Taperssection.com
Gear / Technical Help => Ask The Tapers => Topic started by: reverser on March 27, 2008, 10:47:25 AM
-
Hi guys,
I have recently become aware of the spectrum analysis tool in Sound Forge and understand it is a very powerful tool to look at which frequencies are too strong / weak in a mix.
With that said, I am a bit unsure how specifically to use this tool. I am wondering if anyone can either give a brief intro / tutorial or point me to an existing resource that gives me some understanding as to how to use this tool with recorded live music to achieve the best sound.
All replies greatly appreciated.
-
Hi guys,
I have recently become aware of the spectrum analysis tool in Sound Forge and understand it is a very powerful tool to look at which frequencies are too strong / weak in a mix.
With that said, I am a bit unsure how specifically to use this tool. I am wondering if anyone can either give a brief intro / tutorial or point me to an existing resource that gives me some understanding as to how to use this tool with recorded live music to achieve the best sound.
All replies greatly appreciated.
Same thing here. I use Audacity and, yes, there's something about spectrum there, but I'm not sure if it's actually spectrum analysis. Thanks in advance ;)
-
reverser, most editing software has some way to view the spectrum of a track or set of tracks. Even if yours doesn't, I'm fairly sure there's free software that does it on a stand-alone basis.
But the only time I find it useful in equalizing a recording is in one of my side "businesses." I sometimes have to help out a friend of mine who's a professional transcriber, because people give her the most amazingly god-awful recordings to work with--microcassette dictation tapes that were recorded at half speed using the built-in microphone with the subject halfway across a noisy room, etc. With those recordings I can use spectrum analysis to see where the low-frequency room resonances are, and what the high-frequency limit of the information on the tape is.
With music recordings, mostly I leave things alone because it's hard to find settings that are an unalloyed benefit unless something in particular really, really bothers me and I can identify what it is by ear. Like, in the 1970s I used to record with the wrong type of omni microphones for the recording distances I was using, and nowadays when I come across one of those old tapes I fix it in the transfer, and I feel a lot better about those recordings now as a result. But the corrective EQ that I use doesn't come from a spectrum analyzer--it comes from knowing the difference between a free-field and a diffuse-field omni microphone, which I didn't know back then. Looking at a spectrum of the recordings before and after, I'm not even sure that the difference would necessarily be apparent.
With music recordings, spectrum analysis could give you some hints if you already know what you like and what you don't like in the sound of a recording. But music doesn't usually have a regular, smooth spectrum--it has whatever kind of spectrum it has, which is very particular to the type of music and the room and the type of recording you've made. So I don't think you can begin from the visual--I think you have to listen and form opinions about the spectral balance, then maybe the spectrum analysis can give you a way to refine those opinions further.
For people who want to really learn what aspects of sound are in what frequency ranges, I recommend David Moulton's "Golden Ears" training CDs. They're not cheap, but this particular skill is so valuable that I've never heard of anyone who resented the cost after they went through learning it.
--best regards
-
The tools that come with daws these days I find lacking take alook at the inspector ixl stuff here are a few screen shots there is so much more to much to paste!
(http://www.motb.org/ixl1.JPG)
(http://www.motb.org/ixl2.JPG)
(http://www.motb.org/ixl3.JPG)
(http://www.motb.org/ixl4.JPG)
(http://www.motb.org/ixl5.JPG)
Hope that helped tools wise..
The spectrum meters come in blue or gray and they are selectable I gave you the 3 pains of views in the spectrum meter.. The sute comes with killer standalone stereo imaging, level meters as well
-
reverser, most editing software has some way to view the spectrum of a track or set of tracks. Even if yours doesn't, I'm fairly sure there's free software that does it on a stand-alone basis.
But the only time I find it useful in equalizing a recording is in one of my side "businesses." I sometimes have to help out a friend of mine who's a professional transcriber, because people give her the most amazingly god-awful recordings to work with--microcassette dictation tapes that were recorded at half speed using the built-in microphone with the subject halfway across a noisy room, etc. With those recordings I can use spectrum analysis to see where the low-frequency room resonances are, and what the high-frequency limit of the information on the tape is.
