Vst Plugin Cannot Be Found 8004001 Sonar

Posted : admin On 21.12.2020

When running a DAW software using the VST version of the Flux:: plugins (Cubase, Nuendo, Sonar etc.), and the plugins can’t be found find in the DAW after the installation, there may be a problem with the plug-in scanning in the DAW after installing the plug-ins. Open Sonar Platinum, click 'Utilities' and open 'Cakewalk Plug-in Manager'. Next, click 'Scan VST. I cannot even get to the main screen to open a song. When it tried to launch v3 it crashes when it tries to start the vst 3 plugin support. I have done a new install 3 times now and each time it crashes when starting the vst 3 plugin support. If I go into the settings file and turn off vst 3 support I can get to the main menu. I have Adobe Audition CC 2017, and i would like to had some VST (VST 3). But when I try to install VST plugins, impossible to see VST in Adobe - 8719501. Load using jBridge wrapper. This check box is only enabled on systems where jBridge is installed. JBridge allows you to use 32-bit VST effects and instruments when using the x64 version of SONAR, as well as use 64-bit plug-ins when using the x86 version of SONAR. JBridge can also bridge 32-bit plug-ins in the x86 version of SONAR, allowing your computer to overcome the memory limitations of a.

  1. Vst Plugin Cannot Be Found 8004001 Sonar Free
  2. Vst Plugin Cannot Be Found 8004001 Sonar Video
  3. Vst Plugin Cannot Be Found 8004001 Sonar Software

Installation and Quick Start

Install the DAW Plugin

The Band-in-a-Box DAW Plugin is one of the components installed when you install the main Band-in-a-Box program. You can also find the installer in the Band-in-a-Box folder in:

bbDataInstallers

There are several plugin types that may be installed. The most common type is VST3 which is recommended if your DAW supports VST3. The VST3 plugin is installed by default to the standard location, which should be found automatically by most DAWs:

C:Program FilesCommon FilesVST3

In addition, all of the plugin types are available in the Band-in-a-Box folder:

bbBBPluginFiles

Band-in-a-Box DAW Plugin Standalone.exe is a special version of the plugin that is not used within any DAW, but instead works as a stand-alone program. This file is useful for troubleshooting or for people who want to run a simplified version of the Band-in-a-Box program. You can use this program to generate tracks quickly and drag them to Explorer. There is a ReadMe file in the bbBBPluginFiles folder that describes the purpose of the other file types. Note that if you need to use the VST2 plugin, it is not installed by default, and you should check the VST2 component during installation. For VST2 there is no standard location like there is for VST3, however there are several locations that are used and preferred by different DAWs. Some common locations for VST2 plugins are:

C:Program FilesVstPlugins
C:Program FilesCommon FilesVST2
C:Program FilesCakewalkVSTPlugins

If you would like to move the VST to another location, you can simply copy and paste from one of these default folders to your desired folder. Once the VST is placed into the correct location, it should be recognized by any DAW which uses that location for its VST folder, but you may need to get your DAW to scan for new plugins.

Load the Plugin in your DAW

Start by opening your DAW. Most DAWs automatically scan for and add VST3 plugins at bootup. The specific procedure for opening the plugin varies between DAWs, but typically you will add a VSTi (software instrument) plugin to a track. We will use Reaper to illustrate this. In Reaper you can go to the Track menu and click on 'Insert Virtual Instrument on New Track', then locate 'VST3i: Band-in-a-Box DAW VST3 Plugin' in the plugin list. At this point, you should see the Band-in-a-Box DAW Plugin user interface. The tracks section of the main screen is empty since we have not loaded a style or song, and the status icon at lower left corner of the plugin is white, indicating that the plugin is idle and not connected to Band-in-a-Box.

DAW Plugin opened in Reaper (a popular DAW), with no tracks generated

Verify the location of your Band-in-a-Box folder in Preferences

It is important for the plugin to know the correct location of your Band-in-a-Box folder, or else it won't work. Typically you won't need to make any changes to this setting, since the plugin can usually determine the correct folders automatically. However you should still verify that it has chosen the correct folders. Press the [File] button and select Preferences. Scroll down to the Folder Locations section.

Preferences dialog, showing Folder Locations section.

If you have Band-in-a-Box installed on your PC's internal hard drive, the 'Path for Band-in-a-Box' will usually be C:bb. In addition, the Paths for RealTracks and Drums will usually be C:bbRealTracks and C:bbDrums respectively, unless you are using a custom location for RealTracks and Drums. If you are using an external hard drive (an UltraPAK for example), then the path might instead be something like E:bb depending on what the drive letter is. If the folder paths are red, then that means there is a problem, for example Band-in-a-Box hasn't been found in the selected folder. The fourth folder path you can specify is for 'SavedTracks'; this is in the BBPlugins folder by default (i.e. C:bbBBPluginSavedTracks), however a custom location can be specified. One thing to know is that this folder can grow large if many tracks are generated and not cleared. Press OK to exit to the main screen of the Plugin.

