Using Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst Multi

The User Interface

Overview

The FreqAnalyst Multi plugin is bundled with a single skin. You may want to create your own or download new ones from www.bluecataudio.com. The included skin is composed of three panels:

• The spectrum view where you can see the spectrum of the curves shared by all the instances of the plug-in.
• The Diff pane when you can compare several spectra by visualizing their difference.
• The routing pane where you can choose which analysis curve you want to display and share with other plug-in instances.

1. Choose the view to display.
2. You can freeze all curves (for all instances) or just bypass the current instance (its associated curves will not be updated anymore). The "Window Opacity" slider lets you make the user interface of the plug-in transparent. Note that the result depends on the host application you are using.
3. The current view (more details for each type of view below).
4. The controls displayed at the bottom of the user interface let you modify the parameters for the audio analysis of the current instance or all other instances at the same time.
5. The controls pane can be collapsed to gain real estate on the screen. This changes the size of the user interface of the plug-in. Some host applications may require you to close and reopen the user interface of the plug-in to take this update into account.

Spectrum View

1. Two functions are available for the mouse on the graph view: either drag the graph when zoomed or display the coordinates of the graph below the mouse pointer and zoom by selecting an area of the screen:
   
   At any time, right click on the graph to unzoom.
2. Select the shared curves to display. No curve will be shown on this view until you select the curves you want to share in the routing pane. The curve names can be customized (see the routing pane).

3. The four “A B C D” buttons let you store the curve to one of the proposed memory slots. The curves stored into these slots can be shown/hidden with the buttons available in (4).

4. Show/Hide curves stored in memory.

5. These two sliders let you control the x and y zoom for the graph. Once zoomed, you can drag the graph with the mouse (click on the graph when the cursor is a small hand and drag to move in the graph). The rulers can also be dragged anytime for the same result.
6. Options for the curves display. Uncheck both options for best performance in case your graphics card is slow.
7. Both the frequency/gain pair representing the coordinates of the mouse cursor and the note information are displayed in "selection" mode. The note information shows the name (A, B, C...), the octave (A0,A1,...) as well as the number of cents above the note.

Diff View

This view shows differences between selected spectra. It is very handy to compare several spectra. For example you can compare the left and right channels of a single track to check the its spectral balance (repartition of frequencies across the left and right channels), or you can have an instance compute the average spectrum of a reference commercial track and compute its difference with the average spectrum of your current mix. The resulting difference curve will show you the EQ you need to apply to your track so that your mix “sounds like” your commercial reference, as far as spectrum is concerned.

1. Show/hide a difference curve.

2. Select first spectrum for the difference.

3. Select second spectrum for the difference.

4. Store the difference to one of the memory slots.

5. Show/hide curves stored in memory slots.

The resulting curve shows the difference between the first and the second curves. This means that when the difference curve is above 0, the first curve is greater than the second.

For a more accurate visualization it is recommended to compare curves that have similar precision settings. When comparing different tracks you will usually not be interested in absolute values but in the shape of the curve: both tracks may have a different absolute level.

Routing Pane

In order to route curves to the display and share them among instances, you need to open the routing pane (by clicking on the “Routing” button).

1. List of available curves for the current instance. These are the curves you can route to a shared curve numbered from 1 to 16. The plugin proposes three types of analysis curves for each of its four channels. The four channels are the left and right (or mid and side, depending on the “Mid/Side” setting), and the combination of these channels (max or average). The instant spectrum is the real time view of the frequency content, the peak is the maximum of the spectrum and average is the average of the spectrum over time. This last type of analysis is particularly interesting when comparing tracks for EQ matching.

2. Select a shared curve slot to display and share the curve corresponding to the row.

3. When a slot is not available it means that it is already in use by this instance or another instance. You can click on the 'X' button to free the slot occupied by the curve corresponding to the row.

4. Use this button to reset all curves affectations for this instance of the plugin.

5. You can assign a name to each analysis curve. It will be displayed in the main pane when the curve is connected to a bus:

Controls

The settings described in the parameters section are available at the bottom of the user interface. The absolute threshold can also be controlled by the vertical slider on the right of the display.

Apart from the reset buttons, all these parameters control the analysis for the current instance of the plug-in only. To modify the settings for other instances, you can either push the values used in the current instance to all others, or open the user interface of each other instances you want to modify.

