Left / Right stereo balance analysis plugin?

[MogwaiBoy]

BX_Meter and the IKM Metering suite have nifty little stereo balance indicators that shift left and right according to which way the audio is leaning. That's cool - twin VU meters also give you that info too - but it leaves a lot to interpretation when it swings around wildly, so I'm wondering if there's a plugin that can tell me in real terms which way the audio was leaning (Left or Right) and by how much (LUFs/RMS or similar).

I'm thinking maybe BX_meter is the closest as it shows independent L/R RMS values... but it bounces around so quick - it's still hard to full tell over a piece of music, say, 20-30 seconds, which way the audio leaned more towards in the stereo field and by how much. Leaves a lot of guesswork.

Maybe something offline like RX? Do it scientifically?

[kidslow]

Seems like you want a stereoscope that can render over longer timeframes and/or show an average rather than momentary read out. HOFA 4U Goniometer has an energy function that might get you what you want ... or perhaps 2C Audio Vector will get you there?

Fast and Slow average values for the Phase and Pan Meters

https://www.2caudio.com/products/vector#_overview

Audec has a free stereoscope that neatly encapsulates panning, frequency, and amplitude ... but suffers from the same problem of transitory feedback.

https://audec-music.com/adcstereoscope/

[MogwaiBoy]

Seems like you want a stereoscope that can render over longer timeframes and/or show an average rather than momentary read out. HOFA 4U Goniometer has an energy function that might get you what you want ... or perhaps 2C Audio Vector will get you there?

Fast and Slow average values for the Phase and Pan Meters

https://www.2caudio.com/products/vector#_overview

Audec has a free stereoscope that neatly encapsulates panning, frequency, and amplitude ... but suffers from the same problem of transitory feedback.

https://audec-music.com/adcstereoscope/

Seems like you want a stereoscope that can render over longer timeframes and/or show an average rather than momentary read out. HOFA 4U Goniometer has an energy function that might get you what you want ... or perhaps 2C Audio Vector will get you there?

Fast and Slow average values for the Phase and Pan Meters

https://www.2caudio.com/products/vector#_overview

Audec has a free stereoscope that neatly encapsulates panning, frequency, and amplitude ... but suffers from the same problem of transitory feedback.

https://audec-music.com/adcstereoscope/

Oh wow, YES! Vector has a "PAN" readout in the bottom right corner that tells you which way it's leaning over a given timeframe according to how you adjust the meter time.

Would be great to have a plugin dedicated to this purpose (might also be helpful to balance the L/R variance for those running through hardware, instead of just "use your ears") but for now this will do.

Thank you

[kidslow]

You're welcome. I was just recently going through the available options along these lines and compiled a list, so I had the choices close at hand.

[Tj Shredder]

The best and classical way is a standard correlation meter. It has the huge advantage, that you can also see phase problems. It has been used by sound engineers since the beginning of sound engineering…
And don’t underestimate your ears as well…

[Ploki]

I'd vote for Voxengo MSED and Voxengo Corellometer, both free.
MSED has L/R balance meter, and Corellometer is a multiband phase corellation meter.

there's also nonfree DMG Audio trackmeter
https://dmgaudio.com/products_trackmeter.php
which has a Phase spectrum which show stereo field position throughout the spectrum.
https://dmgaudio.com/products_trackmeter.php

[MogwaiBoy]

Thanks guys!

I got there in the end, but in a roundabout way using a combo of IKM Meter Suite, going by ear and confirming with offline RX analysis.

Can also just loop a section, mute Left / Right and measure each isolated channel's integrated LUFS (I like Pro-L 2 and LEVELS for this), and then compare the difference.

As far as I can tell there's no plugin that actually does this automatically (give you individual Left/Right integrated LUFS - they all just give you combined stereo LUFS or L/R peaks). If any developers are watching... do it

[MogwaiBoy]

This does it, but you can't have both Pro-L's open at the same time (Patcher limitation)



Anyway, it works

[MogwaiBoy]

But wait... I just discovered that Voxengo SPAN, which I've had all along, has realtime Left / Right RMS readout...



And it works brilliantly - exactly what I wanted. I should have known Voxengo would have this covered I feel dumb now

[jancivil]

a plugin dedicated to this purpose: Goniometer.
There's a nice one in Vienna Suite, both v.s is half off currently, til Jan 31. https://www.vsl.co.at/en/Vienna_Softwar ... _Suite_PRO
No I don't get a commission.

[MogwaiBoy]

a plugin dedicated to this purpose: Goniometer.
There's a nice one in Vienna Suite, which is half off currently, til Jan 31.
No I don't get a commission.

I'm not checking for phase coherency, mono compatibility or correlation by frequency or any of that stuff - I just want the measured difference between stereo Left and Right. I found out that Voxengo SPAN does it perfectly.

[jancivil]

ok, nm
there's a hell of a lot in this for 80 euro tho

[plexuss]

HOFA Goniometer & Korrelator (free) https://hofa-plugins.de/en/plugins/4u/