Im looking for something to visually show me the audio spectrum of my tracks...

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BSharp810

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Im not sure of the technical name , but the effect im looking for would show the overall spectrum of frequencies for a given audio clip. Could someone point me in the direction of a Free one of these? PLease and thankyou... I am hoping someone responds to this in the next half hour, I have a session to do in the morning and I would like to have this to use tomorrow. Thank you!
 
Google "Audio Spectrum Analyser" or "Audio Frequency Analysis".

However, what DAW software are you using? Many/most have this funtionality built in.

If nothing else, you could download the 28 day free trial of Adobe Audition. I know it has a frequency analysis tool.

Bob
 
Logic has one. Waves Audio has one for sale. Those are the ones I use.
 
miroslav said:
Or...you could just close your eyes and use your ears. :)
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I go as far as to turn my video monitor off whenever possible. Be very careful with any analyzer plugin. Whole lotta' downside. Not much of an upside.
 
Yes, I'm all for the "use your ears" mantra. We could feasibly say that for any question on these forums.

However, a spectrum analyzer is an indispensable tool that has it's place. Don't take it as gospel however and yes, always use your ears as the final port of call.

Cheers
 
Genuine curiosity, not just being a jerk:

When would you ever use one?
 
Chibi Nappa said:
Genuine curiosity, not just being a jerk:

When would you ever use one?
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When you want to confirm/refine what your ears are telling you. I use them once in a while. For that matter you could ask why eqs bother to give you numbers and graphic displays. If listening were always enough then plugins could just have a bunch of unmarked controls and no displays.
 
Visuals are always there to guide us....it's just that the OP sounded like he felt he really *needed* to have a spectrum analyzer for his morning session.

Go back a bunch of years...and very few people had that as a regular tool, yet it never stopped anyone.
It's one thing to take note of which number the EQ knob is pointing at as you turn it...but it's another thing when you need a visual representation to better "hear" the frequencies in your mix. It can become enough of a crutch that you stop using your ears and end up paying more attention to the colors on the screen.
That's really my concern.

I find sometimes even just staring at meters (analog or digital) while certainly informative and a useful tool, can make you "stop" listening, and you end up aiming for a visual target.
Been there...done that. :D
 
bouldersoundguy said:
For that matter you could ask why eqs bother to give you numbers and graphic displays. If listening were always enough then plugins could just have a bunch of unmarked controls and no displays.
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I actually have a piece of paper cut out that sticks to my screen and covers just the graphic curve of the EQ display. I really don't want to see that. The numbers on the frequencies are useful because I can identify a frequency by ear. If I know I'm hearing 1200 Hz and I want to cut there, it is nice to have 1200 Hz labeled on the EQ.

Different strokes for different folks I guess, but I don't want to see anything more than basic labels on the controls. Even gain reduction meters and the like get covered up. My eyes are lying bastards, and my brain always takes their side.

Just always keep cautious. If you double check your ears with an analyzer and it doesn't agree, it could very well be the analyzer and your eyes that are wrong...but every instinct most people have will fight that and go with the visuals.
 
Chibi Nappa said:
I actually have a piece of paper cut out that sticks to my screen and covers just the graphic curve of the EQ display. I really don't want to see that. The numbers on the frequencies are useful because I can identify a frequency by ear. If I know I'm hearing 1200 Hz and I want to cut there, it is nice to have 1200 Hz labeled on the EQ.

Different strokes for different folks I guess, but I don't want to see anything more than basic labels on the controls. Even gain reduction meters and the like get covered up. My eyes are lying bastards, and my brain always takes their side.

Just always keep cautious. If you double check your ears with an analyzer and it doesn't agree, it could very well be the analyzer and your eyes that are wrong...but every instinct most people have will fight that and go with the visuals.
Click to expand...

You are lying or insane.
 
Swear to God, the screen is either off or partially blocked with paper.


...so insane it is.
 
Oh, come on. We are all nuts. There is something wrong with somebody who is any good at this stuff and doesn't have something wrong with them.
 
Chibi Nappa said:
I actually have a piece of paper cut out that sticks to my screen and covers just the graphic curve of the EQ display. I really don't want to see that.
Click to expand...

I just close my eyes or look somewhere else, often while making an adjustment.
 
bouldersoundguy said:
I just close my eyes or look somewhere else, often while making an adjustment.
Click to expand...

That was my original point..."close your eyes and use your ears". :)

I look at the screen all the time too, but I do find it's "ear opening" to look away from the screen (or close your eyes, turn off the computer monitor, hang posters over them :D ...whatever works), because then you are really listening instead of letting the sound become secondary to the visual cues...and DAWs have really turned a lot of audio processes into a visual event, so much so, that some people probably DO mix with their eyes more than their ears.
 
Just like every piece of hardware or software in audio, the spectrum analyzer is a tool. Don't allow your tools to dictate your method. Knowing when and how to use your tools correctly and effectively is the key to this craft and takes years, sometimes decades to master.

Of course, the ears(/brain) are our primary source of decision making. A visual readout should never be taken as the final authority. Editing, however, is another story as it's often the transient that defines where we cut and that is done by means of a visual aid. Also, programs like SpectraFoo were created for a reason and there is a lot to be gained by analysis, especially when there is a nebulous phenomenon going on that we are having trouble putting our finger on or when we want to detect artifacts within audio or when we want to compare them.

Cheers :)
 
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