Compare a signal level to a microphone's noise floor as SNR.
The signal-to-noise ratio is simply how far the wanted sound sits above the equipment's own hiss in decibels. A higher SNR means cleaner recordings, so comparing mics and preamp gain against it protects the quiet parts of a take.
Microphone SNR
SNR = signal level - noise floor
SNR = signal level - noise floor The signal-to-noise ratio is simply how far the wanted sound sits above the equipment's own hiss in decibels.
A higher SNR means cleaner recordings, so comparing mics and preamp gain against it protects the quiet parts of a take.
This calculator takes 2 inputs: Signal level, Mic noise floor. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.