Audio Spectrum Analyzer on the Cheap (032 )

[@conservative599]

Stunningly clearly presented video, and the Lab equipment I saw here shows this is one serious Experimenter! I was fortunate to be of the same generation, from having a little Transistor and Tube Radio repair business in 4th grade on to working at the Authorized Service center in a Lafayette Radio store in NNJ in the 70's, enjoying reading Wireless World and Audio magazine. Did Pioneer, Sansui & Revox authorized service thru College and bought an SX-1010 for $470 there , saving all summer. I always wanted to get a PC Sound card based Audio Analyzer going and bought a Behringer UC-222 tonight! I am also into old Ham Radio since 1969, and am restoring a Kenwood 599 Twins setup, AND bought the great value Behringer B1 Mic, Tube Preamp. EQ, and 4600 Compressor to make a wide band sounding Ham Radio station especilly for the "AM Window", and add my full National Radio setup including NCL-2000 amp. Wonderfully clear Installation and setup info for this great USB to Audio interface, and the BIG picture of probing the whole Sound Chain! I have some great Audio and RF signal generators AND a very clean HP339A Distortion Analyzer from a Ham in NJ on ebay only $300 to compare readings with. Along with the Tiny SA Ultra, and NanoVNA-F for RF, the setup described here and GREAT freeware, so well explained fills in the Audio Test spectrum beautifully! THX, Hilary W4HDL

[@eie_for_you]

You are very welcome Hilary! And thank you for the encouragement! Wow! an HP HP 339A Distortion Measurement Set for *only* $300! Nice catch! 🙂 Hopefully it has been calibrated recently enough to give some confidence in it.

[@michaelward402]

Great little way of creating a cheap and cheerful Audio Spectrum Analyser. This adds to my repertoire with another spectrum analyser which is simple method of seeing the response curve of a loud speaker in a cabinet, to tune the speaker system. This tutorial just adds to the projects of decent and cheap methods of creating test methods without stretching to the pro production devices. Ideal for students with little spare cash. Keep up the good work, the more people who have access to cheaper devices, the better. p.s. Its pronounce Behrinjer a decent product that I have used in the past.

[@eie_for_you]

Thanks, Michael! Windows is such a PAIN when it comes to setup, though. It seems that every time MS does an update to my op sys I have to go back and set up the interface ... again. :-/ Thank you for the pronunciation correction! :-) I am happy to say it the right way when I know what it is :-)

[@marrongrosbek3581]

I love this! 👍The way you appeal to a "certain" genration of engineers by showing an _actual_ analog oscilloscope & describing the test method is nostalgic, for sure. But you had to be there, right? Very informative video at just the right level of prior knowledge (not too much low-level explanation, not too much jargon). I wish I had your lab!

[@eie_for_you]

Well, thank you very much! 🙂

[@Smelter57]

Excellent information and demonstration. Just what I need to see the noise I have on one of the four band eq stages of my practice bass guitar amp. So next quest is to find that pink noise generator for the input signal to save me the "plucking" pain of creating a source signal!

[@eie_for_you]

Thank you! The software, the Visual Analyzer software, has a "built in" signal generator that will provide the needed signals via the sound card on you computer. So you should be set there. 🙂

[@rtybn2012]

Thanks for the info. I found a way around the problem.

[@eie_for_you]

Answered your question, above.

[@brandonramirez2556]

This video is very interesting, I’m currently trying to work in car audio and was looking for a way to set crossovers on car audio amplifiers. Although there are tools on the market such as the Steve Meade tools that can do this accurately they are very expensive so I figured maybe an audio visual analyzer could be the solution to this. Although I’m not sure this will work in my specific situation, I am trying to learn more about car audio and how to read this kind of information so I can in the future install quality car audio systems, so this was very interesting thanks for the quality video!

[@eie_for_you]

I am glad that you found the video helpful. 🙂 Car audio is in many respects no different that any other audio venue except for the acoustic environment and the power source used. The size of the equipment changes to fit the vehicle. The temperatures that any electronic equipment is subjected to inside a vehicle is also extreme; this is why "automotive" rated components have such a wide ranged of operating temperatures. Enjoy your pursuit of knowledge ... "always learning" is the motto of the inquisitive experimenter.

[@JaKeAFC09]

Visual Analyzer is a great tool, i've been using it for years as realtime audio monitoring with the key feature it shows logarithmic frequency axis which other tools do not provide at all. And it has lots of features, and it's capabilities are bound to the audio device and driver, once a very high capability hardware is connected with a proper windows audio driver, you can configure sampling and FFT to match it and get very fine detail, but for audio i don't see the necessity in going over 44100/16. Never used it as a bench oscilloscope, but it was created for that purpose, i'm going to try.

[@eie_for_you]

I also like my Vellman PCSU200 USB-based oscilloscope for doing audio work. I is an oscilloscope, spectrum analyzer, transient capture, built in signal generator and has a built in functionality to create detailed frequency response plots. Frequency response plots are not real-time like Visual Analyzer, but for circuit analysis of an amplifier, it is super.