Generate Tracks

The Band-in-a-Box DAW plugin works just like the full Band-in-a-Box program. You type in your chords in the chord sheet, set the chorus begin/end bars, set the key & tempo, and choose a Style. Band-in-a-Box then generates a set of backing tracks. Each Style consists of a set of instruments, which may be MIDI, RealTracks (audio), or a combination. For the purposes of this quickstart tutorial we'll just load in pre-made style demo using the StylePicker.

To open the StylePicker, click on the [Select] button, and click 'Select a Style'. At this point, the plugin will connect with Band-in-a-Box and the status icon (lower left) should turn blue. This opens the StylePicker window, which is virtually identical to the window you see in the full Band-in-a-Box program.

This allows you to browse and select Styles. The number of styles that you see in this window depends mainly on which Band-in-a-Box package you have. If you have the 'UltraPAK' for example, and have purchased some 'Xtra Styles', you will see thousands more styles than if you have the 'Pro' package. You should Rebuild this window the first time you open it, so that it accurately reflects the styles and RealTracks that are available to you. Press the [Rebuild] button at the bottom of the window, and select 'Fast Rebuild'. (Slow Rebuild will also look for third party and user styles, so is usually not necessary).

Choose a RealStyle (style with all RealTracks) by looking for styles that start with an underscore character. You could choose any of them, but for this demonstration, we'll choose _BLSHUFF.STY, because it happens to be a style that is in many different Band-in-a-Box packages, and has several RealTracks. Click once on the style, and then click the [Load Song Demo] button to exit back to the main screen. (Note: to find the style quickly you could enter the style name into the search filter at the top of the StylePicker.)

At this point, you'll notice that the tracks area is filled with the names of the tracks in the style, and there are some empty squares beside each track. This indicates that the tracks are empty; before you can hear anything, you'll need to generate them. You may see a flashing blue LED next to the generate button - this is telling you that tracks need to be generated. Note that after you have generated tracks, and subsequently make some changes to the song - for example, say you change some chords - this light will flash again. This is because the tracks need to be re-generated before they follow the new chord progression.

Now click the [Generate] button. The length of time for generation is dependent on the number of tracks being generated, and the length of the song including the number of choruses. Since the demo song we chose has 5 choruses and all RealTracks it will be on the longer side. The status bar at the bottom of the plugin window gives you information about what the plugin is doing.

Status bar at the bottom of the DAW Plugin, while generating

A popup message informs you when generation is complete. Now that the song is generated, we can see that the Tracks are no longer empty, and have green WAV 'buttons' (these aren't buttons in the traditional sense, but they are areas from where you can click and drag to move the track into your DAW or Windows Explorer).

_BLSHUFF demo - tracks generated. Notice the blue icon in the status bar (not white or red), indicating that the plugin is properly connected to Band-in-a-Box.

You can press Play or double-click on the Chord Sheet to hear the generated tracks. What you are hearing is the 'Style Mix', which is the top track. This is a rendered stereo mix of all of the tracks; you'll see that all of the individual tracks are also available but are muted M by default so that you don't hear them at the same time. It may be useful for you to understand that the files used by these tracks (e.g. the wave files) are saved in a timestamped subfolder of the bbBBPluginSavedTracks folder.

In our example, we had only RealTracks, which are audio as opposed to MIDI, so the generated tracks have green WAV buttons. It is also possible for there to be tracks generated from MIDI instruments; these show up with yellow MIDI buttons. Some tracks may also have a corresponding button on the right-side of the track, which is a secondary option for that track. RealTracks may have an amber CHART button, which indicates that there is MIDI notation available for that track, and MIDI tracks may have a WAV button available, which is a MIDI instrument track which was rendered to audio using the default GM MIDI synth in Band-in-a-Box (Coyote WaveTable).

Another feature you'll see on the tracks is a Mn or a St indicator. This tells you whether the track is a Mono or a Stereo track.

Using the Generated Tracks

At this point, there are two common workflows that people use. Some people prefer to transfer the tracks into their DAW for further processing. To transfer a track, click and drag from any of the green WAV buttons into the Tracks window of your DAW - this will drag a single wave file into the DAW. Alternatively you can click and drag from the dark blue All icon of the Style Mix to drag all of the tracks at once as individual files.