With music recordings, mostly I leave things alone because it's hard to find settings that are an unalloyed benefit unless something in particular really, really bothers me and I can identify what it is by ear. Like, in the 1970s I used to record with the wrong type of omni microphones for the recording distances I was using, and nowadays when I come across one of those old tapes I fix it in the transfer, and I feel a lot better about those recordings now as a result. But the corrective EQ that I use doesn't come from a spectrum analyzer--it comes from knowing the difference between a free-field and a diffuse-field omni microphone, which I didn't know back then. Looking at a spectrum of the recordings before and after, I'm not even sure that the difference would necessarily be apparent.
With music recordings, spectrum analysis could give you some hints if you already know what you like and what you don't like in the sound of a recording. But music doesn't usually have a regular, smooth spectrum--it has whatever kind of spectrum it has, which is very particular to the type of music and the room and the type of recording you've made. So I don't think you can begin from the visual--I think you have to listen and form opinions about the spectral balance, then maybe the spectrum analysis can give you a way to refine those opinions further.
For people who want to really learn what aspects of sound are in what frequency ranges, I recommend David Moulton's "Golden Ears" training CDs. They're not cheap, but this particular skill is so valuable that I've never heard of anyone who resented the cost after they went through learning it.
--best regards
I'm already looking for David Moulton's CDs. Awesome information, DSatz ;)
+T
-
DStaz, thanks to your tip I've just found a series of fascinating articles at www.moultonlabs.com
I've just read "A Fresh Approach to Equalization: The Tom Bates Way".
Amazing reading. Thanks ;)
-
DStaz, thanks to your tip I've just found a series of fascinating articles at www.moultonlabs.com
I've just read "A Fresh Approach to Equalization: The Tom Bates Way".
Amazing reading. Thanks ;)
Hey, that's cool! For those who don't wanna take the time to read it, let me paste in the "punchline" cause it's a really cool idea.
* First, we get rid of any problem resonances, by subtractive EQ.
* Second, we get dynamics of the track under control through compression.
* Finally, once these spectral and dynamic problems have been dealt with, we EQ for sonic effect and balance in the mix.
-
With music recordings, spectrum analysis could give you some hints if you already know what you like and what you don't like in the sound of a recording. But music doesn't usually have a regular, smooth spectrum--it has whatever kind of spectrum it has, which is very particular to the type of music and the room and the type of recording you've made. So I don't think you can begin from the visual--I think you have to listen and form opinions about the spectral balance, then maybe the spectrum analysis can give you a way to refine those opinions further.
DStaz, thanks to your tip I've just found a series of fascinating articles at www.moultonlabs.com
I've just read "A Fresh Approach to Equalization: The Tom Bates Way".
Amazing reading. Thanks ;)
* First, we get rid of any problem resonances, by subtractive EQ.
* Second, we get dynamics of the track under control through compression.
* Finally, once these spectral and dynamic problems have been dealt with, we EQ for sonic effect and balance in the mix.
I agree with the priority of the 3 steps above and with DSatz's typically insightful comment. In light of that, what I've wondered is this- The primary roll of eq for most here is to reduce problem resonances, mostly in the bass. Would a long average RMS sample window (say of an entire song) point me to problem resonance peaks and perhaps give an idea of their Q? Just thinking that could make dialing in corrections completely by ear a bit faster.
-
The video on this page shows one of the more powerful spectral editing tools...
http://www.izotope.com/products/audio/rx/
digifish
-
The video on this page shows one of the more powerful spectral editing tools...
http://www.izotope.com/products/audio/rx/
digifish
Amazing :o
-
The video on this page shows one of the more powerful spectral editing tools...
http://www.izotope.com/products/audio/rx/
digifish
Amazing :o
It's certainly worth watching right to the end.
And to be even more amazed watch this...the latest technology from Clemony (Melodyne) can identify and extract spectral components of individual notes...
http://www.sonicstate.com/news/shownews.cfm?newsid=6281 (the magic starts at 3:35 if you are in a hurry).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNx7MrBPm-Y
digifish
-
The video on this page shows one of the more powerful spectral editing tools...
http://www.izotope.com/products/audio/rx/
digifish
Amazing :o
It's certainly worth watching right to the end.
And to be even more amazed watch this...the latest technology from Clemony (Melodyne) can identify and extract spectral components of individual notes...
http://www.sonicstate.com/news/shownews.cfm?newsid=6281
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNx7MrBPm-Y
digifish
:o :o :o :o :o :o
-
:o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o!
That's Eden's apple.
-
:o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o!
That's Eden's apple.
I'm about to scoff a whole crate :)