEST Co STOFFED SFL 93 2dEA5 _ EAL FR FR GO EaLcnt STI FA jiza SET HEH USE MTI cry E TEST CD RUNNING 1 ak SFL 92 6dEAs EAL FR FR GO Eacnt Sie Ei SETIHEH USE MTI TEST cp START EE FINISHED H 985TI TH 4YdEAS EAD FR FR Gf EnLnit e Start the STI PA test signal e Set the acoustical sound pressure level of the PA system according the typical emergency condition requirements e g 85 dBAS e Press START on the AL1 menu to initiate the measurement Near the measureme
64. stical signal emission simulating a human talker according to IEC 60268 16 combined with a TNO certified speech intelligibility signal at standardized levels 83 ML1 AL1 Crossgrade The ML1 AL1 Crossgrade package enables mame Sih Option to load the Minilyzer firmware onto your instrument providing test functionalities such as e vu PPM e Frequency e Balance Sweep e THD 2nd 5th e Time Sweep harmonics e Induction Loop e Scope Mode Adapter 20dB The Adapter 20dB may be applied for balanced input levels higher than 20 dBu ae This passive adapter extends the balanced i input range of your Minilyzer Acoustilyzer up to 40 dBu The adapter is supplied with i pin1 fuse for safe operation in combination with the USB interface MiniLINK TES by Pouch The soft pouch protects your Minstrument against shocks dust and water With its convenient belt clip you can keep your Minstrument close to you even when you need both hands for other tasks Now available with a MiniSPL microphone holder offering a space to store your mic Minstruments System Case Store your valuable Minstruments test system consisting of the Minirator MR1 the Minilyzer ML1 or Acoustilyzer AL1 and the ee MiniSPL adequately in the compact system ree nee cee gt case which gives you extra space for cables k Ac ABE connectors and other accessories you may wish to bring along when you are out in t
65. tTy seven EPLPATA elns A nTO SETINEM USE NTI TE IN HLRARCA wags SET IIM 4 00KH2 54 8de BS rest co START Prngsyep PESO KHZ area f FULLPHID ATE B 4SSTI 9 92dBu NEGATIVE SPL 46 2dBAS THD N 14 1dE Tr rR GD EMT O ERa POLARITY STG A008_STI PA gt gt AOO6_RMS_THD gt gt A005 POLARITY gt gt A004 _SPL_RTA gt gt IRTEO sina SET HEN SPLCRTA elts FLAT_ SET NEN SPLRTA i23 A HTD SET NEN STAT STOP SETIH 200H2 74 8dE 105 TINER MH SET 00 00 10 Rance gt m AURG 00 REPEAT 00 00 02 SPL RTA 56 4 dB LOG DATA SPL 59 6 d 100 ik iok 35 A003_AT60 gt gt A002_SPL_ATA gt gt A001_LOGSPL gt gt A000_SPL_ATA gt gt Acoustilyzer 76 Firmware Update NTI provides free updates of the test instrument firmware and the MiniLINK PC software at the NTI website www nti audio com To check out any available online updates follow these instructions e Connect your PC to the web amp start the MiniLINK PC software e Connect the instrument with the USB cable to the PC e Select the menu Help Look for Updates at MiniLINK e Follow the download instructions Alternatively you can check for any new firmware and software releases at the web site http registration nti audio com VersionCheck php e Select the menu Tools Update Firmware at MiniLINK Select the new firmware version in the displayed screen below Select Firmware File l J al for Minilyzer ML1 ML1dA_V3 xx bin
66. tances Thereby speech intelligibility from a regulatory view is not a subjective measurement but can be verified with several more or less complex methods that have been standardized in IEC 60268 16 National standards e IEC 60849 Sound systems for emergency purposes also VDE 0828 part 1 and DIN EN BS EN SN EN OEVE EN e NFPA 72 National Fire Alarm Code 2002 2002 edition section 7 4 1 4 e BS 5839 8 Fire detection and alarm systems for buildings Code of practice for the design installation and servicing of voice alarm systems Subjective Testing Methods Although frequency response distortion or loudness all are important to intelligibility conventional measurements of these same parameters together only marginally relate to intelligibility When added issues such as directionality of drivers and the environment are taken into consideration the question then is how well a spoken message can be understood at different locations One approach is to let a trained human speaker read a number of existing or synthetic words whereas a representative number of listeners 88 individually write down what they believe of having understood The Statistical analysis of these notes results in a value representing the percentage of the listeners who have understood the messages correctly Important procedures according to this method are PB words CVC or SRT Speech Reception Threshold However conducting such tests is rather