It is possible to push the value for each parameter to other instances of the plug-in independently (using the small red arrow close to the control) or to push all the settings of the current instance to all others with the large blue arrow on the left of the controls pane.

The various elements of the user interface (knobs, sliders, buttons...) are simple and intuitive to operate, but more information about how to interact with them is available in the "Plug-ins Basics" chapter of this manual.

Operation

The Principle

Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst Multi uses our unique data sharing technology to share complex information between several instances of the plugin. This lets you visualize the spectrum of several audio tracks in the same plugin instance:

Each analyzer is both able to produce and display shared curves. With the 'Diff' view it is now possible to compute and display the difference between several curves:

Procedure

The procedure to see and compare frequency contents is the following:

• Insert the plugin on one or several audio tracks in your sequencer

• For each instance, open the routing pane and select the curves you want to see and share.

• Adjust the settings for the audio analysis in each instance.

• Open the user interface of an instance of the plugin and select the shared curves you want to see.

• Watch the result!

Applications

A few examples of application:

• Checking overlapping frequencies when mixing: when doing your mix it might be difficult to hear overlapping frequencies across tracks and a bit of visual help can be handy, especially if your monitoring environment is not ideal. In this case the FreqAnalyst Multi can be of great help: instantiate the plugin on the tracks you want to check and look at the spectra on the main spectrum view. Overlapping frequencies can be easily detected on the graph (zoom in if necessary) and corrected with a little bit of EQ.

• Comparing your mix with a commercial reference (EQ matching): sometimes you want to approach the sound of song you like or a precise style. In order to obtain a similar spectrum, import your favorite track in your host application, instantiate the FreqAnalyst Multi on this track and on the track for your own mix. Route the average curves for both tracks and compare them in the diff view. The resulting curve shows you the EQ you need to apply to your mix to obtain the same average spectrum, the “sound signature” of this track.

• Measuring an effect chain: it's sometimes good to know what is exactly happening to your audio signal while applying audio effects, to detect defects or imply understand what it does. By measuring the spectrum before and after an effect is applied to a track and compute the difference, you can exactly reproduce the dynamic frequency response of the effects. It's also a good way to measure the frequency response of a room, a monitoring system or any gear you may have.

• Spectral balance measurement: measuring the left and right channels of an audio track and displaying the difference between these curves in the diff view will let you see the balance of each frequency bin. This can be useful to check how balanced you mix is or on the contrary to see left/right differences that might be required for stereo widening. In the latter case, using the mid/side channels and their difference might be even more appropriate.

For more information about how to use this plugin in your favorite host application and for more practical usage examples, have a look at the Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst Multi Tutorials.

Blue Cat Audio Plug-ins Basics

This chapter describes the basic features that are common to all our plug-ins. If you are already familiar with our products, you can skip this part.

User Interface Basics

About Skins

Like all Blue Cat Audio plug-ins, Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst Multi uses a skinnable user interface. It means that the appearance and behavior of the user interface can be entirely customized.

Especially with third party skins, the experience may be very different from the one offered by the default skins that we provide and which are described later in this manual. Our plug-ins and our skinning engine however have several standard features that will be available whatever your favorite skin. This is what this chapter will describe.

More information about custom skins can be found in the skins section.

Main Toolbar and Menu

Menu

If you right click on the background of the plug-in, the following pop-up menu appears:

The description of the commands associated to each menu item are available below.

Toolbar

In some skins, an optional toolbar gives you access to the some of the functionalities of the main menu.

Icon	Name	Function
	Menu	Open the main menu
	Undo	Undo
	Redo	Redo
	Load	Load Preset
	Save	Save Preset
	Manual	User Manual
	About	About
	Website	Opens our website

Commands

The Commands available from the main menu or the toolbar are:

• Factory Presets: browse factory presets (if any).
• Set Preset Skin: change the skin for the current preset.
• Use Global Skin: use the skin defined in the global settings for the current preset. This item is enabled only if a skin has been defined for the current preset.
• Undo/Redo: undo or redo the latest modifications. This includes all changes made to the current preset settings.
• Load Preset: load preset from file.
• Save Preset: save current preset to file.
• Presets Settings: open the presets settings window. It enables you to change the skin and MIDI settings for the current preset.
• Global Settings: open the global settings window. It enables you to change the skin and MIDI settings that are used by default in all instances of the plug-in.
• User Manual: open this user manual.
• Check Updates: check the updates for this software on our website.
• Get More Skins: get more skins for this software.
• Legal Information: browse licensing and misc legal documents.
• About: displays the “about” dialog box.

