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Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst Pro
Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst Pro
"A powerful spectral analysis tool and automation generator with 3D viewer."
Price: 99€ or $99 (tax incl.)
Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst Pro - Real Time Spectrum Analyzer and Audio to MIDI AU, RTAS, DX and VST Plug-in

Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst Pro is a real time spectrum analyzer with advanced functionalities. It uses the same smooth algorithms as its little brother (Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst free plug-in): it has been designed to provide extreme smoothness and high resolution for both time and frequency.

MacOSUniversal BinaryWindows Vista or newerWindows x64 (64-bit)VSTVST3AAX64-bit AAXAudio Unit

The frequency analysis can be fine tuned in details: manage its precision and rate, apply an offset or slope to the measured spectrum. Two thresholding systems are available, and the time response can be changed thanks to the attack and release parameters. Three modes are offered for each channel: instant, peak or average response can be displayed on the same graph. Zooming capabilities and coordinates display let you exactly measure the characteristics of the spectrum.

The four memory slots let you store any curve in memory: it helps you make comparisons between several tracks or effects setup very easily.

A spectrogram view has been added so that you can monitor the evolution of the spectrum over time either in 2D or 3D (3D waterfall mode). All channels are of course available in this view, with exact coordinates display and zooming capabilities.

Like many of our other professional analysis tools, this plug-in also provides output parameters that you can use to control other effects in real time: the generated automation envelopes or MIDI CC messages include the minimum and maximum frequencies and the energy center of the spectrum, expressed in Hertz or as MIDI note value. With the transformation parameters (offset, amount and reverse), you can customize the generation of these parameters and monitor the modifications on the value graphs. Check the DP Meter Pro Tutorials to see how to use this capability within your favorite host.

Thanks to this unique functionality, you can now control any effect with the pitch of the audio signal: imagine a filter on an instrument controlled by the pitch of another instrument, compression depending on the pitch of the signal... Anything is possible.

For integrated multiple tracks spectrum analysis, check our Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst Multi plug-in.

Main Features:

  • Mono, stereo or mid/side real time spectrum analyzer.
  • Total control over the analysis parameters, with slope and offset correction.
  • Smart interpolation algorithm for extreme display smoothness.
  • Spectrum and spectrogram views.
  • Animated zoom for all displays.
  • Precise measurement capabilities, with note info display.
  • 3D waterfall view with full 3D control.
  • Solid or wireframe 3D surface display.
  • Instant, peak and average curves display for each channel.
  • Save the curves for easy A/B comparison.
  • Opacity control for the user interface.
  • Custom absolute and relative threshold control.

Blue Cat Audio Standards:

  • Available in most plug-in formats for Mac and Windows.
  • Full MIDI control and automation support, MIDI Learn.
  • No CPU load on idle: processing shuts down when fed with silence (optimal CPU usage).
  • Customizable user interface with transparency & zoom.
  • Automation and MIDI output: record output parameters as automation curves or send MIDI CC messages to other plug-ins for powerful side chain effects.
  • Smooth Bypass: noiseless plug-in activation / deactivation.
  • Undo/Redo.
  • Full featured integrated presets manager.
  • Copy/paste the state of the plug-in between instances.
  • Any sample rate supported.
User's GuideOn The BlogTutorialsNewsletter

Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst Pro - Modify and monitor the output parameters: min, max and center frequency. Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst Pro - The spectrogram view displays the evolution of the spectrum over time. Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst Pro - Compare average pitch for several tracks thanks to the output automation capabilities. Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst Pro - Real Time Spectrum Analyzer and Audio to MIDI AU, RTAS, DX and VST Plug-in Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst Pro - Real Time Spectrum Analyzer and Audio to MIDI AU, RTAS, DX and VST Plug-in Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst Pro - Extract frequency information and export it as MIDI CC or automation curve.

User Comments & Reviews

[About 3D View] This looks like a really useful upgrade. Great for analyzing kick vs bass levels.[...] It's pretty awesome, as expected. [...] Was nice being able to zoom in and change the angle. Seeing drum hits in 3D really helps build a mental map of what lies in each bit of the frequency spectrum.

