DecibelDockGlossary
Short definitions for terms you will see in DecibelDock and in the learn guides. Nothing here certifies a measurement.
How to use this glossary
These definitions match how DecibelDock talks about sound on a phone. They are teaching aids, not legal or metrology definitions. When a term appears on a feature screen, open the matching learn article for a longer walkthrough with examples and limits.
If two apps disagree on a number, check whether they share the same weighting, and remember that phone microphones differ. Prefer relative comparisons on one device over chasing a universal truth from a store listing. Pair this glossary with the phone-meter limits and weighting guides before you trust a workshop comparison sheet.
From terms to tools
dB and weighting connect to the sound level meter. Hz, pitch and cents connect to Frequency Finder and Tuner. Doppler shift connects to vehicle speed estimates. Flash-to-bang connects to Distance. FFT and RTA connect to Spectrum. Clipping and AGC explain why overload warnings matter.
Use the learn hub to move from a definition into a practice page, then into the feature that implements the idea. That loop — definition, practice, tool — is also how the site stays useful for search without stuffing keywords into empty paragraphs.
Nothing in this glossary certifies a measurement. Phone microphones overload, automatic gain can move levels, and geometry biases clever estimators like Doppler and direction finding. Keep the humility next to the vocabulary.
A short study path
New to phone metering? Read the decibel scale guide, then A-weighting versus C-weighting, then how well a phone meter can work. After that, pick a task guide: measuring rooms, workshop comparisons, guitar tuning, Doppler, or flash-to-bang. Finish on the feature page so the UI vocabulary matches the article.
Returning users can treat this page as an index. Search the table for the term you saw on screen, then jump to Related links. If a future app build renames a control, the in-app How to use page wins over any older paragraph here.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| A-weighting | A frequency weighting often used for environmental sound levels; DecibelDock label: Human Ear. |
| C-weighting | A flatter weighting that keeps more bass than A; DecibelDock label: Full Bass. |
| Z-weighting | Nominally flat weighting within a band; DecibelDock label: Raw. |
| dB (decibel) | A logarithmic ratio scale used for level. Phone readings are approximate. |
| Leq | Energy-equivalent average level over a period - not a simple average of dB numbers. |
| FFT | Fast Fourier Transform - a way to turn a short audio slice into frequency bins. |
| Fundamental | The base frequency of a pitched sound; harmonics sit above it. |
| Cent | One hundredth of a semitone. Tuner needles often show +/- cents from a target note. |
| A4 | The reference A, commonly 440 Hz; some ensembles use other values. |
| Doppler shift | Change in observed frequency when source and listener move relative to each other. |
| Flash-to-bang | Timing method: delay between seen flash and heard boom to estimate distance. |
| RTA | Real-time analyzer - a live frequency display. Phone RTAs are not certified instruments. |
| Clipping / overload | When the mic or converter runs out of headroom; peaks flatten and readings lie. |
| AGC | Automatic gain control - phone processing that can move levels without you noticing. |
Words DecibelDock avoids
You will not see medical claims, hearing-dose promises, or "accurate to X dB" guarantees in these guides. Approximate, estimate, and depends on your phone are the working vocabulary. That is deliberate product language, not soft marketing.