DAW Plugin opened in Reaper, showing tracks that have been generated and ALL dragged in as separate tracks.

The other workflow that some people use is to keep the Band-in-a-Box plugin open with the generated files and not drag them to their DAW, but instead hear them when they press Play in their DAW. For this to work, make sure the 'Sync To Host' feature is active (press the Sync button so that it is blue and has a checkmark).

You should also be aware of the setting 'Send MIDI data to DAW for playing MIDI tracks', found in the Preferences dialog. If unchecked, then the audio of the rendered MIDI track is sent to your DAW; if checked, then the actual MIDI data is sent to the DAW, allowing you to route the MIDI through a synth of your choice (this is a more advanced configuration and how it's done varies between DAWs)

Choose how you want MIDI tracks played through your DAW

Assuming you have Sync To Host enabled, then you should hear the Band-in-a-Box Plugin tracks play in sync with the tracks in your DAW. Note that the rendered tracks may or may not have a 2 bar count-in, depending on whether or not 'Lead-in' is checked. Also, note that the tempos should match between the DAW and the plugin - if they do not, you'll see a blue warning light flashing next to the tempo field:

Plugin tempo (120) does not match the DAW's (yellow)

Generating Additional Tracks

We've been focusing so far on the Style tracks, but the track table actually has three main screens that you can switch between by clicking the vertical tabs along the right-side of the Track list (Style, Extra, Riffs) or by scrolling up and down through the tracks.

The Extra tracks are additional tracks that you can generate in addition to the instruments included in the style. As an example, let's say we want to add an Electric Guitar soloist to our song. Click on the Select button and click RealTrack. This opens the RealTracks Picker, which is very similar to the RealTracks Picker dialog in the main Band-in-a-Box program.

For our tutorial, we'll select 'Guitar, Electric, Soloist Blues Sw 120'. You can find this quickly by entering some words like 'Blues soloist' in the search filter at the bottom of the dialog. Select it and press OK to exit the dialog. Notice that you are in the Extra tracks section which is color-coded green to distinguish it from the Style tracks. As before, you'll need to generate the track before you can hear it. This is where the Generate [Custom] (bottom half of the Generate button) can come in handy, since you may only want to generate the new track you have selected, and not want to re-generate ALL of the tracks.

The third section of the tracks table is the Multi-Riffs tracks. MultiRiff is a feature that allows you to choose one RealTrack instrument, and have it generate many different parts over the same song/chord progression. Click the [Select] button, and click 'MultiRiff'. In the RealTracks Picker, select a RealTrack as before, press OK, and generate.

A good spectrum analyzer plug-in is essential for letting you know what is going on with your audio.

Even if you have a good monitoring system in your studio, a spectrum analyzer will help you identify potential problem areas in your mix.

Here, we run down some of the best spectrum analyzer VSTs available, giving you a range of potentially useful options.

Other Helpful Posts:

Top 7 Spectrum Analyzer VST Plugins

1. iZotope Insight

Demo & Price

iZotope’s aptly-named Insight gives you a broad overview of the spectral content of your audio while giving you the ability to get as detailed as you wish. It comes with plenty metering options to choose from, that can be customized as you fit, enabling you to use it for any type of session. Whether you simply want to check the spectral balance of your mix or you want to tweak the loudness or intelligibility of specific tracks.

Specs and useful features

Insight lets you visualize audio streams in ways that probably only a few spectrum analyzer plugins can. Unlike other plug-ins that force you into a specific way of working, Insight lets you customize the user interface according to your preferences or the demands of the session.

With Insight, you can choose to display only the meters that you need for any given situation. The interface is resizable as well, so you can keep it fairly compact when your screen gets too crowded. Alpha juno vst free. If you want to have visual access to more information, you could simply maximize the interface to occupy the full screen.

Of course, you have a great degree of control over viewing the display as well. You can adjust partition sizes however you want, and each meter even comes with dedicated display settings.

User impressions

“Comprehensive” is one word that is commonly used to describe Insight. It gives users the flexibility to view data however they wish, with zooming, scaling, and even freezing options provided.

The option to choose between 2D and 3D spectrogram displays scored points among many users as well. For users that need the ability to change viewing modes for different projects, Insight stands apart from most other spectrum analyzer plug-ins.

Bottom-line

iZotope’s Insight could very well handle all your spectrum analysis needs and then some. If flexibility and accuracy are your primary concerns–as they should be when shopping for a spectrum analyzer–you can’t go wrong with Insight.

