Physics 1240 Software

There are many kinds of programs that useful for generating, recording, processing, and analyzing sounds. The very first program listed below (Raven Lite) is required in this course to do the homelabs.

Spectrum Analysis

These programs display the frequencies or musical pitches that are present in a sound. Some of them require that you record the sound before you can analyze it, while others can process sound in 'real time' as it comes in to the computer. Most of these programs will also show the sound in 'time domain' by displaying a graph of the sound pressure versus time.

Raven Lite An excellent tool for people who are new to sound analysis. It was developed at Cornell University to study bird sounds. The program records sounds from a microphone and then displays the waveforms in time domain and as spectrograms, or it can use sounds from CDs or mp3 files. Both Mac and PC versions are available. Read the excellent Users Guide! You must have a microphone to record sounds. Almost all PCs can use an inexpensive passive (not powered or amplified) microphone like this one. Macs generally required powered microphones, though some laptops have them built-in. For help with Mac microphones, look here and here. When you first download and install Raven Lite, it will run as a demo version that shuts down after five minutes. We will give you a license code in class that will give you full access to Raven Lite until Dec. 31, 2006. You can also buy a license that will not expire if you wish.

Sonic Visualizer Fairly complex for beginners, but many cool spectrogram features, including direct note/cents readout. Works on Linix, Mac, PC, but not P3 and Celeron PCs. No installer, but I had no trouble getting it to run on my PC laptop. Uses .wav files for input and does not record. The basic features are well documented. Excellent for frequency estimation. Free.

Visual Analyzer 8.14 Real-time analyzer with 'oscilloscope' style display. Typical of the style of spectrum analyzer used in electrical engineering. The sampling rates below 11,025 Hz do not seem to be accurate. PC only and free.

iSpectrum Mac only. I have not tried this one. $45

AudioXplorer Mac only, have not tried, real time. Free.

SignalScope Mac only, real time, have not tried, $50

Spectrogram 14.0 Windows only. 10 day free trial, then $50.

v.m.k 1.6 A very simple soft ware keyboard. Be sure the read the instructions for use on the download page. Runs on Macs and PCs. On my PC laptop I can run it and at the same time record the sound it makes with Raven Lite.

Virtual Piano Another simple keyboard. PC only. I cant seem to set some o f the pa rameters.

AnalogBox A fantastic and powerful software synthesizer. Many mathematical operations on signals are possible, and both random and periodic sources are available. Difficult for the beginner. Can be used as a host for VST plug-ins, which are available in great variety. Described as "The softsynth most feared by domestic pets." Its free! PC only, I think.

Abakos An example of VST plug-in synthesizer. Works nicely in Analog Box. (If you try to use it you will find out that it needs a logic 1 for enable, and then you start AnalogBox.)