spectrum analyzer

Tips & Tricks
2

hey guys, i have been using n-track for years now and i realised i have no idea how to use a spectrum analyzer… is there much point in it? and can someone direct me to some good info if there is?

cheers

3

One of the basic principles I learned by reading a lot of articles - you may want to “clear a space” in the frequency specrtam to make the lead sound (singer or instrument) sound its best. Instead of trying to make every instrument sound great, clear frequencies in the individual tracks that may take sound away from the major instrument.
You may want to do an Internet search for "How to Use EQ in audio recording"

Here is a link to a program that that taught me a lot about frequencies.
I still use the software, although not as much as I did because by using the software I got a better idea of what I was doing. It shows the “Average” of sound in a track and can help change that.
Sometimes when I just can’t figure something out (the track does not sound right and I can’t find the offending frequency) I will bring a track into the program to look at the information the program produces. The site has a frequency chart that is very helpful -
http://www.har-bal.com/

The best deal, if you can afford it is Ozone 4.
It contains several different plug-in modules to “master” a recording including the ability to take a “snapshot” of the frequencies.
This is program I use now.
They used to have a good paper on EQ, but I could not find it right off -= perhaps it is still there somewhere.
There is some interesting information at:
http://www.izotope.com/support…root=34

Sound Forge also contains a version of the Ozone program.
Hope this helps,
Bax

4

I use ozone 3 + 4 also. Lots of sound shaping ability. There is lots to learn, but
they have good docs and I am picking up some good ideas.
Here is a link to a short video they have on the “snapshot” stuff bax3 mentioned.
http://www.izotope.com/support/videos.asp#
Just scroll down a short way, it is called Matching EQ.

bax3, I have had some n-track crashes when using oz 4 (a lot less with 3).
Mainly when I use it with an instrument track for drums.
Have you run into this?

5

Ozone seems pretty well behave, but I use it on the master channel almost exclusively. But I know it can send the CPU pretty high if you are using enough Ozone modules at one time.