Freq Analyzer V Zoom Control

[Ollie]

Feeling fairly comfortable witht the controls on this plugin. Bob, what do you practically use the V Zoom Control for? I immediately see the value of the H Zoom, but I am not sure how practically I would use the V Zoom. When do you find you have a need to use the V Zoom?

[AudioAstronomer]

for when you zoom in to a frequency area that is not very prevalent?

[Bob L]

If you slide the mouse crosshair in the Frequency Analyzer down to the bottom of the meter grid with the VZoom set to 1, you will see the grid range is about 45db. With the VZoom set to 8, it is about 4.5db.

So, the same amount of display pixels reference 45db worth of signal or 4.5db worth of signal.

Now, imagine you center in on a 1k frequency and boost it 2 or 3 db while the VZoom is set to 1... you will not see any change on the analyzer readout display... this is one of the main problems with most spectrum displays I have seen.

Set the VZoom to 8 and adjust the Gain Offset to center the meter display and now if you boost the 1k as little as .5db you should see the readout respond.

The perfect adjustment of the HZoom, VZoom and Gain Offset to center directly into the frequncy and sensitivity range of your audio source, is what the Frequency Analyzer is all about.

Mastering the balance of these controls in combination, will allow you to see details in Q changes, as well as boost and cut changes in all kinds of audio situations.

Bob L

[Ollie]

I believe i understand the concept now. Let me know if I have it. By reducing the scale, you can see the effect of smaller changes(1 or 2db) at the frequency in question. At a 45 db scale, hard to almost impossible to see the change. At a 4.5 db scale that is raised via the gain, much easier to see the effect.

Thanks Bob.

[Bob L]

Now you're getting the idea... just be aware that as you change the VZoom... the data levels may drop off the bottom of the screen until you also start adjusting the gain offset to bring the levels back into view.

You will also see the data jumping around much more as you increase the VZoom, because you will be seeing smaller fluctuations in level more visibly displayed across the meters.

The crosshair will always show you details about the frequency, and the level of any meter pixel on the screen according to the current settings.

Bob L

[Ollie]

Ok Bob,
Great little product. Working on a tune tonight, and I needed to find some problem frequencies in the bass. Not on every note but on a certain phrases the bass would really stick out and mask other instruments. Used the Analyzer to zero in on the problem frequencies, added some subtractive EQ in those spots and it really cleaned up the masking. Used the H and V Zoom to zero in on it.

Thanks again,
An extremely helpful product.

Jeff Oliver (Ollie) :) :D :)

[Oz Nimbus]

I agree. It's wonderful for zeroing in on frequency balance problems in a final mix.

[Bob L]

Good job.

I have found it to be a very useful tool... hard to imagine being without it now. :)

Bob L

[tomasino]

fyi, for all us newby Frequency Analyzer folks.
Some good info. in this thread.

Wish I had done this last October :( ...

New mantra: Its never too late, its never too late.

[Yura]

Hi there,

I have an idea of freeze feature.

wouldn't it be very great to have freeze button in automation possibility?

In the case we need some exact point of audio to be perfectly analized, we could place the cursor at this point, write the automation of FrEEZE button, go to the front of it and push playback. that we could see the frequency picture at exact point of audio.

[Bob L]

Yura,

That is a great idea... I'll put it on the list.

Bob L

[canipus]

Yura,

That is a great idea... I'll put it on the list.

Bob L
You might want to think about implementing it like the digital storage scopes internal circuity and set it up as 2 buttons: Prime and Freeze.
If you have a problem sections of audio you can't see on the normal display in SAW you first set the Prime button. This creates a buffer of x samples and you monitor from the output of the buffer. Then you run the audio using the buffer output. When you hit Sample (Freeze) button you capture the entire buffer which means you capture the samples just before the problem area in addition to the area itself. The advantage is if the problem event you want to monitor is very short, the buffer compensates for your reaction time between hearing the problem and wacking the capture button; i.e. brain reaction latency may miss the capture event. No problem if you've already primed the system with "pre capture". Undoing the Prime button deletes the buffer.
Pre capture is a standard sampling technique in analytical instruments.
Just thought I'd mention it. Would make the feature full proof and rock solid and IMHO a very very useful add-on.

[TotalSonic]

Ok Bob,
Great little product. Working on a tune tonight, and I needed to find some problem frequencies in the bass. Not on every note but on a certain phrases the bass would really stick out and mask other instruments. Used the Analyzer to zero in on the problem frequencies, added some subtractive EQ in those spots and it really cleaned up the masking. Used the H and V Zoom to zero in on it.

Thanks again,
An extremely helpful product.

Jeff Oliver (Ollie) :) :D :)

Jeff -
A little off topic - but just wanted to mention that it's often good to make sure you are not compensating for any resonant bumps or holes in your room's response when tweaking for individual bass notes that seem to pop out of the mix. Sweeping some test tones from around 30Hz-500Hz can reveal a lot in regards to this. Sometimes a pair of bass traps can go a long way to take this kind of thing if it is indeed a problem.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

[Carl G.]

Yura,

That is a great idea... I'll put it on the list.

Bob L
Freeze Function Yura suggested.
Absolutely Grrreeeaaaat! (says 'Tony the Tiger')
Wow!
Now I could See the wave form peak in MT... insert automation Freq Analyzer freeze on it - dedect offending freq that caused it, filter that freq!
Sure beats trial and error on EQ
Sure beats 'grab the fader!

[Yura]

THANKs for the support guys!


Of course, it woudl help the tweeker with fast transitions especially.

Another crazy idea (it's maybe hard to do?): to make possible of TRACKING amplitude-freq. characteristic while cursor movements not in live playback? (like a video in viewer!)

I still have not do the good transladion of this:


You might want to think about implementing it like the digital storage scopes internal circuity and set it up as 2 buttons: Prime and Freeze.
If you have a problem sections of audio you can't see on the normal display in SAW you first set the Prime button. This creates a buffer of x samples and you monitor from the output of the buffer. Then you run the audio using the buffer output. When you hit Sample (Freeze) button you capture the entire buffer which means you capture the samples just before the problem area in addition to the area itself. The advantage is if the problem event you want to monitor is very short, the buffer compensates for your reaction time between hearing the problem and wacking the capture button; i.e. brain reaction latency may miss the capture event. No problem if you've already primed the system with "pre capture". Undoing the Prime button deletes the buffer.
Pre capture is a standard sampling technique in analytical instruments.
Just thought I'd mention it. Would make the feature full proof and rock solid and IMHO a very very useful add-on.


maybe we talk about the same, maybe not...

Thanks again for a great product.
I just dicovered the 'listen' absolutely amazing feature.