I got a bit lost at one point, with all the zooming and twisting,[...] but then I right clicked it, and it reset, so it's about as perfect as I could've asked for - Alex Mcpherson (novatropic)

Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst Pro is a superb tool to refine my mixes and masters. While you should have your ears as final judge for your audio, this tool can show you where you can tweak and improve your output - Bernhard Rems, Creative Director - digirockers.com

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 - Tom Burr

The Blue Cat Frequency Analyst jam packed with different ways to visualize your audio. Sure the standard saying among most sound engineers is "use your ears" but everyone needs a little bit of visual aid. In this case of course it is a lot of visual aid. - Daniel Agosto, Media Producer for gearwire.com - see the video review on gearwire.com

"My favorite part of this plugin is the fact that it provides output parameters that you can use to control other effects in real time![...] Blue Cat Audio furnishes great tutorials on these types of operations so it really isn’t as hard as it sounds. - Glen Heffner, CakewalkNet

To add your own comment about this product, please contact us.

Demo Limitations:

  • Limited number of instances of the plug-in per session.
  • The plug-in is regularly bypassed for a few milliseconds.

System Requirements

An OpenGL-compatible graphics card for the 3D View.

MacOS

  • An Intel or Apple Silicon processor.
  • Mac OS 10.9 or newer.
  • Any VST / Audio Unit / AAX compatible application (64-bit) .

Windows

  • An SSE2-enabled processor (Pentium 4 or newer).
  • Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows 7, 8 or 10.
  • Any VST / AAX compatible host software (32 or 64 bit).

For more information about supported platforms, see our Knowledge Base.

Versions History

V2.11 (2022/12/12)

  • Added Apple Silicon support for AAX Plug-in Format.
  • Fixed VST3 version not always loading properly in Ableton Live 11.
  • Improved VST parameter value display in some host applications.
  • Added an option in global & preset input settings to send MIDI events when MIDI-enabled parameters are modified in the plug-in (to update control surfaces accordingly).
  • Improved undo management and automation when using the mouse wheel to move knobs.
  • Fixed VST & VST3 automation not recording properly in some hosts for output parameters (Cubase 11, Ableton Live).
  • AAX: Fixed erratic mouse behavior in Pro Tools on Mac.
  • Mac: installers and plug-ins have been notarized to avoid security warnings on Mac OS Catalina and newer.

V2.1 (2021/10/19)

  • Single Installer on Mac (all plug-ins formats).
  • Apple Silicon (M1 processor) support.
  • Dropped 32-bit support on Mac.
  • Now requires MacOS 10.9 and newer.
  • Arrow keys can now be used to navigate presets.
  • Added MIDI control support (MIDI CC messages) for Next and Previous Preset commands, with MIDI learn.
  • Improved MIDI & automation control settings with lock, reset and "save as global setting" capabilities.
  • Improved smooth plug-in bypass (faster and smoother transition).
  • Unicode support.
  • Reduced the number of threads used by the plug-in.
  • Reduced memory footprint.
  • Windows: improved GUI loading performance.
  • VST3: fixed random crash in Ableton Live 11 upon load.

V2.0 (2020/11/12)

DSP:
  • Spectrum analysis is now performed in the background and does not affect audio performance at all.
  • FFT precision now goes up to 11.
User Interface:
  • Refreshed GUI design, with improved usability and touchscreen support.
  • The GUI can now be zoomed from 70% to 200%.
  • Now supports retina displays on Mac (text and graphs using high resolution).
  • Save each memory curve as a file that can be reloaded later as a reference.
  • Copy and paste memory curves between instances using the system clipboard.
  • Factory and user skins can now be selected directly from the plug-in menu.
  • VST: the user interface is now properly resized in Cubase on Windows.
  • New installer on Mac.
Presets Management:
  • Brand new presets management system.
  • Presets can now be selected using MIDI Program change and bank select messages (can be activated with the presets menu/MIDI Program Change item).
  • Copy/paste the plug-in's current state from the presets menu using the system clipboard.
Compatibility:
  • Now compatible with MacOS Catalina and Big Sur.
  • VST3 plug-in format support.
  • Audio Suite support for offline analysis in Pro Tools.
  • Dropped support for Windows XP and Mac OS X 10.6 and earlier.
  • Dropped support for legacy RTAS and DirectX plug-ins formats.
Note: this new version can be installed side by side with the previous version for backward compatibility reasons. Installing this new version won't break your previous projects.

