Reputable spectral analysis plugins?

[meneedit]

Hi guys,

Just a quick question. Are there any heavy duty video editing plugins out there that are dedicated to spectral analysis?

I'm an aspiring musician and I want to make my youtube videos interesting instead of just using a still image for an entire video.

I'm looking for something that is completely customizable so that it can do unusual things like wrap around my logo, change colours, etc...

thanks in advance

[Trippedout]

someone will give you an answer on that but surely an aspiring musician would rather concentrate on Chanel separation attention to fine detail levels of mixing of multi chanels and good sound stage presentation which is sadly missing in most of todays music and film in favor of over modulating the chancels its like going round to a friends house that bought a new stereo and he turns it up high and says sounds great look how load it goes no wrong thats distortion your listening to which seems to be the norm these days with that said its mostly down to the producers that you should try sound analyzing software and multi channel software or hardware get the sound right and the video trickery wont be needed just my opinion all the very best in your career attention to your sound presentation should pay dividends

[Hoser Rob]

I agree that a lot of stuff ... most in the last decade in fact ... sounds distorted and crappy, but that has nothing to do with channel separation. Whatsoever. It's just too compressed. We're talking about 1 or 2dB dynamic range. And it's often overloaded, which you can't do with digital gear like you can with analog.

Also, your friend may just be pushing his stereo too much.

As far as the original OP's question goes, I don't know about spectral analysis plugins. You also didn't say what software you're using, which would make it difficult to answer wven if I did know. Blender is good for video effects in general.

However, I would think if you can grab them musically in the first few bars it won't matter that much.

[yoda313]

I would think if you can grab them musically in the first few bars it won't matter that much.

I would agree a good "hook" would lure people in no matter what tricks you try to use. Sonically that right mix of wow does it. Though it doesn't always have to be something loud and brassy to start. Take U2's where the streets have no names opening for example. Sometimes a haunting intro can grab you to.

Sorry for going slightly offtopic as I have no plugin to recommend.

But for strictly audio purposes you can fool around with audacity which is free to use.

[Trippedout]

yoda313 total agreement u2 prodution is allawys very good and it dosent just full into catagory rock pop jazz any kind of music good production is the key take a lissten to nike drake northen sky thats what im was trying to explain syblim prodution way off topic sorry

[meneedit]

Um guys..... guys, can we uhhh.... talk about spectral analysis video plugins now?

I'm looking for something with the potential to do this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-O7LjhP2eEc

[filmboss80]

It is hard to find, but there is actually a pop-down menu to the left of the actual audio track you launch in Audacity. It will change the view from wave form to spectral analysis. See http://audacity.sourceforge.net/onlinehelp-1.2/menu_track.htm to learn how to access the pop-down menu.

(I assume that is what you are looking for. For various reasons, I did not click on the YouTube link.)

[aedipuss]

not sure you are using the right term. spectral analysis is for waveforms. as in audio like sony's spectralayers.

[poisondeathray]

Um guys..... guys, can we uhhh.... talk about spectral analysis video plugins now?

I'm looking for something with the potential to do this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-O7LjhP2eEc

If that video is any indication , I think he's looking for audio reactant effects, where the FX react to the music, not a technical spectral analysis or audio waveform

You have to give more info on what software you are using . e.g. for after effects you might use trapcode soundkeys

[meneedit]

Thanks for the replies. Yes, I think I had the wrong term there.

Anywho, I have Vegas Pro 10 and Premiere Pro CS4.

[aedipuss]

the old acid trip visuals? look up fractal noise.

[poisondeathray]

I'm looking for something that is completely customizable so that it can do unusual things like wrap around my logo, change colours, etc...

Just an FYI - Most plugins won't do this. They'll give you something very basic and plain like a 2d waveform. I guess it depends on the look you're going for exactly, and what you want to do exactly

You usually have to use other plugins and your creativity to be more fancy or to make it look good . A single plugin is usually insufficient

For example you might link a sound plugin to drive particle effects or other effects plugins

I use vegas and premiere for editing but I don't use them for fancy things or effects, so maybe someone else can recommend something. After Effects would be my choice for a project like

[Verify]

Might want to take a look at Goldwave - it has lots of interesting display options for the recorded sound, including spectrogram, bulge (sort of fractal like), waterfall, etc. Free or $49.00 for the unlimited version.

[El Heggunte]

If you're not afraid of Avisynth , you could use Audiograph and/or Histogram("Audiolevels") + SuperEQ:


http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=1377887#post1377887

http://avisynth.org/mediawiki/Histogram#Audiolevels_mode

http://avisynth.org/mediawiki/SuperEQ

[budwzr]

No, Spectral Layers is a new "Sony" way of visualizing and editing audio. Sony's DAW sucks, so they're trying something else, and pretending it's a whole new earth-shaking product.

