Newbie question about 33-2050

[mjhamre]

Quick question I did not see addressed in the posts. With my 33-2050 set to 80db everything works as I would expect, meter reads -10 most of the time, loud noises bump it up...

However, as soon as I plug in a cable (RCA connected to sound card with headphone to RCA connector) that IS connected to the sound card's line in, the meter now stays at 0, and goes up again on loud noises. I also got an incredibly flat reading in the middle section of the first test that I did (with normal looking if smoother than expected) bumps up on both sides.

Is this something that other people have noticed with this SPL meter, am I missing something obvious?

Thanks in advance for the help, have to run, but can post graphs later tonight if it would help.

--Matt

[brucek]

Is this something that other people have noticed with this SPL meter, am I missing something obvious?

Plugging an RCA connector into the RS meter causes its needle to move from its resting position?

brucek

[JohnM]

Are you sure you haven't plugged it into a mic input? Mic inputs carry a supply voltage on one channel that will shift the needle on the RS meter. You need a line input.

[mjhamre]

Yep, plugging the RCA connector in caused the needle to move, always to 0db. If this happens to anyone else, it is exactly what JohnM guessed, it was plugged into the mic input. I'd love to blame the labels, and they are pretty cryptic, but I should have been able to figure that one out. Thanks guys, got the first measurement that did not look unnaturally smooth

Now I can start experimenting properly.

Thanks,
--Matt