Voxengo SPAN Plus extended spectrum analyzer plugin released

[Aleksey Vaneev]

Looks like a nice product. If I already have GlissEQ, is there anything that this can do that GlissEQ can't?

SPAN Plus can additionally export PNG files.

[Compyfox]

Compyfox, I've added a note in the Features it's unweighted metering.

Makes it more clear. I wish more dev's would do that.

Thanks.

[morelia]

If you mean what I think you mean:

Insert and instance of SPAN Plus on 2 tracks (e.g. one one bass, one on drums).

Select a different spectrum colour for each one.

Open one of the plugins and click "Import/Export"

Select and number from the "Export To" list (e.g. 1) then close the plugin.

Open the other plugin.

Click "Import/Export" and click on the "Import From" menu.

You should see the other plugin listed there (It may help to name each plugin which can be done by clicking the "Unnamed Instance" button at the top right of the plugin).

I hope that helps. If I'm on the wrong track sorry for the babble.

Looks like it is what I want to know, thanks!
And so if I hit play I would see both moving? I'm not importing a static snapshot only?
And how many channels can I import that way?

Yes both will move so it's not a snapshot.

You can only see 4 separate track spectrums at one time (i.e. the track the 1st plugin is on, plus 3 others can be imported).

[brok landers]

there's 4 problems i have with span (which i always try again because i actually really want to like it):

1. as soon as i did set up the speed so that the attack is rather close to what i hear, the falldown time is way too fast

2. i was hoping for an additional mode based on 1/12 filters (128 bands), viewable as a bargraph blocks, with the precise fft curve on top...

3. i would love for span not to eat up so much unnecessary screenspace, even with all the stuff clicked off i wouldn't want to see...

4. i miss an option to switch between the decaded view as it is now and an octaved view.

span always leaves me with mixed feelings... which is what i hate, because it could be all i ever need...
there's that seven phases analyser which up to now is my absolute favourite, but it has "only" 64 bands, no level and no correlation meter... and, as i tried to contact the dev a numerous times and he never responded, i assume this thing will never see the light of day in 64bit...

[Aleksey Vaneev]

I deeply doubt you can match attack/release times by ear. Your estimation will be precise for a small range of frequencies anyway. This requirement is suitable for analog analysis, not FFT. FFT averages (groups) the higher frequencies making you want the attack/release different to those you'd use for the lower frequencies. With a single "average time" control SPAN is at least precise in linear mathematical terms.

The UI of SPAN Plus can be resized, plus you can engage 80% interface size, disable some infrastructure elements and hints. You've obviously missed this feature.

1/12 smoothed resolution is quite unreasonable - it is too detailed and very close to no smoothing at all.

Octaved view is too vague, because one can then struggle with definition of what the first octave is at, at which frequency it stays. I doubt everyone will like standard musical octaves. For example, I would like octaves to be defined in 100s. 100,200,400,800, etc.

Beside that, the more complex SPAN gets the more it loses the competition. Also, in practice, a lot of features get unnoticed by the users.

SPAN is currently quite "on the right track" with about 6500 copies downloaded monthly.

[brok landers]

I deeply doubt you can match attack/release times by ear. >snip<

well, of course not, but to be able to set them up according to your own feel imo is mandatory. an analyser is always an approximation, as the eye is never as fast as the ear. the main thing to me is, that i am able to see what i need and feel comftable with it. and that is what i fail to manage to setup in span...

Your estimation will be precise for a small range of frequencies anyway. This requirement is suitable for analog analysis, not FFT. FFT averages (groups) the higher frequencies making you want the attack/release different to those you'd use for the lower frequencies. With a single "average time" control SPAN is at least precise in linear mathematical terms.

yes, and i don't doubt that span is in any way acurate, your stuff always is. but in the end a good analyser to me provides me with the ability to see what i need to see in a way i fee safe and comftable, and that is what the seven phases analyser does to me... it just works to me, it only has "just" 64 bands and has other shortcomings span does overcome (accurate metering, correlation metering, statistics, etc)...
that's why i said that i would love to see an _additional_ approach in span, of which specs i was listing above in the previous post.

The UI of SPAN Plus can be resized, plus you can engage 80% interface size, disable some infrastructure elements and hints. You've obviously missed this feature.

no no, i didn't. imo it still wastes a lot of unnecessary screenspace when only the analyser window is on (hide meters and stats "on"). f.e. the red area where it says "voxengo span" and "unnamed instance", you could fit that into the lower area where the preset menu is located, right next to the routing dropdown, there's enough space for that. or even directly into the analyser window, right next to "hide meters and stats"... it especially is a problem because i use studio one, and that has the problem that the hostintern plugin frame in the upper range is way too big already... not your fault of course, but it summs up, you know...
but i don't want to tell you how you should do your thing, however, this is just my opinion...

