  The urban sound environment of New York City (NYC) can be, amongst other
things: loud, intrusive, exciting and dynamic. As indicated by the large
majority of noise complaints registered with the NYC 311 information/complaints
line, the urban sound environment has a profound effect on the quality of life
of the city's inhabitants. To monitor and ultimately understand these sonic
environments, a process of long-term acoustic measurement and analysis is
required. The traditional method of environmental acoustic monitoring utilizes
short term measurement periods using expensive equipment, setup and operated by
experienced and costly personnel. In this paper a different approach is
proposed to this application which implements a smart, low-cost, static,
acoustic sensing device based around consumer hardware. These devices can be
deployed in numerous and varied urban locations for long periods of time,
allowing for the collection of longitudinal urban acoustic data. The varied
environmental conditions of urban settings make for a challenge in gathering
calibrated sound pressure level data for prospective stakeholders. This paper
details the sensors' design, development and potential future applications,
with a focus on the calibration of the devices' Microelectromechanical systems
(MEMS) microphone in order to generate reliable decibel levels at the
type/class 2 level.