MIDI control

Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst Multi can also be remotely controlled via MIDI using MIDI CC ("Control Change") messages if your host application supports it. It is possible to customize the channel, control numbers and range used for each parameter in the MIDI settings panel available from the main menu (see the Plug-in Settings chapter for more details).

Controls

Examples

Here are a few examples of typical controls you will encounter in the user interface of our plug-ins:

slider	slider	knob	button	Text control

Interacting with Controls

You can interact with the controls of the plug-in interface either with the mouse or the keyboard.

Setting the keyboard focus on a control (so that it responds to key strokes) may be automatic (when you pass the mouse over it it gets focus) or manual (you have to click on the control to set the focus on it). Note that all host applications behave differently regarding keyboard handling. In some applications you may not be able to use all keys described later in this manual to interact with our plug-ins. It is usually made obvious to you to know the active surfaces of the skin (the places where you can click with the mouse): the mouse cursor usually changes when you can do something on a control. In the default skins delivered with the plug-in, the cursor changes to a small hand or an arrow to tell you when your mouse is over an active control.

Mouse

Various mouse movements will let you interact with the controls:

Mouse Interaction	Action
Left Click	Acquire focus and start dragging or push (button)
Left Click + Alt Key	Set the value to default
Left Double Click	Acquire focus and launch the “fine tuning” edit box (except button):
Right Click	Set the value to default
Mouse Wheel	Increment or decrement the position (focus required)
Mouse Drag	Change the control position depending on mouse movement (except button)

Keyboard

All control widgets support the following keys (note that some of them are caught by the host and thus never forwarded to the control. For example in Steinberg Cubase SX you cannot use the arrow keys to control the plug-in):

Keys Common to All Controls

Key	Action
Up Arrow	Small increment of the position (up or right)
Down Arrow	Small increment of the position (down or left)
Left Arrow	Same as Down Arrow
Right Arrow	Same as Up Arrow
Page Up	Large increment of the position (up or right)
Page Down	Large decrement of the position (down or left)
+	Small increment of the value of the control
-	Small decrement of the value of the control
d	Set to default value (same as mouse right click)
e	Opens the 'fine tuning' window to precisely set the parameter:
SHIFT	When the key is down, the fine tuning mode is on, and you can modify the value with better precision when moving the mouse, the mouse wheel or using the keyboard. Just release the key to get back to the normal mode.

Keys Specific to Buttons

Key	Action
Enter	Pushes the button

More

Check our online tutorial for more screenshots and more examples of our plug-ins user interfaces.

Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst Multi Parameters

All parameters described below can be automated and controlled via MIDI if your host application supports it. You can precisely define this behavior in the settings panels described later in this manual.

The input parameters of this plug-in are described below. They affect the spectrum analysis for the current instance of the plug-in. Each instance has independent parameters for the audio analysis.

Param id	Name	Unit	Description
General
dsp.input0	Bypass		Bypass the plugin.
dsp.input1	Precision		Precision of the audio to frequencies transform. The higher the setting, the higher the frequency precision, and the higher the CPU consumption
dsp.input2	Speed	%	Rate of the audio to frequencies transform. The higher this value, the better time resolution (and perceived smoothness). Beware that above 100% CPU consumption might increase, especially when the precision is high.
dsp.input3	Attack	ms	Attack time for the frequencies envelope follower.
dsp.input4	Release	ms	Release time for the frequencies envelope follower.
dsp.input5	Peak Reset	dB/s	Rate of the peak curve reset. If set to 0, the peaks will never decrease and will represent the maximum value.
dsp.input6	Abs Threshold	dB	Absolute threshold for spectrum display. All frequency bins which value is below this threshold are set to -120 dB)
dsp.input7	Rel threshold	%	Relative threshold for spectrum display (percentage of the maximum value). All frequency bins which value is below this threshold are set to -120 dB)
dsp.input8	Slope	dB/Oct	Slope added to the frequency response curve. Can be used to correct the response curve (for example tune the plug-in so that pink noise frequency response is flat)
dsp.input9	Offset	dB	Offset added to the frequency response curve. Can be used to correct the response curve.
dsp.input10	Reset Peak		Command to reset peak curves (value changes are considered as reset commands)
dsp.input11	Reset Average		Command to reset average curves (value changes are considered as reset commands)
dsp.input12	Stereo Mode		Stereo operation mode for the plug-in: stereo (left/right), mono or mid/side.

Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst Multi Curves

The FreqAnalyst Multi plug-in provides visual feedback about the frequency content of the audio signal thanks to output curves that can be routed to one of the 16 display curves. The plugin provides two channels. In stereo mode, channel 1 is left and channel 2 is right. In Mono mode, channel 1 is mono and channel 2 is fed with silence. In Mid / Side mode channel 1 represents the mid channel (mono part of the signal) and channel 2 the side channel (stereo part of the signal).

Curve id	Name	Description
dsp.output_curve0	Instant Spectrum(1)	Instant frequency content for channel 1.
dsp.output_curve1	Peak Spectrum(1)	Maximum value of the frequency content for channel 1 over time.
dsp.output_curve2	Average Spectrum(1)	Average value of the frequency content for channel 1 over time.
dsp.output_curve3	Instant Spectrum(2)	Instant frequency content for channel 2.
dsp.output_curve4	Peak Spectrum(2)	Maximum value of the frequency content for channel 2 over time.
dsp.output_curve5	Average Spectrum(2)	Average value of the frequency content for channel 2 over time.
dsp.output_curve6	Instant Spectrum(Avg)	Instant frequency content (channels average).
dsp.output_curve7	Peak Spectrum(Avg)	Maximum value of the frequency content (channels average) over time.
dsp.output_curve8	Average Spectrum(Avg)	Average value of the frequency content (channels average) over time.
dsp.output_curve9	Instant Spectrum(Max)	Instant maximum values of the frequency content for both channels.
dsp.output_curve10	Peak Spectrum(Max)	Absolute maximum values of the frequency content for both channels over time.
dsp.output_curve11	Average Spectrum(Max)	Average maximum values of the frequency content for both channels over time.

These output curves can be routed to one of the 16 display curves that are shared among plug-in instances. The ids for these curves are shared.curve1 to shared.curve16.

Plug-in Settings

In addition to the controls offered in the main user interface, Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst Multi has various settings that let you fine tune the behavior of the plug-in. You can choose to change these settings either for the current preset or globally for all instances of the plug-in.

The Global Settings Window

The settings available in this window apply to all instances of the plug-in, for all presets. Consider these settings as “default” settings.

General

You can change the default skin for all instances of the plug-in: write the skin file path in the text edit box or click on the button to open a file chooser dialog. If you have several instances of the plug-in opened in your session, you will have to re-open the user interfaces of these plug-ins to see the skin change.

The output data refresh rate can also be customized for all instances of the plug-in. It controls the refresh rate of non-audio data produced by the plug-in (parameters, curves...). It also controls the refresh rate of output MIDI CC messages or output automation data. The higher the refresh rate, the better precision, but also the higher cpu usage (some host applications may also have trouble recording MIDI data at high refresh rates). The default value is 50 Hz.

Global MIDI Input Settings

For each parameter you can define a default MIDI channel and CC number. You can then control the plug-in with an external MIDI controller or one of our plug-ins that generate MIDI messages.

The following settings are available for each plug-in parameter:

• Channel: MIDI Channel for the parameter control. If set to 0, the plug-ins will accept Control Change Messages from all MIDI Channels (MIDI Omni mode).
• CC: Control Change Number.
• Learn: click on this button to activate the MIDI learn functionality. When it is activated, you can move your MIDI controller, and the plug-in will automatically set the MIDI Channel and CC Number.
• Enable MIDI: enable/disable the MIDI control of the parameter.
• Response: response curve of the MIDI control: from very fast to slow control.
• Min: minimal value of the parameter when MIDI controlled.
• Max: Maximum value of the parameter when MIDI controlled.

(generic screen shot, does not correspond to the actual plug-in parameters)

Note: if the Min value is higher than the Max value, the response curve will be reversed: increasing the MIDI controller value will decrease the parameter value.

Note: if you double click on the parameter text control boxes for the max and min values, a “fine tuning” edit box will appear and let you change the min and max values with more precision:

The Current Preset Settings Window

This window lets you change the settings for the current preset of the current plug-in only.

Preset Skin

You can choose to use the global skin setting or to change the skin for the current preset. This way you can have different skins for different instances of the plug-in in the same session in order to differentiate them.

