Evidence Clips in dB Pulse Pro

What the clip actually contains

Turn on Evidence Clips in Settings before you start a session. While that session records, dB Pulse keeps a rolling ten-second audio buffer and saves a short AAC clip when the selected noise threshold is crossed. The saved material includes the lead-up and roughly five seconds after the crossing. The default threshold is 85 dB, and you can adjust it for the situation. A brief event can therefore have both the chart context and a listenable sample.

The feature has a five-clip cap per session and a sixty-second cooldown between triggers. This is intended to keep a long, noisy session from generating an endless collection of nearly identical snippets. If you expect many events, make a note of the date and circumstances as well as the saved clips. A clip is a compact memory aid, not a continuous recording of your surroundings.

Start a useful session

Open dB Pulse, allow microphone access, choose a practical threshold and start a session while the app is visible. Put the phone safely on a stand at a repeatable location, with its microphone clear. If you are checking a neighbour noise, the room and window position matter; write them into your session notes. Check that the session timer is running before relying on any threshold capture.

dB Pulse stops metering when it leaves the foreground. Locking the screen or switching to another app ends the active measurement, so this feature cannot make an unattended overnight audio diary. For a short night check, leave the app open on a stand while you observe the room. Keep the phone charged if you intend to watch an extended period.

Review and share with context

Clips appear alongside the session details and can be played, shared or deleted individually. The report exporter can include the timestamp and peak level of each saved clip. If you share a clip with a landlord, workplace contact or another person, include the date, location, approximate phone placement and what you heard. That context is more useful than an isolated audio file with no explanation.

Deleting the session deletes the clips attached to it. They stay on the device unless you deliberately share them. If a clip includes another person’s speech, consider their privacy and local rules before sharing it. A neutral description such as 'short thump heard in bedroom' is usually clearer than a guess about who caused it.

What the meter can and cannot show

A clip can help connect a plotted spike to a sound, but a phone microphone and its automatic processing may alter the audio. A threshold crossing shows that the app’s current estimate passed your setting; it does not prove a legal noise violation or establish a calibrated sound-pressure level. If a dispute needs formal evidence, follow the applicable procedure and use a suitable meter.

Pair the saved sample with the broader session trace. One loud impact and a steady hum can have the same brief peak yet affect the room differently. Look at duration, repetition and the sound itself. The Noise Complaint Report Builder combines several sessions into one dated PDF when a pattern matters more than a single moment.

Sources

• dB Pulse feature implementation and release notes
• NIOSH noise exposure method

Phone and browser readings are estimates. For formal decisions, use the specified equipment and procedure; see the accuracy notes.

Try the next check

Noise dose calculator can help with this question. See the matching dB Pulse feature.