Calibration question

["Srikantan S. Nagarajan" <sri@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear list,

I am in the process of setting up a lab to do both auditory
neurophysiology and psychophysics. I would like some feedback on
calibration equipment and calibration issues. I would like to calibrate
circumaural and ear-insert headphones. I do not plan to run experiments
on sound localization. I just want to be able to figure out the exact
sound amplitude that the subject is hearing in each ear.

My questions are:

1. What is the best system for calibrating headphones? Do people use
ear-simulators or ear-insert microphones? If so, what models do you use?
What kind of microphones? Are they worth the price? If not, what kind of
coupling do you use?

2. Can the same system be used for calibrating Etymotic and Sokolic type
sound delivery systems.

3. In my previous lab, we used to have an old B&K sound-level meter with
linear and A weighting filters. They dont make that model anymore. Do
people have any good or bad experiences with particular models from B&K?
Are there other vendors that people have found to satisfactory?

4. What are the standards for calibrating speech signals?

thanks in advance.

-sri

--
Srikantan Nagarajan
Assistant Professor
Department of Bioengineering
20S 2030 East, BPRB Room 506
Salt Lake City, UT 84112-9458

Phone: 801-585-0516
Fax: 801-581-8966
e-Fax: 208-279-6854

Mobile: 801-634-7037
e-mail: sri@doug.med.utah.edu