Preset MIDI Input Settings

Use the global settings or override them for the current preset. The parameters are the same as for the global MIDI input settings.

(generic screen shot, does not correspond to the actual plug-in parameters)

About Skins

Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst Multi integrates Blue Cat's skinning engine that allows you to customize the user interface. You can download new skins for your plug-in at the following address:

http://www.bluecataudio.com/Skins/Product_FreqAnalystMulti

If you don't find a skin that fits your need or if you want a really custom one, you can choose to create your own skin.

Changing the Skin

You have two ways to change the skin of your plug-in: you can change the default (or 'global') skin in the global settings, or change the skin for the current preset only (either in the preset settings page or from the main menu). The global skin applies to all plug-in instances, whereas the current preset skin only applies to the current preset of the current plug-in instance.

See the main menu for more information about how to access these options.

On some hosts the plug-in window won't resize automatically when you choose a skin with a different size. In this case, just close the window and re-open it: it will be displayed with the right size.

Create a Custom Skin

You can create custom skins for your plug-in in order to adapt it to your exact needs. You can change its look and feel and make it completely integrated in your virtual studio!

Just read the Blue Cat's Skinning Language manual and download the samples for the tutorial on http://www.bluecataudio.com/Skins. You can get ready to create your own skins in a few minutes.

You can then share your skins on our website.

FAQ

Troubleshooting

I have opened my plug-in and nothing appears on the curves display

Before any curve may appear on the display you need to open the “Routing” panel and route a curve to the shared curves bus. To do so, choose a source curve and destination curve in the routing matrix.

If nothing appears, check that the audio engine of your host application is running and that the plugin is fed with a non silent audio signal. Another cause of seeing nothing on the display is that you may have unselected the curves on the right of the main view. Click on the “show all” link to activate the display.

Plug-ins Formats

What are DirectX (DX), Audio Unit (AU), RTAS, AAX and VST plug-ins?

VST, Audio Unit, RTAS, AAX and DirectX plug-ins are software components than can be used in "Host" Software (such as Cakewalk Sonar, Steinberg Cubase or Wavelab, Sony Vegas, Logic Pro, Garage Band, Ableton Live, Pro Tools...) in order to perform some MIDI and/Or Audio real-time Processing tasks. To be more precise what we usually call directX plug-ins is actually a "DirectShow Filter". VST is owned by Steinberg, DirectX by Microsoft while Audio Units is the property of Apple Computers and RTAS and AAX are owned by AVID.

How can I use your plug-ins?

Download and install a host software, then download and install the plug-ins from our page. They will appear in the host "effects" menu. If you are using a DirectX host with our MIDI controllable plug-ins and they do not show up in you host list, you might need to use our freeware DXi Manager. Note that our plug-ins are sometimes shown in the "MIDI controllable audio effects" or "soft synths" sections in some host applications.

Where can I find a host?

There are many commercial or freeware hosts that will suit your needs. You can find a long list of applications here. You can also use demos of Cubase, Wavelab, Ableton Live, Tracktion, or Sonar software, which are usually available on the companies websites. On the Mac, Garage Band is part of the system and can be also used to host our Audio Unit plug-ins.

What are the main differences between DX, VST, RTAS, AAX and Audio Units?

VST is a protocol that works on several platforms (Mainly Windows, MacOS, BeOS, and some Linux platforms use it as well) whereas DirectX is Microsoft Windows only, and Audio Units are available only on the Mac. RTAS and AAX are available on Mac and PC, but only for Pro Tools products (AVID). AAX plug-ins are compatible with Pro Tools 10 and higher, whereas RTAS versions are compatible for Pro Tools 10 and lower versions.

What is the difference between DXi and DX effects?

DXi effects are MIDI controllable DirectX plug-ins. It's the same as DX effects plus MIDI control.

Which version (VST, Audio Unit, RTAS or DX) should I use in my host application?

Here is a list of host software and the version we recommend you to use. Many other applications are supported, check your application user manual to choose the best version (AU stands for "Audio Unit" and DX for "DirectX"):

Host Application	Plug-in Version
Cakewalk Products (Sonar, Project5...)	DX
Sony Products (Vegas, ACID, Soundforge)	DX for old versions, VST for new
Steinberg Products (Cubase, Nuendo, Wavelab)	VST (Mac or PC)
Ableton Live	VST (Mac or PC)
Adobe Audition	any
EnergyXT	VST
Magix Samplitude	VST
Avid (Digidesign) Pro Tools	RTAS
Apple applications (Logic Pro, Logic Express, Garage Band...)	AU
Cockos Reaper	VST (Mac or PC)
...

