Audio.TST Archive
Audio Precision sends out the Audio.TST newsletter once a month to approximately 13,000 audio engineers and other audio professionals. Each issue looks at current events in audio test, answers readers´ technical questions and announces any AP news.
-
audio.TST January 2007
Notes from the Test BenchBy Bruce Hofer, Chairman & Co-Founder, Audio Precision
Happy new year.We're off to a running start with this issue of Audio.TST.
First, I'm proud to announce that AP's Calibration Services are now available. Our factory cal lab has been accredited to ISO 17025 standard and the accrediting agency is A2LA. For those that don't know, 17025 is the most rigorous standard in calibration.
Second, we're doing our second Future of Audio Test survey this month. Last year over a thousand AP users answered the 10 questions. This year we're sweetening the pot. Read more below.
Thank you as always for your support, and I look forward to reading your responses on the survey.
Bruce
Accredited ISO 17025 Calibration Now Available at Beaverton Factory
Audio Precision is accredited by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation under ISO/IEC 17025:2005 for equipment calibration at our main factory in the USA.
Calibration has been requested by many of our customers who need to use calibrated audio test instruments to meet their own Quality System Requirements.
"Calibration" is actually a technical term meaning "comparison to equipment of known accuracy with documented traceability and uncertainties". The key word is "traceability". The performance of the instruments we use for calibration must be traceable in an unbroken chain all the way up to the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
"Accredited calibration " adds a further degree of rigor to the calibration process, incorporating an on-site review of our quality system, the suitability of our calibration equipment and the technical competence of our staff.
We looked at the various options for accreditation, starting with the Army's 1980 MILSTD specification 45662a ( ".Comments and pertinent data should be addressed to Commander, U.S. Army Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama ." ), and quickly determined that ISO 17025:2005 is the most rigorous standard for calibration labs.
ISO is recognized internationally and is the accepted final word in establishing procedures and practices for calibration matters.
As of Jan 10, all new APx585, 2700 Series, and ATS-2 models will ship with a calibration certificate and a detailed calibration report. If you have one of those models already and need it calibrated, we can do that at the Beaverton Factory. We plan on adding support for Portable One and ATS-1 in the first quarter of 2007. Please talk to your Sales Partner about pricing and scheduling your calibration.
Gearheads can see our equipment list (and calibration documentation !) on our sample Calibration Report or our Scope of Calibration certificate from A2LA on the Calibration page of the AP website. There's also an FAQ and a downloadable brochure: www.ap.com/service/calibration.
Sound Advice: Audio Test Q&AThe Future of Audio Test II
Last year we surveyed the AP user base with 10 questions about the future of audio test. We asked about channel count, new interfaces, and what devices they were testing.
No one else is doing this research, so as the leaders in audio test & measurement, we decided to take on the task of surveying the field annually to identify the trends in the audio test industry. It's also a great opportunity for your wants and needs to be heard as we make design decisions for the next generation of the APx family.
Last year over 1000 users responded. This year we're adding an incentive to get even more participants: if you take the survey we'll enter your name in a drawing for your choice of an 80 gig video iPod or a Zoom H4 Mobile Field Stereo Recorder.
We will do the drawing Jan 25th, so be sure to complete the survey before then.
Click the link below to be taken to the survey:
http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB22628LMZRB4
Test Results: AP News & EventsVote for APx585 as Test & Measurement World's "Test Product of the Year"
As we reported in the last issue, in December, the APx585 was pronounced Test & Measurement World's "Best in Audio Test" (as well as winning a Pro Audio Review Excellence Award).
Now the heat is on as T&M World invites its readers to decide the overall "Test Product of the Year".
T&M World's polling page is still open. You don't need to register, just go to the website and click a radio button . so vote early (and vote often?) for the APx585.
Winner is announced in February.