[LAU] Realtime sound level measurement with logging

Hi folks, I'd like to set up sound level monitoring for my office, with periodic logging. I have a handheld meter but I'm really looking for a way to use a traditional condenser microphone and USB audio interface to measure the level with some kind of windowing, and log it periodically to a file (maybe once per minute). Is there a decent application that can monitor and log data in this way? I'm also open to the idea of just recording a WAV file over 24 hours and doing the analysis afterwards, with periodic readings from the file. Is my approach reasonable, to set up a microphone and use the gain knob to calibrate it against the handheld meter? I don't need amazing accuracy. We've just moved into a large open-plan office for the first time and it is very noisy (handheld meter says about 50dB of air handling noise measured at my desk, rising to 60dB when there is background talking). I want to monitor sound levels throughout the day to test my theory that people are more noisy in the afternoon, and to get an overnight control reading with the people gone and only the air handling and computers running. Thanks, Jonathan -- Jonathan Gazeley Senior Systems Administrator IT Services University of Bristol