Spectrum analyser for main system audio

[jellyjim]

Hello

Anybody know of a spectrum analyser app that will listen to any audio leaving my Mac?

I don't mean the mains on my DAW. I mean any audio playing from any program.

I'm working my way through hundreds of reference tracks and often I want to see the 'shape' of something that catches my ear. It would be great to have a window permanently open say top right that I can quickly glance at.

Thanks
Jim

[jellyjim]

Come to think of it, a hardware solution even, if it's not horribly expensive. I've 1u spare in my rack.

[BillB]

Well, this
https://www.thomann.co.uk/fun_generation_rta_31.htm

is affordable and fun, but probably not very 'professional'. I have one (for bling, really) and haven't tested extensively, but my impression is that it displays very slightly 'behind' the music, presumably due to processing time.

[Sam Spoons]

A TC Clarity should do that.

[amanise]

...
I'm working my way through hundreds of reference tracks and often I want to see the 'shape' of something that catches my ear. ...

Thanks
Jim

Do you also want to see the summed 'shape' of the whole track - that's a really useful way to look at reference tracks sometimes, I find.

[jellyjim]

...
I'm working my way through hundreds of reference tracks and often I want to see the 'shape' of something that catches my ear. ...

Thanks
Jim

Do you also want to see the summed 'shape' of the whole track - that's a really useful way to look at reference tracks sometimes, I find.

Hmm. I’m not sure! Explain what you mean?

[amanise]

...
I'm working my way through hundreds of reference tracks and often I want to see the 'shape' of something that catches my ear. ...

Thanks
Jim

Do you also want to see the summed 'shape' of the whole track - that's a really useful way to look at reference tracks sometimes, I find.

Hmm. I’m not sure! Explain what you mean?

OK - with the caveat that I've just noticed this was the Mac thread. So, if anything I name is not available for Mac (most things are for both) I apologise now.

So, what I guess I get the most from reference tracks is an overall 'sound and feel' that I want to try and match as closely as I can - whether that be production values or instrumentation, whatever. We all do thing differently, of course. What you see from a unit suggested above is nice, and give you a snapshot per sample - or buffer - whatever of the frequencies as they pass by. You interpret this as the music, and your unit gives you a visual accompaniment which quickly disappears. But, if you're looking for an overall footprint of the overall sound which you can try and reproduce, might it be better achieved using a profile of the frequency spectrum for the whole track - which is static? It might not be - but as it's there and lasting, I find that easier to hit.

What I use is iZotope RX Elements, and in there I can display the whole track, select it all, and run the spectrum analysis window to produce a static window that shows me the frequency profile I want to reproduce. I can do this for any section of the audio I want. To me, what it represents is what the overall 'feel' of a track is. Maybe it's dished in a particular frequency area - or there's a subtle build up of lower mids making it feel muddy overall. Things like that.

There are also other spectrum analyzers that run as plugins - like SPAN. I think you can freeze that at a place, and maybe get a plot of the whole track too - but I'd have to play with that to be sure. I got it for free anyway, so there's no loss if it can't.

I don't want to diminish your idea of using a real time display on your main audio out all the time - have often toyed with the idea of getting one myself. Interesting to hear that BillB gets a lag on his one. That might end up misleading if you're using it analytically. Out of interest, why are you looking to do this analysis bit outside your DAW? Surely, by the time you get drawn into something you want to investigate further - you've got that far with just your ears? In other words, when you switch into analytical mode - you've already made the decision that this is something you want to focus effort on - so you're homing in on it already. If that makes sense.

Anyhoo. Probably more than you were looking for already

Good luck with your quest!

[jellyjim]

What I use is iZotope RX Elements, and in there I can display the whole track, select it all, and run the spectrum analysis window to produce a static window that shows me the frequency profile I want to reproduce. I can do this for any section of the audio I want. To me, what it represents is what the overall 'feel' of a track is. Maybe it's dished in a particular frequency area - or there's a subtle build up of lower mids making it feel muddy overall. Things like that.

Perfect! Yes, I think that's exactly what I'm trying to do.

Out of interest, why are you looking to do this analysis bit outside your DAW?

Simply because a lot of my reference listening is coming from Spotify or Soundcloud or Bandcamp. So I guess I'm refering to reference tracks also in a more general sense and not only when mixing music of my own. I'm in the process of gathering a catalogue of reference tracks, in other words.

I'm a developer so it's easy for me to listen to music as I work. One track might follow another and it will occur to me how differently they use the frequency spectrum, or how much they differ in dynamic range. I find myself wanting to make a comparison in some way there and then. I have been making notes. Returning to those and doing a deeper dive is on the todo list.

Anyhoo. Probably more than you were looking for already

Not at all. Your post was brilliant. Thank you for your time!

Tho I'm slighly disappointed to realise I don't really need to buy the 1u bling machine

[ManFromGlass]

I’d go back and have a second look at the bling machine! You need to try harder for the proper justification!!
I mean, come on, blinky meter lights!!
(I will admit that I have a partially broken frequency meter running all the time just because blinky lights are fun. They also serve to take my focus off the computer monitor now and then which is supposed to be good for not straining the eyes. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it….)

[jellyjim]

I’d go back and have a second look at the bling machine! You need to try harder for the proper justification!!
I mean, come on, blinky meter lights!!
(I will admit that I have a partially broken frequency meter running all the time just because blinky lights are fun. They also serve to take my focus off the computer monitor now and then which is supposed to be good for not straining the eyes. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it….)

[amanise]

Yeah. Get the bling in while you still can. Maybe something with swingy needles on too - cheap mic preamps are good for that

[jellyjim]

Yeah. Get the bling in while you still can. Maybe something with swingy needles on too - cheap mic preamps are good for that

Mmm, swingy needles

[Tomás Mulcahy]

Audio Hijack with Voxengo SPAN will do exactly what you require, to monitor/ display anything you are hearing from your Mac in real time.