Electroacoustics and standards

Abstract

Standardization within electroacoustics has been of great importance for the development of sound measuring instrumentation. The sound level meters are used to build up a homogeneous database, which in turn is used as a foundation for the measurement standards. Based on the database, regulation and legislation of noise exposure, noise control, product labeling, etc., may take place. The development of standards for sound level meters, measurement microphones, and calibration techniques has led to big improvements. The development of standards for intensity instrumentation and measurements will hopefully lead to similar improvements in developing the instrumentation and practical use in the daily work of the practitioners. The revision of the standards is important. They should hopefully lead to improvements for the manufacturer and for the users. The revisions should take into account the technical development and the expanded use of instrumentation in the acoustical and mechanical field. The ability to measure small changes in emitted intensity by critical sources is important for research in noise control. The measurement of sound-pressure level in the outdoor environment is not well treated in the standards, although it is an area where the legislation is most restrictive regarding noise exposure, because it influences the largest parts of the population. Examples and proposals will be given.