67. the test results back to zero TIMER SINGLE Sound pressure level measurement with user defined time setting e Set the required test cycle period e The clock counts back to zero After the defined test time is completed the clock is flashing as 00 00 00 e The test results LEQ LcPEAK and MAX MIN SPL are frozen e Changing the test cycle period setting or pressing the RESET icon restarts the measurement TIMER REPEAT Automatically repeating measurements with user defined test time interval e Set the required test cycle period e The measurement timer counts back to zero When the test time is elapsed the clock and the test results are reset and a new measurement is started e The previously measured LEQ is displayed as PreLEQ very useful for LEQ monitoring at concerts e Changing the test cycle period or pressing the RESET icon restarts the measurement 24 Pause The LEQ LCPEAK and MAX MIN measurements can be paused e Select the PAUSE symbol and press the enter key e The PAUSE symbol is flashing e The actual SPL value is continuously measured and displayed e Select the pause symbol and press the enter key to continue the measurement visible by the continuing counting clock Reset Pressing the RESET icon restarts the measurement The timer and test results are reset Test Cycle Period Applicable in SINGLE and REPEAT timer status only e SINGLE Set to 10 min by default e REPEAT Set to 10 sec by
68. ting with the test specifications Required for cinema installations Applicable for loudness measurement of broadcast material The revised B weighted Leq measurement RLB correlates the best to the subjective experience by humans 15 RMS THD function 1 000 kHz THD h 11 6 dE Filters Applications FLAT Default measurement setting Flat frequency response no filtering A WTD Measuring residual noise of the unit A weighting filter under test acc IEC 61672 e g in sound broadcasting applications C WTD Special applications C weighting filter acc IEC 61672 HP400 Removes any mains frequency 50 60Hz Highpass 400 Hz acc DIN components from the test signal 45045 120dB dec HP19k Removes any low frequency components Highpass 19 kHz from the test signal e g to measure any 20kHz pilot tone level of critical public announcements systems 16 Setup Screen The setup screen allows to customize basic AUTO FOWER OFF MOH settings of the Acoustilyzer AL1 by the AUTO LIGHT OFF 4 SEC following procedure LED CONTRAST 4 HULTIFLE SETUF DISHELE e Move the cursor to the corresponding field and press the enter key e Select the required status by using the arrow keys e Press the enter key to confirm FRESS ESC T ESIT SETUF AUTO POWER OFF defines the time the AL1 is switched OFF automatically after the last key press The available settings are 3 MIN 10 MIN 30 MIN 60 MIN and DIS
69. tion Time e FFT Real time zoom FFT e Polarity Speaker polarity e Delay Delay time e RMS THD RMS level and distortion e STI PA Speech intelligibility e Calibrte Calibration menu The Acoustilyzer features the SPL RTA RT60 and STI PA function with two different test result screens e g the SPL RTA 123 is showing the sound level meter screen and the marked graphical symbol shows the real time spectrum analyzer Short cut Hold the ESC button down and additionally press the left or right arrow key to switch in between the two display screens within the same measurement menu 14 Input Filters Depending on the selected measurement functions the following sets of filters are available SPL RTA function Filters FLAT Flat frequency response no filtering A WTD A weighting filter acc IEC 61672 C WTD C weighting filter acc IEC 61672 X CRV Inverted X Curve filter acc ISO 2969 RLB Revised Low frequency B curve Broadcast Loudness filter acc AES Paper Loudness Assessment of Music and Speech 2004 b66 Bes SFL B2 0dE Applications Overall sound pressure level all sound signal components are included without weighting required for special applications Applicable for most common sound pressure levels if level weighting following the human ear is required Applicable for high sound levels if level weighting following the human ear is required Verify the filter set
70. ton pressed The start up screen remains displayed The serial number starts with three letters Such as ANK6 75A0A2 After successfully registering your device you will receive an e mail with your registration key within a few minutes Please insert this key in the MiniLINK menu Help Register The test instrument needs to be connected to the PC 66 Read Out of Stored Test Results The analyzer memory is automatically transferred to the PC and visualized with small screenshots at the MiniLINK memory window Note The MiniLINK memory window remains empty when no test results are stored within the instrument Otherwise use the PC mouse to click onto the AL1 Memory tab to initiate and update the data memory window The test instrument display at the PC is synchronized to the actual LCD screen display of the connected audio analyzer The title bar shows the serial number and firmware version of the test instrument MiniLINK PC Firmware of Software Release connected audio Synchronized Display Version analyzer EY MiniLINK V2 21 AI4 ANU296A2A7 A1 30 aE File Teos Help AL1 Memory Logging Q HTI p AAA 23H TO SET HEN HH SET ACT 00 04 11 Serial Number of 54 6 dB connected audio SFL 5S4 0dE analyzer p THTG AL1 Acoustilyzer 67 Visualizing the Test Results All stored screenshots are shown in the MiniLINK tab AL1 Memory Stored screenshot incl numerical results Stored data
