send link to app

SPLnFFT Noise Meter app for iPhone and iPad


4.0 ( 1040 ratings )
Utilities Music
Developer: Fabien Lefebvre
3.99 USD
Current version: 7.0, last update: 3 years ago
First release : 18 Feb 2010
App size: 7.16 Mb

SPLnFFT is a sound level meter (noise meter) for your iPhone or iPad with many advanced features: frequency analyzer, frequency meter, test signal generator, dosimeter, ...

This soundmeter App is the only one for iOS recommended by the "Laborers Health and Safety Fund of North America".
Here are extracts from other reviews:
"our favorite sound measurement app" SafetyAwakenings.com
"SPLnFFT is comprehensive, easy to use" TapeOp.com
You will find more reviews here: https://www.facebook.com/SPLnFFT

For daily use, a very simple interface displays the level of exposure: if orange or red, protect your ears !
Professional users will take advantage of a wide range of accurate and reliable measurements: Leq, peak, L10, L95, taktmaximal, frequency analysis, histogram, dosemetering, ... A&C weightings are compliant with ANSI® S1.42 standard. "468" refers to ITU-R 468-4

>>> Some KEY INFORMATION <<< :
- you absolutely need to allow access to microphone to use this App
- screen rotation must be un-locked
- there are built-in help messages (speech bubble). Need more ? Contact us !: email, blog, Facebook,...
- do not expect to measure as low as 0dB(A) in a quiet room, for these 2 reasons: 30-130dB(A) is the standard usable range for sound level meters and anyway a standard quiet room is around 30dB(A) whereas a typical anechoic chamber is 10 to 20dB(A)
- to change frequency weightings (dB(A),dB(C),...) a LONG PRESS is required (1/3rd of a second). This is to avoid accidental changes

Top digital display is for measurement of sound power in slow mode (averaged on 1s). Central analog display is for fast mode (averaged on 1/8th s). But it can display slow mode as well on request: just click on fast label.
Peak and average values are displayed below and are held until you touch the reset label. The videos on Youtube reveal more details.

Bottom view is a real time FFT (frequency analysis). You will notice that predominant frequency and next one are highlighted. Their frequencies and relative power are displayed on the right. If your input signal is a pure tone then this App will lock on its frequency and display a very accurate result.
Green line is the result of a real time FFT done with 1024 points. Purple line is the averaged FFT (exponential filtering done on power of each frequency). Blue line is a copy of what the purple line was when the user froze the display the last time.
A test tone at 1kHz or a white noise or a pink noise can be generated and sent to right and/or left outputs (select the type you want in BEEP tab). This FFT view - more precisely an upsized version of it - can be exported as a picture in your own photo library, using the camera button (when display is frozen only). This picture can be exported in a mail as well.
The display can be flipped upside-down to ease reading: just rotate your iPhone while holding it vertically.

As for ALL sound meters (thus including this one and all others at any price), calibration is suggested if you want to reach extreme precision. This is enabled in this App thanks to a slider to apply some compensation and to three non volatile memories (choice to be made in MIC. tab). How to ? For calibration, you need and external reference, either a calibrated sound meter, or a calibrated noise source.
Note as well that the tiny embedded loudspeaker cannot reproduce extreme frequencies. Thus if you want to hear a real white or pink noise, you will need to use a quality headphone or HiFi system.

This App was designed seriously for our own needs, by a signal processing expert, and is regularly updated to maintain accuracy and reliability.

***** Any comment, any feedback ? Click on support in iTunes: there is a blog for this. You can even contact us directly by email or through the dedicated FaceBook page (note send email top right) *****

Pros and cons of SPLnFFT Noise Meter app for iPhone and iPad

SPLnFFT Noise Meter app good for

A great app for measuring sound levels when you need good accuracy but not certified accuracy. More convenient and less expensive than carrying around a professional meter. I use it for noise measurements in informal situations where I just want a good idea if sound levels but I dont need to prepare a formal lab report. Well designed, serious, and excellent value.
Works without problems. A few observations: Why is the help text presented on dark grey background? Looks ugly and makes reading difficult. Help text would benefit from a little better organisation and formatting. Export graphics seems to be jpg format, but the file has a png suffix. Nice feature, anyway! Three calibration memories with obviously predefined values. No useful explanation how to calibrate for use with external microphone (with known properties). Still: a useful tool, and good value for money. Professional users may want to use other (more expensive) apps.
I agree with Fuena, great app but it needs a dB scale in the pictures.
With the latest update, this app provides me with everything I want and more. Perfect score!!! I recommend this app to any sound curious individual.
Highly accurate and a simple, intuitive interface. Recommended.
I cant confirm the accuracy personally but have read reviews that have tested and found it is very accurate. It certainly is consistent and seems very accurate. Easy to use and has a lot of depth.

Some bad moments

Please make the pop up requesting a review go away. I wrote a five star review and every time I open the app the pop up asking for a review opens every time I open the app! I already wrote a review. Im looking at apartments in a building right now so Im opening and closing the app like ten times and its annoying!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Every time I open the app I have to click cancel on the pop up window.
Update (5/1/16): In follow-up, contacted customer service for mentioned issues. FL, there was fantastically patient, explaining applications subtleties. (and that it was operating satisfactorily) One thing I would still prefer, may be corrected in a future iOS release: Playing and Recording through Bluetooth. Original Review: "Recently, downloaded this paid app. Unfortunately, was perplexed then disappointed. First, wanted to see how loud stereo was. Unfortunately, because receiver was playing via Bluetooth, sound turned off when switching to app. (you cannot run another app. simultaneously) Later, purchased a handheld Galaxy Audio SPL meter. It, the Galaxy consistently measured 10 dB LOWER..." Jay M.
As a university researcher doing audio work, and having tried over 10 dB meter apps, I can confidently say this is the best one available to any iOS device. With a variety of professional grade filters and settings, the iPhone’s immense power as a microphone can be fully realized. This app is listed for a few dollars, but I’d happily pay much more for it. It’s worth every penny, and puts other dB meters to shame. SPLnFFT is in a completely separate performance class of its own.
They had a nice minimal icon and are (yet again!) trying to change it to an ugly, busy and complicated one. Last time they listened to user reviews and changed it back... fingers crossed itll happen again.
Recently, downloaded this paid app. Unfortunately, I was perplexed then very disappointed. First, I wanted to see how loud my stereo was. Unfortunately, because the receiver was playing via Bluetooth, the sound turned off when I switched to the app. (you cannot run another app. simultaneously) Later, I purchased a handheld Galaxy Audio SPL meter. It, the Galaxy consistently measured 10 dB LOWER. I checked, played a YouTube video, Emma purrs ~ 55-60 dB. Sure enough, the Galaxy correctly measured the decibels emitted. (this app. did not) I would not recommend this app., and will write to get my money back. Jay M.

Usually SPLnFFT Noise Meter iOS app used & searched for

decibel meter, noise meter, fft, decibel meter®, decibel meter +, and other. So, download free SPLnFFT Noise Meter .ipa to run this nice iOS application on iPhone and iPad.