2. NuGen Visualizer

Demo & Price

NuGen’s Visualizer may not be a household name in the world of spectrum analyzer plug-ins, but that in no way indicates any shortcomings on its part. Just as capable as its more popular counterparts, it provides feature-packed tools for analyzing audio and enhancing workflow. Furthermore, Visualizer helps you recreate optimal mix settings and avoid frequently-repeated errors.

Specs and useful features

Visualizer provides a single-screen interface for viewing the frequency content of the audio material. The interface can be resized freely, taking up very little screen space or providing a comprehensive overview as needed. There are also many options to customize the display, and you could switch to any of several views simply by clicking a button.

But it’s what you can do within those views that matter the most. Visualizer has a useful comparison mode that let you view frequency content and other information from two audio channels in a few different ways. You have the option to view both audio tracks overlaid on top of each other, side-by-side, or in a differential display.

Other features–such as the stereo spectrogram, vectorscope, stereo bias meter, and peak hold control–give you a range of options by which to analyze your audio. You can even view frequencies by how they correlate to each other, making it easy for you to identify potential frequency overlaps.

User impressions

Users of Visualizer have found numerous applications for the plug-in, particularly during the mixdown and mastering stages of production. One common application is the examination of the differences that a mastering chain imparts on a mix. The plug-in makes it possible to identify frequency clashes quickly, and the ability to customize the display makes audio analysis both easy and efficient.

Bottom-line

NuGen Visualizer is a powerful and attractive-looking spectrum analyzer plug-in that can handle a multitude of audio-related tasks. It is a good deal more expensive than other plug-ins in its category, but the extra cost is justifiable given its versatility and range of features.

3. MeldaProduction MMultiAnalyzer

Demo & Price

MeldaProduction is known for its high-value plug-ins that provide professional features at a reasonable price point. MMultiAnalyzer upholds the company’s reputation admirably, with a host of features that make it possible to analyze audio and deal with any issues easily and accurately.

With a selection of audio analysis and enhancement features, MMultiAnalyzer enables you to analyze multiple tracks simultaneously. Simply patch in an instance of the plug-in in each track that you want to analyze, and they will detect each other automatically. All data will then be available to all instances of the plug-in.

Specs and useful features

MMultiAnalyzer is more than just a spectrum analyzer plug-in. It also has a built-in sonogram, and collision detection, loudness comparison, and stereo analysis features. Even with all these features, the plug-in never gets too complicated to use. Whether you use it as a multi-track sonogram, a collision detector, or a stereo analyzer, the MMultiAnalyzer workflow is fast and intuitive.

MMultiAnalyzer also comes with features that make it easy to identify specific frequencies. These include normalization, super-resolution, and de-harmonization features, all of which help you pinpoint problem areas in your audio.

User impressions

Like all MeldaProduction’s plug-ins, MMultiAnalyzer is customizable to a remarkable degree. The interface is freely resizable, and users have the option to display the controls as knobs, buttons, or sliders. Even with all the impressive technical features onboard, the plug-in’s customizability is what stands out the most among many users.

Of course, the aforementioned technical features are the main draw for professional users and serious hobbyists. The ‘smart’ metering is one of the most advanced of its kind, giving users the option to display frequency measurements in a variety of graphs and meters.

Bottom-line

MMultiAnalyzer is one of the most versatile spectrum analyzer plug-ins around. It is absolutely flawless in terms of accuracy, and the degree to which you could customize the interface is a definite plus. Even with so many capable spectrum analyzer plug-ins available, this one stands apart from the rest.

4. Blue Cat Audio Analysis Pack

Demo & Price

Blue Cat’s Audio Analysis Pack gives you pretty much everything you need to analyze and measure the frequency content of audio in one convenient package. The pack contains a dazzling array of useful plug-ins, all of which are available individually as well. Among these are two frequency analysis plug-ins, both of which provide performance equal to that of dedicated spectrum analyzers. Furthermore, these plug-ins let you can control other plug-ins–and even MIDI instruments–with the resulting measurements.

Specs and useful features

Because this is a review of spectrum analyzer plug-ins, we will focus on those specific types of plug-ins in the pack.

First up is FreqAnalyst Multi, which provides a variety of spectrum analysis features for multiple tracks. Ideally-suited for mixing and mastering, it provides a detailed view of the frequency and time of several tracks simultaneously, all from a single screen. A useful and versatile mixing tool, it will also find plenty of use as a frequency overlap detector.

The second smartphone plug-in is FreqAnalyst Pro, which adds automation generation capabilities and a 3D viewer to the standard set of spectrum analysis features. Offering much of the same functionality as the free FreqAnalyst plug-in, it provides an extremely smooth and high-resolution view of frequency as well as time.