1/12 smoothed resolution is quite unreasonable - it is too detailed and very close to no smoothing at all.

i'm not talking about smoothing. i am talking about 128 bargraph bands. you know, like you did in your analog analyser. but not with 32 bands, but 128 bands. iirc this requires another approach on the analysis, being not based on fft, but on individual bandpass filters, which is what the seven phases analyser does. only with 64 bands, 1/6 octave. i would only wish for it to use 128 bands which is 1/12 octave...

Octaved view is too vague, because one can then struggle with definition of what the first octave is at, at which frequency it stays.

that might well be, but how come i do see things better and accurate when using the seven phases analyser than span (i meant in span this view to be optional anyway, so one could choose)? i think it's not all the math behind it, or the perfectly accurate sientific approach, it's rather the connection between ear and comftable-on-the-eye thing... this has to connect, to translate... if i feel i see what i hear, then it gets interresting, imo...

Beside that, the more complex SPAN gets the more it loses the competition. Also, in practice, a lot of features get unnoticed by the users.

well, this strongly depends on how you design the ui, imo... i often heard from other users that they in general have that problem with all your plugins... i don't by the way, and i know exactly what is doing what. however, maybe others don't...

SPAN is currently quite "on the right track" with about 6500 copies downloaded monthly.

i don't doubt that span is just great, like i said, all your stuff is highest quality...
this was only my opinion on how _i_ feel about it... please don't take my opinion as an affront or any harm, i don't mean it that way... i simply thought there's no chance at all aleksey is going to implement something i would wish for, if i don't tell him at least, hence my post above...

[Aleksey Vaneev]

You can hide the title bar in SPAN by using the "Min Infrastructure" mode. SPAN also features 1/6 octave smoothing mode.

[brok landers]

You can hide the title bar in SPAN by using the "Min Infrastructure" mode.

ahh, i just realized that this is only span plus. well, way better, though i would love to have a button on the gui, which could toggle from a _real_ minimal view (only analyser window, without the presets and the mouseover hint area... just so you're able to toggle if you would want to see the analyser as big as you can, while retaining the use of absolute minimum screenspace... this is because i would mostly keep the analyser open constantly during mixing and mastering...

SPAN also features 1/6 octave smoothing mode.

again, i _don't_ mean the smoothing, i mean a 1/6 (or as i said, better 1/12) octave _bargraph_ view. it's just easier for the eye to capture... the smoothed 1/6 respectively 1/12 octave view as is now should be overlayed on top of the respective bargraph view. just check out the seven phases analyser, you'll for sure know immediately know what i mean then...

haha, well, i realise this comes over like constant moaning, but please don't take it that way aleksey, i don't mean it that way at all. feel free to ignore me, if you don't feel it's worth do be considered in your plugin, i don't mean to stress you at all... you have for sure better things to do then...

[chrisby]

Just an fyi for anyone that was interested and missed the initial price discount... It looks like span plus is part of the Voxengo group buy and can be had at a pretty cheap price (unless I'm misunderstanding how their group buy works) -

http://www.voxengo.com/group-buys/

That said any feedback from those that already bought?

[chrisby]

Hmmmm, it looks like it's nearing the 50% discount mark... No reviews?

[David Else]

I would really like to see r128 metering on Span Plus, it seems conspicuous in its absence. Span is great for spectrum analysis, why not finish the job and make it best for metering too! There is no competing product in the Voxengo line, and Span Pro seems perfect for the job. I think it needs a bit more than it does to justify the extra $50 price over Span free version.

Another amazing feature would to be able to display the difference between the input volume of plugin instance 1 and plugin instance 2 and have a gain control to match them.

Voxengo plugins have the fantastic feature of displaying the difference between the input and output so you can volume match very quickly and accurately, you just wiggle the gain until the difference is 0, it works SO well. I want to be able to use this feature with other plugin by placing one Span Plus as the start of the plugin chain and one at the end. Like this:

Span Instance 1
Other Plugins
Span Instance 2

Span Instance 2 could display the difference between input of instance 1 and 2 to so you could make up for any gain difference created by the 'Other Plugins'

Now you could turn the whole effects chain on and off and really hear what your other plugins are doing without having the slight change in volume fool your ear... cool!

I know this technique is not PERFECT, but the Voxengo 'volume difference matching display' is the best technology I have ever used to get the job done

[chrisby]

Cool... It's not super clear how their group buy works (think you have to sign up and they send you an email?) but it has hit the 50% off mark now so it looks like it will be available for $25 (again, unless I'm misunderstanding how their group buy works), which seems a bit of a no brainer if it does what it appears to do...

[chrisby]

Darned tablet... Double post...

[sunhome]

not clear without demoing the advantage this has over the free version, be nice to have a comparison table.

[chrisby]

not clear without demoing the advantage this has over the free version, be nice to have a comparison table.

I didn't go look but I'm pretty sure the main thing is the ability to super-impose 4 tracks in one view... not sure there are any free ones that do that (though there could be)....