In general, we recommend using VST over Audio Unit on Mac (when both are supported), particularly for the plug-ins that can output automation or MIDI CC messages.

Where can I find more information about this topic?

• www.steinberg.net
• www.microsoft.com
• www.kvraudio.com
• www.apple.com
• www.digidesign.com

Installation

I have installed my software and it is not listed as an application. Why? What can I do? How can I launch it?

Most software you can purchase on this website is plug-ins for host applications. It means you need another application to use it. See the "Plug-ins Formats" section in this FAQ for more information.

I have installed my plug-in and it does not show up in my host application. What can I do?

First check that you application supports DirectX, Audio Unit or VST plug-ins.

If you are using the DirectX version, check that your host application supports DXi plug-ins (MIDI enabled DirectX plug-ins). If it does not, it may remove it from the DirectX plug-ins list (some applications such as Sony Vegas 5 and Cool Edit Pro are known to do this). In this case, use our DXi Manager free utility and disable the MIDI capabilities of the plug-in. You may need to reinstall the software again before it shows up into your host application. For more information about this topic please read our DXi in Sony Vegas tutorial (it is applicable to other applications than Sony Vegas).

If you are using the Direct X version and your host application supports DXi, check that the plug-in does not appear in the 'virtual synth' or 'synthesizers' category. If you wish not to use the MIDI capabilities of the plug-in and use it as a regular Direct X plug-in, you can download the freeware DXi Manager and disable the MIDI capabilities of the plug-in.

I have installed my plug-in on windows 64-bit, checked the items above, and it still does not show up in my host application. What can I do?

You are probably running a 32-bit application. If that's the case, you need to install the 32-bit version of the plug-in: the choice for 32 or 64-bit is not determined by the operating system (64-bit windows can run both 32 and 64-bit applications), but by the host application that you are using.

Why are there two plug-ins called xxxx(Mono) and xxxx(Stereo) installed ?

"Mono effects" (which are effects that do not make any difference between left and right channels) are bundled this way for performance reasons. Some developers just deliver a stereo Version which also processes (twice) mono streams. The "(Mono)" plug-in is to be used with mono streams, and the (Stereo) one with stereo streams. The effect itself is the same in both cases but the number of processed channels is different: this may drastically improve performance for CPU intensive plug-ins.

How do I uninstall my plug-ins?

Open the Windows configuration panel/ Add Remove Programs, and choose 'Remove' on the corresponding plug-in. If you have installed the VST plug-in zip file version, just delete the corresponding dlls.

Why do your plug-ins need an installer on Windows? Do they modify the registry or system settings? Why not providing just a dll?

Our plug-ins require several additional files for default settings, skins and miscellaneous data. We provide an installer for our customers' convenience. Our installers do not modify the system settings or the Windows registry, except for the DirectX versions registration. Our installers won't harm your system.

Software Version

How do I know the version of the plug-in I am using?

You can see the version information in the about box: right click on the background of the plug-in user interface and select "About". The product version is also available in the Windows Add/Remove Programs Window.

Why do newer versions of a plug-in override older ones (they have exact same name and IDs)?

Because newer versions improve previous ones. When a new version is released, older versions are not supported anymore. In some cases the new versions may be installed as new products (compatibility reasons, major changes...), but it is explicitly documented on the product page.

A new minor version of a product I purchased some time ago is available. Where can I download the update?

The new version can be downloaded from the same place where you downloaded the original version. All information is contained in the email you received when you purchased the product. Your registration number has not changed either.

Upgrade

A new minor version of my plug-in has been released. Where can I download it?

When you purchased the plug-in, an email containing the information to download and register your software has been sent to you. You can download the new version from the exact same location as the first time.

I have downloaded a new version, do I need to uninstall the previous version?

No, you don't, except if it's specified on the product page, in the "history" section. Just run the installer and it will upgrade your software.

Automation

What is "Parameters Automation"?

The parameters of an effect can be automated in most host software. It means that you can record the changes you do during playback or recording so that it's replayed when playing back again. It's a way of sequencing parameters changes the same way you do with Audio or MIDI data.

