SPL Rendering#
SPL Mapping can be enabled and disabled from the SPL switch in the 3D View panel’s header. It is always off when a project is first loaded. The 3D View displays multi-layer mapping, meaning all frequency bands are calculated at once. Selecting a different bandwidth to view will not require recalculation.
To change the mapped stimulus, bandwidth and weighting, use the drop-down boxes which appear next to the SPL switch while it is on. By default, Pink Noise is shown as a Broadband, A-weighted map. These settings are saved with the project, and stay in sync across every tab and window - change the stimulus in one view and all views follow. To change the Colour Map and the default scale behaviour, open the Application Settings.
The mapped level is determined by the stimulus input level configured in the Maximum SPL / Headroom Panel. By default this is the Pink Noise stimulus at a Manual level of -8 dBu; switch the panel to Auto mode to map the absolute maximum sound pressure attainable without compromising overall dynamics (i.e. pushing any loudspeaker into its limiter). For more information about maximum SPL calculation, please refer to Maximum SPL. Shown levels are RMS levels by default. This can be changed in the Preferences.
- Reading the Map
The SPL legend in the bottom-right of the 3D View is interactive: double-click it to pin the top of the colour scale so it stops following the data peak, and right-click it to type an exact top level. The Feather button in the 3D view toolbar fades the map where it falls outside the loudspeakers’ coverage, and Cutting Planes can slice the venue to inspect a single zone. With the heat map switched off, Aim Discs show each cabinet’s aim point on the audience, coloured on the same scale as the map. For point measurements within the map, use the Inspect tool; for a numerical summary of coverage evenness, open the Coverage Panel.
A highly complex acoustical model is utilised for pressure mapping. Its details can be found in the Background to the Application section.