V1.95 (2014/03/20)

  • Fixed 64-bit VST MIDI Events not sent for the first output parameter in the list.
  • Windows VST installer now detects the VST plug-ins path and remembers previous install location for updates.
  • Fixed Audio Unit validation issue on OSX Mavericks/Logic Pro X.
  • Fixed VST plug-in window frame not showing in Cubase 7.5 (32-bit) on Mac.
  • Fixed VST version that could not be loaded in Audio HiJack Pro (Mac).

V1.94 (2013/06/27)

  • 64-bit AAX support for Pro Tools 11.

V1.94 (2011/07/11)

  • Output data rate (MIDI CC or automation) can now be customized, from 20 to 500 Hz.
  • Increased the default output data rate (from 20 to 50 Hz) for smoother side chaining and more precise 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).

V1.93 (2011/02/10)

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

V1.92 (2010/11/29)

Fixed incompatibility issues with older presets in the previous version.

V1.91 (2010/11/18)

  • 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.
  • Improved MIDI and automation output precision: now prevents hosts from wrongly interpolating between values.
  • Default release time is now shorter.

V1.9 (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.

V1.82 (2010/03/19)

This update only concerns the RTAS version of the plug-in:
  • RTAS plug-in bug fix: when using both the mono and stereo versions in the same session, the controls of the instances were linked together.

V1.81 (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.
  • Mac: fixed crash with demo version in Ableton Live 8.1.1.
  • Mac AU: output parameters routing now works for more than one instance in Logic Pro's Environment.
  • Mac AU: fixed output parameters that could exceed defined range and not record properly as automation curves.

V1.8 (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.

V1.7 (2009/08/10)

  • New 3D waterfall view to monitor the evolution of the spectrum over time.
  • Drag the rulers to move the curve when zoomed (can keep measurement/selection mode and still drag the curves).
  • Output automation is now disabled by default.
  • Updated documentation.
  • Bug Fix (PC): Cubase freezes when loading a preset using a different skin while the plugin window is open.

V1.61 (2009/05/05)

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

V1.6 (2009/02/27)

  • Mac Audio Unit support.
  • Improved accuracy of MIDI output.
  • Automation output can now be disabled for hosts that do not propose automated parameters choice.
  • New Windows Installer (you should uninstall any previous version before installing this new one).
  • New documentation format.

V1.5 (2008/12/10)

  • Now available for Mac in VST format.
  • Added Mid/Side analysis capability.
  • Minor user interface changes.

V1.4 (2008/02/25)

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

V1.3 (2007/12/13)

  • Improved display refresh rate.
  • New "zoom by selection" feature: analysis is now even smoother!
  • Spectrum analysis normalization improvement: absolute values comparison with different precision settings is now more accurate.

V1.2 (2007/10/18)

  • Undo/Redo.
  • Load/Save presets in a host-independent format: you can now share presets between the directX and VST versions.
  • New toolbar to access main functionalities.
  • Improved skin loading speed.
  • Improved user interface performance.
  • It is now possible to choose wether displayed curves are filled or not.
  • Improved the display of parameters values in the MIDI settings panel and the host application.

V1.1 (2007/04/16)

  • Skin loading performance improvement (up to 80% faster).
  • Reduced memory consumption when using several instances.
  • Offset range has been increased to 80 dB (instead of 40dB).
  • Blue Cat's Skinning Language 1.3.1 support.

V1.0 (2007/03/05)

First version.