What is "Smooth Update"?

When changing parameter values in real time or replaying a song where parameters have been automated, our plug-ins compute intermediate values between parameter changes in order to avoid "clicks" and "pops" that may occur otherwise. It results in a non audible smooth parameters update and lets you freely use automation or MIDI control to change the effects in a song.

Do your plug-ins support MIDI Control?

Yes they do. They offer precise control over the mapping of MIDI Control Change (CC) messages to parameter values: you can adjust both the channel and CC number as well as the response curve of the control. Since some of our plug-ins are also capable of creating MIDI CC from the audio signal, they can all be connected for real time signal-dependent audio effects. See our MIDI Control in Sonar tutorial for an example.

More...

This manual only covers the basics of Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst Multi. Our website offers many additional resources for your Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst Multi plug-in and is constantly updated, so keep an eye on it! You will find below a few examples of available resources.

Extra Skins

We encourage our customers to propose their own skins for our products and we often propose alternative skins to let you choose the one that best suits your needs. You can check Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst Multi skins page to get the latest skins.

Aly James Vision O Scope

Product: FreqAnalyst Multi Description: ENJOY THIS VINTAGE 1030x615 SKIN with a custom knob to control The curve reponse release. Also brings better colors for curves, X / Y big colored Numbers, hint for the diff mode... Author: Aly James Download: Skin_AJVisionOScope.zip

Tutorials

Many Tutorials are available on our website. They cover a wide range of topics and host applications. You will find below a list of tutorials that are related to the Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst Multi plug-in. An updated list is also available online.

Tutorial - Customize the Colors of your Plugins

This tutorial shows how to customize the FreqAnalyst Pro plugin's user interface by changing the color of the displayed curves. It is a very basic skinning tutorial. All you need to know is how to exp...[Read More...]

Tutorial - Using DXi plug-ins in Sony Vegas

This tutorial will teach you how to use any DXi plug-in in Sony Vegas: Sony Vegas does not support MIDI automation, so if your plug-in supports the MIDI Dxi protocol, it is removed from the plug-ins l...[Read More...]

Tutorial - Spectral Response (EQ Curve) Matching with Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst Multi

In this tutorial you will learn how to match the frequency response of a third party piece of software or hardware with a standard EQ or spectrum manipulation plug-in. For this purpose, we will use th...[Read More...]

Tutorial - Monitoring an effect chain with the 'Multi' Series

The 'Multi' analysis plugins series offer the ability to compare the measurements made by several instances within an audio project. In this tutorial you will learn how to use this capability to mon...[Read More...]

Tutorial - Export Plugin Presets to Share them with the Community

This tutorial shows you how to export your presets in order to share them with the community on the Blue Cat Audio website. This tutorial uses Blue Cat's Stereo Triple EQ for the demonstration bu...[Read More...]

Tutorial - Getting Started with Plug-ins User Interface

Get used to the user interface features of Blue Cat Audio products! They have been designed for an optimal workflow, so here are the tips and tricks to save time. All these functionalities are explain...[Read More...]

Tutorial - Using MIDI Control in Sonar

This tutorial will help you understand how to use parameters MIDI control in Cakewalk Sonar. It is applicable to any DXi plug-in (MIDI enabled DirectX plug-in)....[Read More...]

Tutorial - Using the Aly James Skin for Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst Multi (French)

Ceci est un mini tutoriel montrant l'utilisation de la skin proposée par Aly James avec le plug-in Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst Multi La video montre également l'utilisation du plug-in dans Pro Tools. ...[Read More...]

Tutorial - Analyse Multi Pistes (French)

Un mini Tutoriel proposant quelques explications sur l'Analyse de Spectre Multi-pistes, et en quoi cela peut changer votre maniere de travailler le son. "Dans de noubreux tutoriels, j'insiste su...[Read More...]

Tutorial - Multiple Tracks Real Time Spectrum Analysis

In this tutorial you will learn how to use the multiple instances features of the FreqAnalyst Multi spectrum analysis plugin to provide you with visual help for mixing. This tutorial is based on a ver...[Read More...]

Tutorial - Audio Metering mit dem Digital Peak Meter Pro 3 (German)

Blue Cat's Peak Meter Pro (DPMP) ist ein einzigartiges Audio-Analyse-Tool. Es enthält sehr flexible und anpassbare Audio Meter sowie weiterführende Side Chaining-Control-Möglichkeiten dank MIDI-Aus...[Read More...]

