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Recomend a good spectrum/rms/analyzer

Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 8:19 pm
by ze2be
So I got a second screen connected, intended for vst plugin view.
Its nice to have audio analysers viewable at all times when mixing.

For now I have tried the IXL Analysers. To my taste its to much gui noise with those, and to small meters. I prefer plugs that are optimised for screens and pixels. Like the FabFilter Pro series, or even Ableton. (add to L9 wish list: option for floating windows)

3 key words: Big, minimal, funktional.

Re: Recomend a good spectrum/rms/analyzer

Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 8:24 pm
by Khazul
If you had an RME audio interface, then I would have suggested the included digi-check which I allways have running now when just doing a mix down / guide/preview mastering etc.

Also you get similar functionality included with T-racks as well, which while touted as a mastering suite is actually alot better for character inserts and havnt ever thought of using it for mastering unless I was planning to master to a tape deck.

Other thought is blue cat audio stuff. They have alot of interesting but busy analysers.

I just like RMEs digi-check - its prety much as you describe - spectrum, levels, correlation and vector scope, big and very clear - all nicely implemented with a distinct hardware-crt like behaviour to the scope unlike most software scopes which are all pixelly and basically horrible.

Downside of digi-check - its not a plugin, its a separate application that reads its data from an RME audio interface main outs, so obviously specific to their audio interfaces and is included with them. CPU use is minimal as well as the data is apparently calcuated by the audio interface DSP and does stereo and surround.

Re: Recomend a good spectrum/rms/analyzer

Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 8:47 pm
by jtdj
try blue cat stuff, its good.

Re: Recomend a good spectrum/rms/analyzer

Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 9:27 pm
by ze2be
jtdj wrote:try blue cat stuff, its good.
Alright, now were talking!
Thanks guys. :)

Re: Recomend a good spectrum/rms/analyzer

Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 10:34 pm
by Tarekith
Voxengo Span?

Re: Recomend a good spectrum/rms/analyzer

Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2011 10:05 am
by ze2be
Tarekith wrote:Voxengo Span?
Thanks. Hey, can I ask you a question:
When mixing dance music, do you try to even out the weight of the frequency range? When using those slow colorful analysers, I usually get an un-even range, towards the lower frequencies. But thats maybe how it is with bass heavy dance music?

Re: Recomend a good spectrum/rms/analyzer

Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2011 12:29 pm
by esemdi
jtdj wrote:try blue cat stuff, its good.
Their FreqAnalyst is pretty unstable, Live is crashing 4 times out of 5.

Re: Recomend a good spectrum/rms/analyzer

Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2011 1:46 pm
by jtdj
esemdi wrote:
jtdj wrote:try blue cat stuff, its good.
Their FreqAnalyst is pretty unstable, Live is crashing 4 times out of 5.

I've never had a crash with it once. Used it every day for about 2 months now. (using latest Ableton 8 on 64 -bit windows 7)

Re: Recomend a good spectrum/rms/analyzer

Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2011 3:28 pm
by Tarekith
ze2be wrote:
Tarekith wrote:Voxengo Span?
Thanks. Hey, can I ask you a question:
When mixing dance music, do you try to even out the weight of the frequency range? When using those slow colorful analysers, I usually get an un-even range, towards the lower frequencies. But thats maybe how it is with bass heavy dance music?
Honestly you can't really use a visual tool when mixing, as you can see vastly different things between songs that really sound amazing. They're good for spotting issues or confirming when you think you hear one, but they're not meant to provide any sort of 'ideal' curve to use when mixing.

Re: Recomend a good spectrum/rms/analyzer

Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2011 3:53 pm
by Moody
Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst Multi is quite nice. As Tarekith points out, these types of tools should not be a main stay for a mix, but in the digital mixing world they can help finding trouble spots. Also, do not try to over isolate the frequencies in your tracks. This takes away from the magic of the harmonics occurring in your mix. This makes for a dull dry sound. Good luck!

Re: Recomend a good spectrum/rms/analyzer

Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2011 4:15 pm
by dburns
Try the free Signal Analyzer from rs-met: http://www.rs-met.com/

I like Nugen's Visualizer: http://nugenaudio.com/visualizer.php

Re: Recomend a good spectrum/rms/analyzer

Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2011 11:37 pm
by ze2be
Moody wrote:Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst Multi is quite nice. As Tarekith points out, these types of tools should not be a main stay for a mix, but in the digital mixing world they can help finding trouble spots. Also, do not try to over isolate the frequencies in your tracks. This takes away from the magic of the harmonics occurring in your mix. This makes for a dull dry sound. Good luck!
Yeah, I kinda have figured out a good mix has a lot about arrangement to do. Making room for the instruments to work together, rather then trying to separate them with eqs afterwords. Kind of like the mix to master relation: a good mix is easy to master, a bad mix is hard.

Regarding the freq analyzers, its mostly for show! :D I got a second screen connected, so might as well have some fun. And it looks good to, like a cockpit sort of.

Re: Recomend a good spectrum/rms/analyzer

Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 3:59 pm
by Khazul
Another thought for a spreecturn analysers - years ago I bought a behringer DEQ2496 as a live use limiter and general utility processor. It also has a bunch of useful meters on it including quite a decent sprectrun analyser.

These days it spends its life permenantly setup as just a spectrum analyser getting an aux out from my central station so i all ays have a hardware peak and sprectrum view and is actually very useful for that :)

Re: Recomend a good spectrum/rms/analyzer

Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 5:59 pm
by shuutobi
+1 for Voxengo span.

Re: Recomend a good spectrum/rms/analyzer

Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 11:42 pm
by Simbosan
Minor threadjack, but kinda on topic enough.

Is there such a thing as a spectrum analyzer that superimposes different tracks in one display, colour coded for example? Would be useful for spotting areas of contention I think.

S