Graphical Frequency Table

Posted on

www.witchsmark.com
Member Since: Aug 13, 2006

I was checking out this article... www.homerecordingconnecti...tory&id=154

Is there a piece of software out there that will take all of your tracks and ultimately show you a table like they have in the article, so you know what frequencies are competing with others visually??

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Administrator
Since: Apr 03, 2002


Sep 26, 2008 08:13 am

Actually, that is one of the things that Har-Bal was attempting to do when trying to make their app into a VST, but they encountered to many problems with it an abandoned the project, at least for now.

That would be a wicked cool tool to have, but I don't know of any personally.

http://www.reverbnation.com/2ndg
Member
Since: Nov 27, 2007


Sep 26, 2008 08:46 am

with harbal, its a long way to do it, but you could probably do a mixdown of each seperate track from ya song, and put it through harbal and get a printout of the result.
then compare them all and make necessary adjustments.

even better if you had clear paper to print it on and print each one with a different colour and just lay them on top of each other.

Pinnipedal Czar (: 3=
Member
Since: Apr 11, 2004


Sep 26, 2008 08:50 am

Yeah, that would be a nifty prog . Static frequencie charts only go so far... they don't take into account what the room, or mic is doing for the track . Luckily, most spectral anylizers have a pretty low cpu usage to them, so until someone comes up with a program like that, we'll have to do with puting a SPAN on each track, and jotting notes .(At least that's what I do for the first part of a mixing session)

Member
Since: Jan 18, 2003


Sep 26, 2008 08:57 am

harbal HAS to make that happen. that tool would be huge.

im not sure why it would be hard, though?

Administrator
Since: Apr 03, 2002


Sep 26, 2008 09:02 am

Paavo, the developer, explained it to me once and I remember it making perfect sense at the time, I simply don't remember the reasons any more.

It would be the bomb though, I gotta admit.

Czar of Turd Polish
Member
Since: Jun 20, 2006


Sep 26, 2008 12:14 pm

I used an analyzer and simply write down what my instruments are using for a recording. It's a litter slower but I get the desired information.

I still like this freq chart personally. It's not 100% for anybody, but very good guidelines.

www.independentrecording....ain_display.htm


MASSIVE Mastering, LLC
Member
Since: Aug 05, 2008


Sep 26, 2008 07:03 pm

Wouldn't it be easier to just listen?

I tune down down...
Member
Since: Jun 11, 2007


Sep 26, 2008 08:56 pm

Why listen!? That's not what sound is.

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002


Sep 26, 2008 09:38 pm

Man, this would fit so good in Larry Cranes end rant in the back of the latest issue (#67) of TapeOp magazine.

Its titled Purity and Honesty in Recordings.

I wonder if he would let me print it verbatim or maybe scan it in and post it. If you can try to find yourself or borrow a copy and check it out.

Anyway, I must agree on the listening part. But we have to realize the digital age has given many tools that are now taken for granted. And sadly many have learned to use their eyes rather then their ears as a main tool.

I must admit if I get stuck I will break out an plugin to look at what might be going on at times as well.

Czar of Turd Polish
Member
Since: Jun 20, 2006


Sep 29, 2008 01:39 pm

Quote:
Wouldn't it be easier to just listen


Having a general idea of which frequencies do what is not a bad thing. Of course listening is the best tool, but learning what comes from where is valuable also.

Anymore I am capable of hearing an instrument and picking out what I like\don't like and generally have a good idea where to start. These charts helped me gain an understanding and to push them to the side as useless info makes no sense to me.

Remember that this is a "home recording" site and while some folks may roll something of at 80hz because they read it, they may not know what they are actually doing. General knowledge of anything can lead to a greater understanding overall.


Prince CZAR-ming
Member
Since: Apr 08, 2004


Sep 29, 2008 02:19 pm

Here's a analyzer / scope tool from Schwa / Stillwell Audio.

www.stillwellaudio.com/?page_id=26

Here's a review from Tape-Op Mag:

forum.cockos.com/showthre...ighlight=schope


Sounds like it's just what's being searched for.

There's bunches of other good stuff at stillwellaudio as well.