[@marcosaraujo6057]

congratulations !!! this is the moust necessary tool for verify DIY and other audio projects for me !!! Maybe, its necessary one box with compatibilizaction for all types off audio signals... thankyou

[@eie_for_you]

Yes, I have also found it to be an awesome system for doing this stuff. When I worked on product development for a company that manufactured audiological equipment, I got really spoiled because we had a top of the line Hewlett-Packard Signal Analyzers. They were soooo nice and soooo expensive. This does the job for me just fine for the stuff I do now. 🙂

[@joeking5211]

Great vid to demo bode plot with VA, could'nt find this out myself from the docs and ended up using REW ( currently Rew_5.20.13 ), thisis a on button click for superb bode plot response, it's worth a look, I originally dismissed as I thought it was only for room acoustics but it does it all with some very nice features, thks for this vid i now know how using VA - thks. Just considering obtaining a Digilent Analog Discovery 2 ( AD 2 ), very expensive but complete lab in the palm of your hand for this type of work, worth a look.

[@eie_for_you]

I have a similar thing with my Vellman USB scope which includes spectrum analyzer and so on. www.velleman.eu/products/view/?id=377622 www.amazon.com/Velleman-PCSGU250-Usb-Pc-Scope-Generator/dp/B006DXCO3E I have the older model. It does a pretty awesome job at under $250 through Amazon.

[@chookvalve]

great presentation bro

[@eie_for_you]

Thanks! 🙂

[@christinamarks6349]

`Excellent Video and something I can and will definitely use! Thank You!

[@eie_for_you]

I am glad it was helpful! :-)

[@ParideFioretti]

Very interesting tutorial, and great piece of software that comes from my country and I neither know it! :) Thank for sharing

[@eie_for_you]

Yeah, it is a way cool program and I have used it a LOT! You are very welcome! 🙂

[@Wil_Bloodworth]

Excellent! I will have to try this myself. I'm specifically interested in seeing how well the THD and THD+N results can be with low-cost hardware. Thank you sir!

[@eie_for_you]

You are very welcome! 🙂

[@dimitarkirchevdimitrov6321]

It will be great if you can make a detailed tutorial video of how to setup/calibrate cassette deck.

[@eie_for_you]

It's been 36 years since the last time I did that. As I recall, we used a "standard" stereo tape with tones on it to adjust head alignment. We looked at the stereo audio and adjusted the heads until both channels were the same. We degaussed the head and cleaned the capstan and rollers and head using 99% isopropyl alcohol and lintless q-tips. When I was doing all of that stuff, I was more involved with VHS tape decks than audio cassette decks. I remember very little-to-nothing of those. It's been too long. Hope this helps some.

[@tsbrownie]

I need to show the audio output of crystal radios (since IP law prevents me from playing it). Especially cross talk between channels. My assumptions: 1) this has enough resolution to show the different audio waves (say voice and music) and 2) that I don't need stereo input to do that. True? Thanks in advance.

[@eie_for_you]

So, you are wanting to analyze some audio from a crystal radio. Audio, in general, is considered between 20 Hz and 20 KHz. All forms of music consume most of this spectrum to one degree or another. Some of the bass stuff is actually sub-audio (we *feel* it, not actually hear it). The human voice is a subset of this frequency space, generally running between 500 Hz and 3 KHz depending on the person. Men tend to be in the lower half of this and women, the upper half. With all of this said, if all you are doing is analyzing an audio source and that source is monaural, then you would not need stereo capability. The stereo capability is needed if you are trying to either determine the frequency response of a device, circuit or system or if you were looking to analyze a stereo signal. As a note ... most often, the main vocals of a stereo track are usually "dead center" with little to no phase difference between channels. The music portion is carried in full stereo. The vocal track can be significantly reduced or eliminated by eliminating the signal that is common to both channels (the voice/singing is a "common-mode" signal). Hope this helps. 🙂

[@tsbrownie]

@electronicsfortheinquisitiveex Yes, thank you very much.

[@eie_for_you]

@@tsbrownieYou are very welcome! 😀

[@rtybn2012]

The USB scope you said you use all the time. That being the case why download the VA scope using the VCA-222?

[@eie_for_you]

The answer to your question is that the UCA-222 is WAY cheaper than an official USB scope. For many purposes, this does the job very nicely along with the Visual Analyzer software. The VA software is a piece of software that uses whatever audio interface you might have (including the built in one that is in all computers) to provide a scope-type and signal analyzer-type experience for audio-type projects. This includes determining the audio frequency response of circuits or systems.🙂

[@dennisqwertyuiop]

very good, you great videos

[@eie_for_you]

Thanks, Dennis!

