I have a problem with noisy neighbours and want an app to measure and record the volume of their noise for possible legal action.

I prefer free-libre from F-Droid, but they don’t have one.

Google Play has… hundreds of apps (one at US$100!). No idea which to choose, hopefully a free one without ads and data surveillance.

Web search results filled with sites I don’t know/trust, and obvious SEO or AI slop.

So I’m asking folks here: anyone have any experience of a decibel meter app that’s:

  • preferably free-libre
  • free-gratis (I might pay for a reasonably-priced pro version after I’ve tried out the free one)
  • zero or tolerable ads
  • zero or minial data surveillance

Thanks.

  • fuckwit_mcbumcrumble@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    10·
    11 days ago

    Just FYI those apps are not going to be accurate at all. All devices have different microphones in different layouts and none of them are alike. For relative comparisons like X is louder than Y they’re fine. But don’t expect 33 dbm to actually be 33 dbm.

    This only works for iphone because there’s like 3 of them every year so it doesn’t take as much effort to calibrate an app for them.

    • klu9OPEnglish
      2·
      11 days ago

      Thanks for the info.

      So, imperfect but perhaps one might help at least for comparing noise levels, e.g. the noise they’re making now compared to last night.

      • Avid AmoebaEnglish
        2·
        11 days ago

        At levels that don’t exceed much over 80dB. If you’re relying on it to tell whether your hearing is safe in a club, it isn’t safe. 😂 My Pixel tells me that everything is like 89dB upwards from a certain loudness level.

    • klu9OPEnglish
      1·
      11 days ago

      Thanks. I’ve installed it and looking at it now.

      The experiment I need would be… Acoustic Amplitude, right?

      And the steps would be? (sorry, I’m not very scientific)

      1. “Calibrate” tab > “Calibrate”: do this when there is no/little noise?
      2. “Calibrate” tab > “Offset”: no idea what to do here.
      3. “Amplitude” tab > when there is noise I want to measure, press the play button?
      4. “Amplitude” tab > after a bit, press the pause button?
      5. Then, other? 3-dot menu > “Export data” or “Share screenshot”?
      • Blastboom Strice@mander.xyzEnglish
        2·
        11 days ago

        Yo, you’re kind of on the correct path. I think though it probably wont work for you if you dont have a sound amplitute tool already (I know, counter intuitive).

        Step1: for this to work, you need to be in a room where you have a device producing a sound of a certain loudness, use a sound loudness measuring tool and then put that value in the calibration field. By pressing calibrate it will calculate the offset, how far off the current reading of the app is from the actual value, and then it will try to take this into account when measuring sounds (and display the proper values).

        Step2: Here you’d put the offset if you already knew it (if you had done step1 in the past for example). Since you haven’t, you’d have to do step1 instead of step2.

        Step3: yes

        Step4: yes

        Step5: I’d do both probably. Export data either as csv (comma separated values file) or as excel file and I’d also export a screenshot of the graph.

        To conclude, you need a sound measuring tool, a constant sound source (like a phone playing a specific frequency at a certain volume) and a somewhat quiet place to avoid any interference. If you know anyone who could lend you their sound measuring tool to do a calibration it could help. Otherwise, there are cheap sound meters (maybe some Uni-T ones?).

        PS. Even if the readings are correct though, I dont know if they could be considered as evidence, you’d might have to check that first.

        • klu9OPEnglish
          2·
          11 days ago

          Thanks. Step 1 seems to make sense to me, but…(excuse me if this seems a silly question) this means I need a sound loudness measuring tool in order to use my phone as a sound loudness measuring tool? At least to do the calibration?

          EDIT: Doh, re-reading, I see you already addressed that, thanks.

    • klu9OPEnglish
      1·
      11 days ago

      Thanks. I’ve installed it and looking at it now.

      The experiment I need would be… Acoustic Amplitude, right?

      And the steps would be? (sorry, I’m not very scientific)

      “Calibrate” tab > “Calibrate”: do this when there is no/little noise?
“Calibrate” tab > “Offset”: no idea what to do here.
“Amplitude” tab > when there is noise I want to measure, press the play button?
“Amplitude” tab > after a bit, press the pause button?
Then, other? 3-dot menu > “Export data” or “Share screenshot”?