I've been using the BV512 Vocoder to provide real-time frequency analysis in my Reason "Default Song" for years. I'd love to give credit where it's due, but I can't remember where I picked up this particular trick. Most likely I read about in Computer Music or found it in one of Peff's old files. Regardless of its origin, it's been very useful way for me to be able to take a look at a song file and see where my trouble frequencies might be.
Fellow Reason user Madwax and I recently got together to share some tips and tricks over a cup of coffee and I started to rethink how I used the BV512. There had to be a way to make it even better, right?
Several (failed) experiments later, I came up with the Visual EQ combi twins. VisualEQ1 uses a pair of BV512 Vocoders, one set up as a Visualizer and the other set up to provide a graphic equalizer. VisualEQ2 replaces the second BV512 with a MClass Equalizer. Place either one of these between your main Mixer and your Reason Hardware Device and you now have real-time spectrum analysis within your Reason rack... as well as a way to make modifications to the frequency band! You can also use the Visual EQ combis on individual devices if you're having a tough time taming a synth or sample. Don't forget to "Show Devices."
They're simple, but functional. I'm actually surprised it took me this long to make this into a Combi. As I said, I've been using the BV512 in my default rack for years, both to see my entire song's frequency range and soloing devices to check individual instrument levels across the band, but adding EQ and dropping everything into a Combinator makes it much easier to use.
The BV512 Vocoder is an interesting equalizer. I can't say its won me over, but it has its charms, especially when you use it side-by-side with another BV512 providing you with visual feedback for the changes you're making in the frequency range. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a way to merge both the visualizer and EQ functions into one BV512, but for those of you who have been grumbling about an EQ with graphic feedback, this is a start.
Please note that the "Visualizer" is using the Spider to merge the left and right channels, providing real-time analysis of the summed stereo signal. For more accuracy in your analysis, create a second BV512 Vocoder set up as a visualizer, and send the left and right channels to their own BV512 displays.
When using the BV512 as an equalizer, don't forget you can right click the device and "Reset Band Levels."
Sunday, September 28, 2008
.4 Frequency Analysis
I've been using the BV512 Vocoder to provide real-time frequency analysis in my Reason "Default Song" for years. I'd love to give credit where it's due, but I can't remember where I picked up this particular trick. Most likely I read about in Computer Music or found it in one of Peff's old files. Regardless of its origin, it's been very useful way for me to be able to take a look at a song file and see where my trouble frequencies might be.
Fellow Reason user Madwax and I recently got together to share some tips and tricks over a cup of coffee and I started to rethink how I used the BV512. There had to be a way to make it even better, right?
Several (failed) experiments later, I came up with the Visual EQ combi twins. VisualEQ1 uses a pair of BV512 Vocoders, one set up as a Visualizer and the other set up to provide a graphic equalizer. VisualEQ2 replaces the second BV512 with a MClass Equalizer. Place either one of these between your main Mixer and your Reason Hardware Device and you now have real-time spectrum analysis within your Reason rack... as well as a way to make modifications to the frequency band! You can also use the Visual EQ combis on individual devices if you're having a tough time taming a synth or sample. Don't forget to "Show Devices."
They're simple, but functional. I'm actually surprised it took me this long to make this into a Combi. As I said, I've been using the BV512 in my default rack for years, both to see my entire song's frequency range and soloing devices to check individual instrument levels across the band, but adding EQ and dropping everything into a Combinator makes it much easier to use.
The BV512 Vocoder is an interesting equalizer. I can't say its won me over, but it has its charms, especially when you use it side-by-side with another BV512 providing you with visual feedback for the changes you're making in the frequency range. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a way to merge both the visualizer and EQ functions into one BV512, but for those of you who have been grumbling about an EQ with graphic feedback, this is a start.
Please note that the "Visualizer" is using the Spider to merge the left and right channels, providing real-time analysis of the summed stereo signal. For more accuracy in your analysis, create a second BV512 Vocoder set up as a visualizer, and send the left and right channels to their own BV512 displays.
When using the BV512 as an equalizer, don't forget you can right click the device and "Reset Band Levels."
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5 comments:
excellent mate!
routing a bass drum through this makes it sound all squelchy and lose all its "oomph". what's the deal with that? any way to get around it?
Nick, you're using the BV512 version of the visual equalizer, right? Unfortunately, some of that loss of "oomph" is due to the sound of the BV512 unit. You can't remove it entirely, but you can minimize the effect of that "veil" by turning down the Shift knob in the EQ BV512.
If that doesn't do it, and it might not, try switching to the M Class Equalizer version of the Visual EQ combinators. That version colors the sound quite a bit less.
Good luck!
Nick, I have a similar analyser setup except I'm not using the output of the vocoders, only using their modulation inputs for visual feedback. Get you spider to split the signal, one output to the vocoder(s) and another clean output straight back out to the combi output. That should leave your sound untouched.
Really good suggestion, Gavin. I didn't think of that, but you're right. Hmmm. I might have to update this combi soon. :)
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