Audio Tool for iPhone Nifty little Audiophile’s Sidekick

Audio Tool iPhone

Audio Tool [rating: 4/5]

If you work in music then having a way to measure sound levels, that is always in your pocket, is a must. There are many apps that offer this functionality on the App Store. So to stand out you need to go that extra mile. Let’s see if Performance Audio’s Audio Tool does that.

Audio Tool iPhoneThe Audio Tool app offers a Decibel Meter, for measuring sound levels. A Microphone function so that you can hook your iOS Device up to an amp and use it as a microphone. It also offers a Data Rate calculator, so you can figure out how much hard drive space a digital audio recording will require, depending on its quality. There is also a Tone Generator, which apart from being a fully featured tone generator is great for annoying your pets with! Finally it has an audio terminology dictionary.

At the price, when you consider that all the modules in this tool work very well and look great, even down to old school silver flick switches which turn functionality on and off, this app is a bargain.

The Decibel Meter is not going to be the most accurate piece of kit in the world as it is very dependent on your iPhone’s microphone, or the quality of the input device you connect to your iPod. But in a pinch it’s a lot easier than having to carry a dedicated meter around with you all of the time. And the fact that it keeps track of Max, Peak and Average levels is very handy.

With the Bit Rate calculator, I have found myself sat at my desk coding this weekend, picking up my iPhone to work out sample sizes for my own purposes. So I can see myself or others going to this app anytime we want a calculator which works with audio units.

Audio ToolThe tone generator is handy for getting pre-generated frequencies out of your iPhone when working with audio. It does exactly what it says on the box, with all the settings you would expect for frequency, waveform type etc. But, honestly, it’s much more fun dialling the frequencies up nice and high and irritating kids or pets with it!

A nice surprise feature is the Audio Atlas, which is basically a dictionary of audio related terms. But again, it’s well presented and full of information.

It is clear that Performance Audio are all about selling quality audio hardware, and this app serves them well as an advert for their services, which they are not backward at coming forward about in the notes provided in the app. But that is not a crime, and if they demand that an app with their name on it is of this quality that does give you a good idea about how their other services might be. So if I need an audio cable for my iPod to turn it into a microphone, I may well buy it from them!

Audio Tool is well presented. Does the job it is sold for, and is priced fairly.

Touch Reviews Recommends Audio Tool for iPhone.

Pros

  • Well presented user interface.
  • Variety of audio tools in one app.
  • Audio Terminology Guide.

Cons

  • Calibration of the Level Meter is a bit hit and miss.
  • Audio measurements are dependent on the iPhone’s internal microphone, so should not be assumed to be incredibly accurate. There is also a 110 dB limit.

$1.99 (View in iTunes)
Category: Utilities
Updated: Oct 19, 2010
Current Version: 1.0.4
1.0.4 (iOS 4.0 Tested)
26.5 MB
Language: English
Seller: Performance Audio
© Performance Audio LLC, 2010
Rated 4+
Requirements:Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.1.3 or later

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