Keeping track of sound levels with the Rasp Pi

When people get together in the evening for an event, things can get pretty loud. As long as this happens in an isolated location, there is usually no reason to complain. However, in more populated areas, problems can arise. Nearby residents may apply to local authorities who in turn may be only too willing to declare the noise an official nuisance or disturbance of the peace.

Whether or not the event actually constitutes a nuisance, neighbors and other nearby residents may be quick to point a finger at you the next time they perceive even a slight disturbance.

Rasp Pi users can help themselves out in such situations by regularly logging measurements of sound levels. The log can then be used to refute arguments put forth by neighbors or the local authorities. Equipping a Rasp Pi with a sound level meter is easy and cheap. The HochDrei Youth clubhouse in Potsdam, Germany, uses the PeakTech 8005 [1] (Figure 1), which is available in electronics stores for about EUR150. In this article, I discuss the setup that the club used.

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