One of the annoying factors in using some test and measurement gear, especially handheld instruments, is that the user interfaces or the form that the data is presented in is, well, primitive or spartan, to say the least.
NTI thinks it may have changed that with XL2 Data Explorer, a free Windows program for reading and analyzing files recorded by the XL2 handheld audio analyzer. Data Explorer offers a wholly new user interface and many more tools to dig into sound level measurement data, manage that data and to generate more informative reports.
XL2 Data Explorer looks much more like a professional level audio restoration program with its multiple types of color graphs and waveform monitors.
Use of XL2 Data Explorer requires XL2s with firmware v. 2.72, which added the file export capability. It is compatible with Windows XP (SP3)/Vista/7/8
Also recently added to the XL2, as part of the v. 2.72 firmware upgrade, is an under-range indicator. It is designed to let the user know that the probe microphone is insufficient to measure the audio and that an alternative, more sensitive, microphone should be used. It works for A-, C- or Z-weighted frequencies.