71. urement Uncertainty bargraph Test Result Selection The RI60 measurement function enables consecutive reverberation time measurements within one test sequence Automatically an averaged test result of all measurements is calculated Toggle with the left and right AL1 cursor keys through the individual test result cycles and you can find the following Last test result The test result of the last test cycle is displayed at selection LAST You can use the upper and lower AL1 cursor keys to display the 63 Hz or 8 kHz octave band test result additionally Single test cycle results The individual single test results are marked with CYC xx whereby xx is a continuous running number Averaged test result By selecting AVRG the averaged test results of all taken measurements are calculated and displayed The correlation factor is replaced by the measurement uncertainty factor in Relative Test Result displayed as bargraph To simplify the data read out the reverberation time is additionally displayed as bargraph whereby the octave band with the longest measured reverberation time is shown with a bargraph of maximum length The other octave band test results are displayed relative to the longest time KT60 sET HEn Correlation Factor in AT STOP applicable for single test results STAT ee This factor will be 100 for perfect linear sound pressure level decay after the source is switched off Deviations from linea
72. ved Therefore STI PA is based on measuring the MTF Modulation Transfer Function This function quantifies the degree to which the voice modulations are preserved in individual octave bands STI PA determines the MTF by analyzing all seven frequency bands whereby each band is modulated with two frequencies so resulting in the modulation index 1 and index 2 56 d STI PA Post Processing Measuring speech intelligibility index under realistic environment conditions is often not applicable e g playing the test signal in a railway station at emergency levels during peak hours will irritate passengers Additionally at rush hours the characteristics of back ground noise might be highly impulsive But a prerequisite for accurate STI PA measurements is a negligible impulsivity in the background noise Under such circumstances the STI PA measurement should be shifted to a more suitable time of the day e g night time Such STI PA measurements taken at untypical background noise conditions have to be post processed Post processing combines the STI PA measurement data taken at quasi noise free ambient conditions with the unweighted octave band noise levels Leq taken e g during day time at realistic environmental conditions The NTI STI PA Post Processing Software is exactly tailored for this application e g to combine the night and day time measurement STI PA_PostProcessing xIt is available e For download at www nti audio com
73. without screenshot Ae Ensem ftar ser ven porani ser nen Test cd START Pinreneo Wy 1750H aa TEU PATO B 45STI 9 92dBu NEGATIVE SPL 4B 2dBAS THD N 14 7dE MA A A006_RMS_THD gt gt iain lS SETINEN SPLRTA etee FLAT SET NEN STAT STOP bn AURG OD SETHH 20042 71 8d 105 oe oo SPL RTA 56 LoG DATA SPL 59 6 dE NGE m M THTG e 120 FAST AD00_SPL_ATA gt gt Arrows indicating additional numerical test results are stored together with this screenshot i L 4 Acoustilyzer E A006_FFT may Big view of screenshots Fle Edit E A double click on the screenshot will enlarge this screenshot In this mode the menu SETI 6937 5H2 52 1d6 15 allows printing saving or copying of the screenshot or the numerical test results Any available numeric table is listed below the big view screenshot 375 042 17 3kH2 17 6kHz2 5 gt File A006_FFT gt FET gt Mic sensitivity 20 00 mV Pa 68 Copying of Test Results and Screenshots E A006 FFT File Edit ile The displayed screenshots can directly be FFT S ETIHEH SET IE 69371 5H2 52 1d6 15 315 0H2 171 3kH2 i7 6kHz 5 gt File A006 FFT gt FET f Hz eal 562 750 937 Liz 50 1500 1687 1875 50 2250 2437 2625 ba 2062 00 50 00 50 00 00 50 00 00 50 oo 46 38 33 31 a1 28 26 29 Fe 25 24 24 25 i w Nn N on Ow amp in in amp tn a SPL dB
74. zer includes an extremely fast real time Zoom FFT with resolutions up to 0 7Hz over the entire frequency range The display shows 93 bins simultaneously The FFT measurement is the ideal tool for visualization of comb filters and narrow band effects It allows a detailed investigation of the frequency response of audio systems Set Pause Cursor Menu Readout SET HI 3150 IH2 6 IdE 0 E FFT Audio i Spectrum TI Pa Start Frequency Size of displayed End quency Y Wi of Display Frequency Range of Display Set Menu FFT SET HEn The SET menu allows the setting of GHn 37150 042 6i 3dE 10 measurement and display options as Ep follows 375 0H2 11 3kH2 17 6kH2 0 42 FFT CYS SETIHEH SET HI 2 5SH2750 3d6 15 375 0H2 117 43kH2 17 6kH2 D FFT SETIHEH SET ME 3937 SH2 69 4dE 15 HOLD w i 375 0H2 117 43kH2 17 6kH2 5 FFT SS ETHER Range AL1 Input Ranging The Acoustilyzer has different input ranges e The range is set automatically at entering the FFT mode e Carry out the input ranging if any clipping or high noise occurs SHOW Test Result Select the display of actual SPL or averaged sound pressure level LEQ The LEQ measurement can be reset by executing the range setting or at the new selection of SHOW LEQ HOLD Cursor Hold SET MN 3S562 SH2 66 2dE 15 The cursor indicates the frequency of high est sound pressure level For simple read out and traceability

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