Tutorial - How to Use the Free Presets Available on this Website

This tutorial shows you how to get and load free presets for your favorite Blue Cat Audio plugin. This tutorial uses Blue Cat's Dynamics for the demonstration but is applicable to all our plugins...[Read More...]

Updates

As you can see in the history log below, we care about constantly updating our products in order to provide you with the latest technology available. Please visit often our website to check if Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst Multi has been updated, or subscribe to our Newsletter to keep you informed with the latest news about our products.

Versions History

V1.91 (2011/07/11)

Output data rate can now be customized, from 20 to 500 Hz. Increased the default output data rate (from 20 to 50 Hz) for smoother spectrum display. Note value for the current mouse location is now displayed, in addition to the frequency. Windows: improved settings dialog loading time. Mac: user interface performance improvement (up to 30% lighter on cpu).

V1.9 (2011/05/23)

Difference curves can now be saved for easier comparisons and stereo spread matching tasks. Windows uninstaller now proposes to remove preferences as an option. Misc minor user interface and windows installer changes.

V1.82 (2011/02/10)

Fixed keyboard focus stealing issue in Pro Tools and several other host applications. Controls visibility is now persistent.

V1.81 (2010/11/29)

Fixed incompatibility issues with older presets in the previous version.

V1.8 (2010/11/18)

Analysis parameters can now be pushed from one instance to others to simplify the workflow. 64-bit Mac VST support. User interface enhancements: Improved readability. Zooming is now animated. Controls can be collapsed to reduce the size of the user interface and focus on the analysis. Improved consistency with our other analysis tools. Drag the rulers to move the curve when zoomed (can keep measurement/selection mode and still drag the curves). Improved synchronization of curves within a single instance. Default release time is now shorter.

V1.7 (2010/06/19)

Performance Improvements (all platforms): Improved user interface performance and increased graphs display refresh rate. Improved signal processing performance (up to twice faster on some systems!). The plug-in now requires a processor supporting SSE2. Reduced memory footprint. Faster skin loading.

V1.61 (2010/02/25)

Demo version now displays a nag screen only once per session, and only when opening the user interface of the plug-in. Fixed a crash on Mac and 64-bit Windows that randomly occured when opening and closing the user interface multiple times. Mac: fixed crash with demo version in Ableton Live 8.1.1.

V1.6 (2010/02/15)

RTAS plugin format support for Pro Tools (Mac and Windows). 64-bit applications support for Windows DX and VST under Windows x64. Mac AU 64-bit format support (compatible with 64-bit Logic 9.1 on Snow Leopard) Fixed MIDI learn issues. Space bar does not trigger plug-in buttons anymore (avoids conflict with transport control in most applications). Mac: fixed user interface crashes in some hosts under Snow Leopard. Mac: fixed keyboard/mouse focus issues in some hosts. Mac: fixed user interface crashes in some hosts, when used with particular display settings. Mac: fixed multiple screens issue. Mac-AU: fixed user interface resizing issue when changing skin in some hosts (Logic). Mac-AU: fixed settings lost issue when doing offline rendering in some applications.

V1.51 (2009/05/05)

Mac VST update: fixed incompatibility issues with Cubase 5 on Mac.

V1.5 (2009/02/27)

Mac Audio Unit support. Improved Performance. New Windows Installer (you should uninstall any previous version before installing this new one). New documentation format.

V1.4 (2008/12/10)

Now available for Mac in VST format. Minor user interface changes. (Bug fix): keyboard shortcuts are no longer forwarded to host application when entering the names of the curves in edit boxes.

V1.3 (2008/05/26)

New diff view to compute and visualize the difference between several spectra. Graphics rendering has been improved for smoother analysis curves display in some hosts (such as Cubase). Minor user interface changes (fonts, layout).

V1.2 (2008/02/25)

Fixed a crash on certain configurations while opening the global settings window. Settings window is now faster to open.

V1.1 (2007/12/13)

User can now define a name for each curve which is displayed in the main view. Non connected curves are now easy to identify. Improved display refresh rate: analysis is now even smoother! New "zoom by selection" feature. Spectrum analysis normalization improvement: absolute values comparison with different precision settings is now more accurate.

V1.0 (2007/10/04)

First version.

Thanks again for choosing our solutions!
See you soon on www.bluecataudio.com!