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Survey "usage and non usage, improvement of Spectrum Displays"
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ansolas
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
108
Posts :
977
Posted : Nov 23, 2007 20:54
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Hello Guys,
I have to write a report about the usage and non usage of Spectrum Displays in Audio Production software.
Why can't I start a poll here ?
1. How do you use Spectrum displays?
2. For what do you use Spectrum displays?
3. You are a pro or amateur user?
4. Do you even know what to do with spectral displays?
5. How could they been improved
I would love to make a poll that I have a overview how many "pros" and "amateurs"
Enough by now lets see wher it goes.
Thank you guys!
love and light
ansolas
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Speakafreaka
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
18
Posts :
779
Posted : Nov 23, 2007 22:19
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I'd like to take part, but I'm confused as to the difference between questions 1 & 2. I reckon ther is quite a bit of overlap - and I'm not sure I see the relevance of question 3.
I could explain precisely how to build a spectrum analyser, and have quite a nice sound to my tracks, but I'm not pro, for example 
However, here is what I think, trying to read between the lines.
I use spectrum displays in mainly two different ways. 1) to monitor individual tracks, and 2) on the master output.
I'm interested in monitoring the individual tracks to assist me in identifying things about the sound I am not happy with. So I listen to the sound, think I don't like something, and then get out the spectrum analyser to help identify where in the sound the problem is. How I identify the problem depends on what hZ the sound is. If there is a problem with bass harmonics for example, I'll change the block size to being larger, so I can see the harmonics more clearly. However, this decorellates the information pertaining to the uppers. If I wish to alter the uppers, I change the block size to being smaller - typically with percussion hits etc.
One the mastering output, I periodically refer to this to ensure that my mix is staying fairly flat. I adjust the slope of the spectrum analyzer to 4.0 as this seems to me to produce the sweetest sounding mix when it is flat, even though this is not a flat line (very few spectrum analysis tools actually give you a flat line repsonse - there is nearly always a slope - check for yourself with pure white noise). By avoiding peaks and troughs, I can limit the track futher, so its important to try and make elements fit within my flat line, and not be dominated or dominating within the mix.
I'm an amateur producer.
I know what to do with spectrum analyzers
I'm very happy with some of them how they are (ie voxengo SPAN) but dislike other ones like PAZ, as I do not think that it is nearly accurate enough in the way it draws lines, furthermore, it is not nearly flexible enough in its options. However,as SPAN is superb, and free, I am not to fussed.
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http://www.soundcloud.com/speakafreaka |
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Elad
Tsabeat/Sattel Battle
Started Topics :
158
Posts :
5306
Posted : Nov 24, 2007 06:53
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Quote:
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On 2007-11-23 20:54, ansolas wrote:
Hello Guys,
I have to write a report about the usage and non usage of Spectrum Displays in Audio Production software.
Why can't I start a poll here ?
-maybe soon the team will make it happen
1. How do you use Spectrum displays?
- open them and look , then with eq fix what i need to..
2. For what do you use Spectrum displays?
- to see if there is any freqs that need boost or compression etc.
3. You are a pro or amateur user?
- hmm , pro wannabe 
4. Do you even know what to do with spectral displays?
no , well , yes.. but its abit dumb Q sorry u can tell by the previous answers if i know what i do or not
5. How could they been improved
- they could be like wavlab's older (mono) as VST option
I would love to make a poll that I have a overview how many "pros" and "amateurs"
Enough by now lets see wher it goes.
Thank you guys!
love and light
ansolas
<3
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www.sattelbattle.com
http://yoavweinberg.weebly.com/ |
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faxinadu
Faxi Nadu / Elmooht
Started Topics :
282
Posts :
3394
Posted : Nov 24, 2007 17:53
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PoM
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
162
Posts :
8087
Posted : Nov 24, 2007 21:35
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same here ,a spectrum Display you can swith to oscilloscope would be great . |
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Speakafreaka
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
18
Posts :
779
Posted : Nov 24, 2007 22:12
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On 2007-11-24 17:53, faxinadu wrote:
i use displays in the mastering stage mainly. just to check that nothing is too goofy, basically checking mostly the sub bass and highest trebles.
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Don't you use them on your basses?
Try it  You might like it
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http://www.soundcloud.com/speakafreaka |
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MadScientist
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
97
Posts :
1220
Posted : Nov 24, 2007 23:42
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I mostly use the built-in ones from the logic eqs to see whats going on on single channels sometimes...if u need to see more, logics multi meter is also nice (to check the whole track or specific stuff that those simple analyzers dont show you)
besides that, I dont understand the reason for most of your questions here...I think you could have summed it up in "which spectrum analyzers & how do you use them" and "how could they been improved" 
https://soundcloud.com/hazak
"Have you ever had that feeling where you're not sure if you're awake or still dreaming?"
"Hmm, yeah... All the time, man - it's called mescaline. The only way to fly!" |
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ansolas
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
108
Posts :
977
Posted : Nov 25, 2007 03:01
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"which spectrum analyzers & how do you use them" and "how could they been improved"
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yeah that might be a better question I was very tired when i wrote that post, I probably should have slept better before posting.
