Blue Cat Audio

Blue Cat Audio · Post by **Blue Cat Audio** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 6:39 am

See the official announcement here:
http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=170679

Blue Cat Audio · Post by **Blue Cat Audio** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 7:37 am

You can now see the Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst Pro spectrum analyzer plugin in action in gearwire.com's latest video review:

Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst Pro Review & Tutorial

They do not show the most advanced functionalities of the plugin (memories, curves choice, MIDI and automation output), but it's a nice overview of the simple analysis features.

For those wondering what a spectrum analyzer is and how it can be used I think it's worth having a look at the video.

Enjoy!

tombuur · Post by **tombuur** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 6:13 pm

I have downloaded and tried the FreqAnalyst Pro,and I must say I am impressed. The zoom and slide functions are particularly impressive. I am also glad there is a possibility to store curves to a memory. I have asked other programmers to add this to their products for more than a year, but they don't listen.

That said, I still need to be able to save curves to a file for later recall. Also it would be nice if you could get a frequency distribution, save it and compare to other sources (reference music). I guess that would turn it into something Har-Bal like?

Anyway, I probably will buy this product anyway, but implementing the above would be a great help.

Blue Cat Audio · Post by **Blue Cat Audio** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 8:28 pm

Glad to see you like it.

That said, I still need to be able to save curves to a file for later recall. Also it would be nice if you could get a frequency distribution, save it and compare to other sources (reference music). I guess that would turn it into something Har-Bal like?

It is already possible. We are going to write a tutorial about it, but here is the principle:
since the curves are saved in the presets, what you can do is save the preset into a file and then reload it in another instance of the plugin. If you are using the vst version, it is pretty straightforward: use the host save/load in fxp format (fx preset) and you are done! You can even exchange curves between different software that support the fxp format.

Hope this helps.

tombuur · Post by **tombuur** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 9:42 pm

Fine. So all I need now is some way of normalizing the frequency curves so that I can compare them better. That's when adjusting a piece of music for a certain frequency distribution. For other purposes, like checking for noise in my home studio and seeing how various measures can improve that, FreqAnalyst already works fine.

Anyway, I promised I would buy one. So I will go and do so.

Blue Cat Audio · Post by **Blue Cat Audio** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 7:24 am

tombuur wrote:Fine. So all I need now is some way of normalizing the frequency curves so that I can compare them better.

Do you have examples (images?) of what kind of normalization you would need?

tombuur · Post by **tombuur** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 9:55 am

The idea is to make a song with the same freqency distribution as something else. Let's say I want my song to sound like a 60's Beatles mix or Britney Spears. I'll put one of those songs in a track and make a frequency distribution. Then I will adjust my own song to match that.

So I need some kind of normalization to eliminate the effect of different volume. I guess I could adjust the examples with compressor/expander to a certain average level, but this would affect the frequency content somewhat.

I can use Voxengo CurveEQ that I have for this purpose to get a complete match (or Powercore assimilator). But my idea was to have a guiding curve from the example music and then work towards it by changing volume of various instruments a little (more bass guitar, less cymbals etc.). I believe this way I would approach the desired sound in a more natural way than just by applying an EQ curve to the almost final mix.

After further considerations, I am probably going for your 3-part analysis bundle. And speaking of that I think you should sell you dpmp with the blue skin as default to match the other two in the bundle. Not everyone may prefer blue like me, but as tools in a bundle it looks better if the 3 have a similar design. Let those who prefer vintage look change the skin then.

Blue Cat Audio · Post by **Blue Cat Audio** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 3:28 pm

tombuur wrote: So I need some kind of normalization to eliminate the effect of different volume. I guess I could adjust the examples with compressor/expander to a certain average level, but this would affect the frequency content somewhat.

Isn't the "offset" parameter enough for what you are trying to do?

tombuur wrote: After further considerations, I am probably going for your 3-part analysis bundle. And speaking of that I think you should sell you dpmp with the blue skin as default to match the other two in the bundle. Not everyone may prefer blue like me, but as tools in a bundle it looks better if the 3 have a similar design. Let those who prefer vintage look change the skin then.

Good choice! Thanks for the suggestion, we will certainly consider this when updating the DPMP.

tombuur · Post by **tombuur** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 5:30 pm

Not sure the offset did what I wanted. At least it did not move the average curve immediately. I would want something that could slide the curve to test for a fit with another curve ...

Anyway, I got the bundle now. Changed the Peak meter to blue skin, and it looks great. Would be nice, if you had one with horizontal meters too. But I definately think you should use the blue/black design as your default. I also fits your image of a blue cat.

Lagrange · Post by **Lagrange** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 7:47 pm

Blue Cat Audio · Post by **Blue Cat Audio** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 7:08 am

Not sure the offset did what I wanted. At least it did not move the average curve immediately. I would want something that could slide the curve to test for a fit with another curve ...

You are right, the offset occurs while measuring. So it's instant for the instant curves, but it occurs on the long run for the average.

Anyway, I got the bundle now. Changed the Peak meter to blue skin, and it looks great. Would be nice, if you had one with horizontal meters too. But I definately think you should use the blue/black design as your default. I also fits your image of a blue cat.

We will probably use the new Blue Cat Audio visual identity in the next version of the DPMP, as we did for the Blue Cat's Dynamics plugin in the latest version:

tombuur · Post by **tombuur** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 8:12 am

Yes, do that. I played with the plugs last night and then noted that there was more to the design than just black and blue. The above design looks very professional and reassuring. Stick to that. Looking forward to getting this looks for all three analysis tools.

darem · Post by **darem** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 8:54 am

For me, FreqAnalyst Pro is a superb too to refine my mixes and masters. While you should have your ears as final judge for your aduio, this tool can show you where you can tweak and improve your output.

Blue Cat Audio · Post by **Blue Cat Audio** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 6:14 pm

Yes, do that. I played with the plugs last night and then noted that there was more to the design than just black and blue. The above design looks very professional and reassuring. Stick to that. Looking forward to getting this looks for all three analysis tools.

Thanks. Yes, it took us some time to define our visual identity, and most our plugins will now be updated with the latest look & feel. Note that we also keep improving the workflow and the way you can interact with the user interface.

Blue Cat Audio · Post by **Blue Cat Audio** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 6:16 pm

For me, FreqAnalyst Pro is a superb too to refine my mixes and masters. While you should have your ears as final judge for your aduio, this tool can show you where you can tweak and improve your output.

Thank you for your positive feedback. Glad to see it helps you in your creations. Do not hesitate to send us some samples, we are always happy to hear what our customers are capable of!

Blue Cat Audio

KVR Audio

Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst Pro Released + Video Review