Decibel to Ratio
Convert a decibel level into voltage and power ratios.
About Decibel to Ratio
Decibels are logarithmic, so a negative boost means a fractional ratio, and the power ratio doubles the exponent of the voltage ratio. Every gain knob works in decibels but circuits respond to linear ratios, so converting between them is constant studio math.
Formula
Decibel to Ratio
Voltage ratio = 10^(dB/20); power ratio = 10^(dB/10)
- dB
- Logarithmic unit of level difference
Worked example
With the default values below, Decibel to Ratio returns Voltage Ratio of 0.3162. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.
Inputs used
- Decibel valueaccepts -120–120 dB
- -10 dB
Results
- Voltage Ratio
- 0.3162
- Power Ratio
- 0.1000
- Linear Percent Change
- -68.4 %
Step by step
- 1Values used
- 2Decibel to Ratio
- 3Voltage Ratio= 0.3162
- 4Power Ratio= 0.1000
- 5Linear Percent Change= -68.4 %
Assumptions and limits
- The result is derived only from the single input listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
- In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
- Figures are rounded for display to 4 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Decibel to Ratio calculated?
Voltage ratio = 10^(dB/20); power ratio = 10^(dB/10) Decibels are logarithmic, so a negative boost means a fractional ratio, and the power ratio doubles the exponent of the voltage ratio.
Why does Decibel to Ratio matter?
Every gain knob works in decibels but circuits respond to linear ratios, so converting between them is constant studio math.
What values do I need to enter?
This calculator takes 1 input: Decibel value. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.