Thank you so far. |
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Work4Acid
Started Topics :
2
Posts :
30
Posted : Nov 28, 2007 14:30
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Quote:
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On 2007-11-24 22:12, Speakafreaka wrote:
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On 2007-11-24 17:53, faxinadu wrote:
i use displays in the mastering stage mainly. just to check that nothing is too goofy, basically checking mostly the sub bass and highest trebles.
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Don't you use them on your basses?
Try it You might like it
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How exactly you do this? An explanation on how you analize the signal in the spec. analizer would be nice, as i dont have a clue ^^ and i do all by ear. I use the spec analizer only when i want to see in detail how to "fill" the sound spectrum, but thats it |
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Tomos
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
84
Posts :
981
Posted : Nov 28, 2007 15:26
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oops. wrong thread |
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Glitch_CapeTown
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
36
Posts :
952
Posted : Nov 28, 2007 15:29
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shamantrixx
Started Topics :
7
Posts :
549
Posted : Nov 28, 2007 16:28
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Quote:
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On 2007-11-23 20:54, ansolas wrote:
1. How do you use Spectrum displays?
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by always keeping it open on my right monitor and simply compare what I hear with what I see. Mostly it helps me to see what I can't hear and that is enhancing my hearing since I pay more attention to parts that I don't hear.
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On 2007-11-23 20:54, ansolas wrote:2. For what do you use Spectrum displays?
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Drum synthesis and procesing, mixing, EQ-ing, patch creation (i.e. when I have a hole in the mix and I need a pad sound that will fit between 125 and 500 Hz) etc.
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On 2007-11-23 20:54, ansolas wrote:3. You are a pro or amateur user?
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Hopefully I'll never be a PRO. Since I do it for the love of doing it I don't think I could be called pro.
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On 2007-11-23 20:54, ansolas wrote:4. Do you even know what to do with spectral displays?
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see questions 1 & 2
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On 2007-11-23 20:54, ansolas wrote:5. How could they been improved
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I would love to see one that would be able to define (and freeze) tones of peaks (i.e. C4, D3, A5 etc.) if possible with adjustable tuning point (A=value in Hz)
Hope this helps.
"It occurred to me by intuition, and music was the driving force behind that intuition. My discovery was the result of musical perception"
Albert Einstein, speaking about his theory of relativity |
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Speakafreaka
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
18
Posts :
779
Posted : Nov 29, 2007 01:29
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On 2007-11-28 14:30, Work4Acid wrote:
How exactly you do this? An explanation on how you analize the signal in the spec. analizer would be nice, as i dont have a clue ^^ and i do all by ear. I use the spec analizer only when i want to see in detail how to "fill" the sound spectrum, but thats it
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No probs - here is a post I wrote on Psy-Forum, about one possible way of using spectrum analyzers to EQ your bass, although there are other ways, and this one is very involved. The main thing is to control certain harmonics.
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I've been working on a technique recently which I call bass ironing. I can't say I've seen it before, so it may be of some use to someone to have a play with if they have time, and the processing powah to spare.
I start of by getting the spectrum of the waveform of my bass. I reckon it is a lot easier to do this in an EQ that offers that facility, because you can really see the changes - so I'm going to use the surgical Gliss EQ2, which may be somewhat lacking in character, but for what I'm doing that is perfect anyway.
So here is the waveform with no EQ
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o187/Charasmatix/noEQ.gif
Note I've increased the block size to the max in the analyzer window. Without going into it, lets just say that this is a bit like a focus on a camera - the bigger the block size, the more the bass in focus, and the less the top end is. I want to see the bass so obviously bigger block size is better. Now, what you can see there is the harmonic series of a saw wave - thats what the big peaks are - but what is all that shit inbetween? Loose it. All that stuff is adding inharmonic mid to low bass which fucks up your fundamentals and makes the lows ring. You are not fully in control of it and its generally muddying your sound. If you want to mung your souund there are better ways of doing it then leaving this stuff there.
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o187/Charasmatix/removedinharmonics.gif
Much cleaner! Now I can see the individual harmonics of the waveform. But just a bally minute!! We can now get additive and control the individual harmonics to shape the bass precisely as we want!
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o187/Charasmatix/controlledharmonics.gif
Here I've knocked out the major third (which implies that everything is in a major key, probably not what you want), and generally smoothed it into a unmiddy bass that is quite popular these days.
Well thats it.
Downsides?
Well, to get to the final stage took 35 bands of EQ. And if I change note it ain't pretty.
Worth playing with anyway if you enjoy really getting in there and dominating your sound.
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Note, by far the most important bit of that is knocking out the major third. Look at the harmonic series in Wiki, and reduce the components in the analysis of the wave that fall into a major scale.
Hope this helps!
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http://www.soundcloud.com/speakafreaka |
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brasirc
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
10
Posts :
299
Posted : Nov 29, 2007 06:15
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looks nice, sounds like a sunday job (sampling at least 24 of those notes =p)
un-fucking-believable |
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Work4Acid
Started Topics :
2
Posts :
30
Posted : Nov 29, 2007 08:02
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Thaaaaaaaaaaanx bro, tho it seems to be a large process, but im going to give it a try.
Is there the possibility to upload some samples of that bass after and before this process? Maybe im asking too much but it would be so cool to hear an example
thanx again dude ^^ |
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