Myself, I use Ableton and nothing beats it. I've tried them all.

[meneedit]

.....ummmmm, I did correct myself. We are now talking about a visualizaion of volume.

[meneedit]

I've started to use Trapcode 'Soundkeys' in AE but it looks like it's going to be insanely hard to achieve that sort of effect.

[poisondeathray]

I've started to use Trapcode 'Soundkeys' in AE but it looks like it's going to be insanely hard to achieve that sort of effect.

What did you want exactly? Did you want something unique and good or did you want something plain and simple as in that example ?

For something simple you can use the built in "audio spectrum" and "audio waveform" plugins. By themselves, you can create something similar quite easily

If you want something more creative, you have to use combine effects and plugins. A single plugin alone won't do fancy things . It's how you use the plugins in creative ways that creates something good

[meneedit]

Hey man, thanks for asking

I'm after something very similar to the example.... only I have created a round logo so I need to be able to wrap the bars (not sure what to call them) around the logo.

[poisondeathray]

OK. For some reason I pictured something more fancy . (I guess it wouldnt be good to distract too much , since the music should be the main focal point, not the visuals)

You should be able everything with built in AE plugins (the ones I mentioned above can provide the basic "bars") . You can customize it, even animate the colors of the bars - you're basically only limited by your creativity if you want this in 2d . (and I still don't know if PP or Vegas have similar plugins)

A round logo doesn't have straight edges. In your earlier example it was a triangle (3 edges). So it was just 3 instances of that effect , and just scaled and repositioned.

So did you want your logo surrounded by the "bars" ? circumferential ? or some other arrangement ?

[meneedit]

I'd like the bars to be surrounding the logo.... I know this will cause the bars to be tapered but that might look good

i'll look into those stock plugins now. thanks.

[poisondeathray]

I'd like the bars to be surrounding the logo.... I know this will cause the bars to be tapered but that might look good

tapered ? what do you mean by that ?

Those 2 built in plugins can take the path of a mask. So you draw a mask (e.g. with the circle tool if your logo is a perfect circle), and tell the plugin to follow that path and it will bend it 360degrees. (you don't have to use a circle, any mask shape, and the bars will follow the path of the mask - eg. a rhomboid will be "bent" to a rhobmboid) . You can tell the "bars" to come outwards only (or both sides in and out)

If you know the AE basics , this literally takes 30 seconds to do, maybe a bit more to customize colors. I can try to walk you through it but it's probably just as easy to play with and get the effect you want. If you get stuck , just ask

[meneedit]

Thanks mate

Well, yeah i'm already stuck.... hahaha. Kinda embarrasing but i cant find those particular effects/a way to add them to the sound file.

[poisondeathray]

Ok

you don't add it to the sound file, you add it to the video layer

does your logo have alpha channel (transparency) ? or is it on a solid background ?

[meneedit]

It's solid, but I can easily import one with transparency if that is a good idea.

[poisondeathray]

What did you have in mind exactly? eg. that sample clip had a logo on a off black background (actually with horizontal lines)





1) create a new composition (ctrl+n) - set the same characteristics as the video file you want (dimensions, frame rate)

2) import your logo (double click in the clip bin to open the dialog box), drag the logo layer to the composition (the timeline)

3) create a new solid layer (any color doesn't matter, it will become transparent later anyway) (ctrl+y) . Drag this so it's above the logo layer

4) apply the effect to that solid layer (effect=>generate=> audio spectrum , make sure the solid layer is selected before you apply the effect)

5) import the audio clip (double click in the clip bin) , drag to the very bottom layer in the composition

6) Draw a mask the circumference of your logo on the solid layer (make sure the solid layer is selected, then use the elipse tool, hold shift down to constrain proportions to a perfect circle)

7) Select the solid layer (the one that has the effect applied) . In the effects control panel, where it says "audio layer", select the audio clip. Where it says "path" that's where you enter which mask (there should only be one mask, the one you just drew)

Play with the options to get the look you want, ask if you 're still stuck

Cheers

[meneedit]

Thank you kindly

[meneedit]

I've followed the steps carefully but cannot see the visualization for some reason.


edit: scratch that..... I can see thin lines

[poisondeathray]

heh - yes just fiddle with the options, you can make them thicker, higher , more bars, less bars, whatever you want

You might even want to combine several instances, shapes, colors. It's up to your imagination

All those settings that have a "stop watch" are "animatable" . Meaning those are settings that you can set keyframes for

[meneedit]

Ok thanks.... I have the bands looking nice but the tops of the bands are cut off. I think it's because of the bounding box for the circle.