[@jeffersonavila7275]

This what I looking for...tnz

[@eie_for_you]

That's fantastic! 🙂

[@jeffersonavila7275]

@@eie_for_you now I want to setup. Test rig on how to measure THD of my power amp at full load...I have already a dummy load and scope.. the problem is how can I input that large amplifier signal on DAW without compromising audio signal linearity and not frying my audio interface... Pls need help

[@eie_for_you]

@@jeffersonavila7275 Use a simple resistive voltage divider of a high enough impedance that it doesn't disturb the output to the load. I'd just connect the resistive voltage divider across the load. I am assuming this is a linear amplifier as opposed to a class D or similar amplifier. 🙂

[@jeffersonavila7275]

@@eie_for_you yes, class AB power amplifier... But I'm planning also to test class d single ended output....

[@eie_for_you]

@@jeffersonavila7275 I had forgotten about the low pass filter on the output of the PWM to produce the analog signal to the speakers. In this case, it is the same thing ... a simple resistive voltage divider should do the trick. Some amplifiers of this type depend on the highly inductive load of the speaker to be part of this LPF. In this case you would have to use "acoustic coupling" with a speaker and mic with a known HD. You could use any speaker and mic and "calibrate" them yourself. Measure the HD of a purely analog amplifier with a known signal at a similar level as what will be used to measure the test subject. Then measure the HD at the output of the mic. The difference between the two is the "calibration factor" for your speaker and mic. Now connect the test class-D amplifier being careful to maintain the exact same acoustic environment used in the "calibration." Measure the HD at the output of the mic, remove the effects of the speaker and mic. And you are there. 🙂

[@rtybn2012]

At time mark 2:30 you show a UCA-222 driver.zip. Where did you download it from? Was it from the behringner website?

[@eie_for_you]

Ya know, sometimes trying to find drivers is an exercise in frustration.🤨 Here is a link to the ones I use (ZIP FILE): drive.google.com/file/d/1o_HhZiP1hXl86vsWoYfQCiIGB9IEx-w9/view?usp=sharing And here is link to Behringer's download page www.behringer.com/downloads.html Wish I could be more help. It's been so long since I found the drivers I use that I just do not remember where they came from. 😕 There are a few YT videos on installing this. I'm not sure how helpful they might be.🙃

[@derdoktor7123]

I'm not happy with this software. I could never make it work with my 24 bits/192 kHz audio interface and I got a lot of crashes and hangings on Windows 10. A much better solution for me is AudioTester 3.0.

[@eie_for_you]

Hmmmm...I can truthfully say that I've never had any issues making Visual Analyzer work on any computer or with any interface that I've ever used. So, your issues really are a surprise to me. I've never heard of "Audio Tester" and so I just HAD to check it out. I didn't download it or anything, but I did check the specifics on it. It looks pretty cool. It does a LOT of stuff! It is a pretty impressive program. I am sure that there are some who will go for this one and for good reason. It makes me want to dig a bit into VA a little to see if I can cause it to use something smaller than 10 Hz steps in its FFT/spectral display. Never tried. The one BIG difference is that Visual Analyzer is FREE and Audio Tester is $40US (39€). The shareware version of the Audio Tester program is fully capable, but will run for only 10 minutes. After this period is ended, you have to close the program and start it up again. Thanks for the comment ... I'm off to look at VA a bit closer. :-)

[@JaKeAFC09]

VA is a great program. The problem may be indeed how your device and driver is configured on windows audio, if not proper, or weird combinations where Windows on itself won't do well (that is, anything other than 44100-48000 16-24 bit) i would expect some misbehavior. Probably you are trying to use it over an ASIO driver, that's not going to work, by design at the moment there is no ASIO support.

[@migalito1955]

Nice channel.....

[@eie_for_you]

Thanks, man! 🙂 If there is stuff you'd like to see, let me know.

[@erin19030]

Ive got a MacBook , any chance a version for it?

[@eie_for_you]

Looks like visual analyzer is only a PC application. Another viewer suggested AudioTester 3.0, but that looks like a PC application, too. I have never owned or used a MAC, so I am totally unfamiliar with what might be available. Can you run VA in a Windows emulation window on a MAC?

[@rtybn2012]

When I start a download I get a blue screen from Microsoft that says, the file you are trying to download my be harmful to your computer so I say, download anyway. could that be the problem?

[@eie_for_you]

If it were me, I'd download it anyway and then scan it with my anti-virus software. I've downloaded it from that site and have never had an issue. The final decision is yours. Gotta love windoze! 🙂

[@DeVoNmotorsports]

your microphone is clipping

[@eie_for_you]

Fixed. Thank you! My gain was up a little too high on the mixer. I backed it way down and now make it up in post production starting in my next video. :-)

[@DeVoNmotorsports]

@@eie_for_you nice can add some foam around the mic for wind noise, the distance amd angle is important also, i think there is a sensor and program that senses it and automatically adjusts

[@eie_for_you]

@@DeVoNmotorsportsThanks! In post production I can add a compressor and a limiter to dress up the audio. The clipping was in the original recording...can't do much about that unless I am willing to drop $$$ on special software to "unclip" it. Not happening. 😀