MASSIVE Mastering, LLC
Member
Since: Aug 05, 2008


Sep 29, 2008 02:23 pm

Quote:
Remember that this is a "home recording" site and while some folks may roll something of at 80hz because they read it, they may not know what they are actually doing. General knowledge of anything can lead to a greater understanding overall.


I get where you're coming from and for the most part, I agree. I just think that "training" should be one thing and "gaining experience" should be another.

I remember back in the good 'ol days when I sat for hours and hours (not on end) running pink through a 31 band EQ and studying what each band sounded like until I could tell them all apart. Then when I was working on something, the guessing and experimentation to a back seat.

Not that experimentation and guesswork never come up while working -- But for the most part I feel that 'budding engineers' (for lack of a better term) actually should use these tools as training tools. They should spend time studying frequencies, they should spend months listening to as many different styles of recordings (both good and bad) as possible to familiarize themselves with their monitoring systems and rooms, etc., etc.

Use those tools to fine tune the 'real' tools --

Administrator
Since: Apr 03, 2002


Sep 29, 2008 02:24 pm

whatever it takes to get the job done, by any means necessary.

http://www.reverbnation.com/2ndg
Member
Since: Nov 27, 2007


Sep 29, 2008 09:39 pm

^pretty much,

even if you have to kill certain band members and just record the stuff yerelf! ha ha ha.

http://www.reverbnation.com/2ndg
Member
Since: Nov 27, 2007


Sep 29, 2008 09:40 pm

mwuh ha ha ha ha ha! and then, the world!

Member
Since: Feb 25, 2009


Apr 10, 2009 03:25 pm

great post, I love this article and how it explains how you can notch out a spot for different instruments. The software you mention would be awesome , I got the book the art of mixing a visual guide and that is what has helped me to start understanding mixing , being a noob and all. Im looking orward to starting work on a new song (got my folks staying til next week) the chart that Tripps posted is really good, that is going in my bookmarks. cheers...paul

Typo Szar
Member
Since: Jul 04, 2002


Apr 17, 2009 11:25 am

I downloaded scHope and I LOVE IT, my mixes have benefited many fold from using them.

I know MM might get peeved by this response, but seriously as a home recordist with an untuned room it really helps me to overcome some of the limitations i find in my space but seeing how the sound is without my room interfering. ofcourse i still "listen" and i make sure that my end result is a happy compromise between the visual display and wat is pleasing to my ear. but seriously, for recording at home with so much noise and such, and even for the luxury of sometimes switching to headphones, its amazing.

Czar of Turd Polish
Member
Since: Jun 20, 2006


Apr 17, 2009 11:59 am

Well now, that schope looks interesting. When in a 10x12 untreated room I can see the benefit of that. I have a good sense of what freq's do what and this will help me pinpoint things so much easier.

I will try it using buss routing. Drums, guitars, bass, and vox always are on their own buss, should be perfect for a Schope test run.

Plus Crux makes a pretty nice mix, if it's helping his be better maybe it can help me too.

On a side note, a local metal band released a CD recently that was all home done. It sounded quite fantastic, powerfull, well seperated (not perfect but damn damn good). I asked him about their process and well.... they mixed it in their car using the line in on his stereo. A sonically treated space where you know your monitors (speakers) inside and out cause you listen to all your tunes everyday. I would have laughed had I not heard the CD.

giv me gear
Member
Since: Jan 29, 2009


Apr 17, 2009 01:00 pm

The best analyser i found so far is izotope ozone!

though it is a mastering suite by enlarge but it has a feature for showing you all the frequency graphs for all the tracks(in different colors) superimposed on each other!

it also has a matching feature that helps to equalize for mixing things in!but i do not use that feature!

Czar of Turd Polish
Member
Since: Jun 20, 2006


Apr 17, 2009 04:07 pm

I use Izotope sometimes, but Schope with it's ability to route four seperate tracks and analyze them seperately is much different. The izotope function is not really an analyzer but just has a nice display on it's Multi band compressor.

Now I have not used Izotope 4 so could have a dated opinion. Still, Schmope for $25 or Izotope for $300, not a tough choice for me :)

Bring on the demo!!

giv me gear
Member
Since: Jan 29, 2009


Apr 22, 2009 11:56 pm

i'm talkin about the parametric EQ thing.set the time to infinity and there!u have a spectrum ready!

what's better u can change the EQ while viewing it's effect on the spectrum.amazing!

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