User impressions

The individual plug-ins in the Audio Analysis Pack come with an impressive wealth of features that provide tremendous value. Most users seem sufficiently impressed with the amount of information provided, with the automation and MIDI capabilities simply being the icing on the cake. For many, the clever implementation of CC/automation generation features makes these tools so much more versatile than most standard spectrum analyzer plug-ins.

Bottom-line

The overall value provided by the Audio Analysis Pack is pretty impressive. Even if you opt to purchase just the individual spectrum analyzer plug-ins, expect to get plenty of bang for the buck.

5. Photosounder Spiral

Demo & Price

To describe Photosounder’s Spiral as a music analysis plug-in would be accurate–but it does underplay its capabilities a bit. Spiral certainly does a great job of revealing the frequency content of music, but its fresh and innovative approach to audio analysis places it so far ahead of other plug-ins that it is almost in an entirely different category.

Frequencies are displayed in a spiral (no surprise there), with a chromatic band encircling it. It is a simple enough concept to be sure, but the ability to see what is going on in your music quickly and intuitively is noteworthy. Spiral also provides many other features that give you a more detailed and informative view of your audio.

Specs and useful features

In the Spiral display, individual instruments have specific colors that represent their unique positions in the stereo mix. The plug-in also makes it possible to capture or record bits of audio into memory and play it back at slower speeds. This feature is helpful for identifying individual notes or deciphering chords.

You can even adjust the resolution at which stored audio plays back. You can lower the resolution for more precise time measurement for instance, or increase it when you need to analyze low-frequency instruments or complex chords.

User impressions

Users found Spiral to be as useful as an audio analysis tool as a musical aid. The bright colors and stereo separation make it possible to identify tones and notes quickly and accurately.

As a learning tool, Spiral is pretty much incomparable in the world of spectrum analyzer plug-ins. Its ability to highlight specific sections of the audio, capture it, and play it back at slower speeds are features that simply don’t exist in any other spectrum analyzer plug-in.

Bottom-line

Vst Plugin Cannot Be Found 8004001 Sonar Free

Spiral probably isn’t the best choice for analyzing audio for mixing or mastering purposes. More a musical aid than a frequency analysis tool, it should nevertheless find a welcome place in your plug-in collection.

6. 2nd Sense Audio Mixing Analyzer

Demo & Price

2nd Sense’s Audio Mixing Analyzer hides an impressive wealth of features in a simple and modernistic interface. Like the best spectrum analyzer plug-ins, it allows the real-time monitoring of multiple tracks of audio, with the data viewable from a single window. It also identifies instances where frequencies collide and mask each other. Whether you need to pinpoint problem frequencies in specific audio tracks or simply want to check your level balances, Audio Mixing Analyzer could be a useful tool.

Specs and useful features

Like other spectrum analyzer plug-ins that allow for the monitoring of multiple audio streams, Audio Mixing Analyzer is meant to be loaded onto each track to be analyzed. All tracks will then be visible on any instance of the plug-in, each in a different color. You can also label each track as you see fit.

A vertical line will pop up on the display if any frequencies clash or overlap. You can then instantly see where two or more parts are occupying the same frequency range. An included threshold knob lets you control how frequencies clashes are displayed, with shorter instances showing up as more pronounced movements of the indicator line.

A scrolling display below the spectrum display provides real-time information on the clashing frequencies, as well as the measure and beat position where they occur. There are also illuminating blocks to the left that indicate the presence of tracks with conflicting frequency content.

User impressions

Vst Plugin Cannot Be Found 8004001 Sonar Video

Audio Mixing Analyzer may be fairly simple, but users seem satisfied at the amount of information provided. By presenting data as text as well as visual form, users can identify frequency clashes easily, and quickly determine what steps to take to remedy potential issues.

Bottom-line

Audio Mixing Analyzer isn’t the most fully-featured spectrum analyzer around. In fact, it is one of the simplest in this rundown, without a lot of esoteric display settings and customizability options onboard. Nevertheless, it is a capable enough analyzer for the most part, and it should find plenty of use in any studio.

7. Voxengo SPAN

Demo & Price

Voxengo’s SPAN is something of a classic in the audio world, providing spectrum analysis capabilities equal to that of the best plug-ins. Remarkably, SPAN is free, which makes its professional features and capabilities even more impressive.

Even so, Voxengo saw fit to release an “extended” version of SPAN, dubbing it the SPAN Plus. Building on the already impressive features of its freeware predecessor, SPAN Plus added a static spectrum display option, PNG file export, and the ability to import and export spectrum data in real-time.

Specs and useful features

SPAN Plus has a new “mode” system that gives you the flexibility to set the display according to your preferences. This feature lets you view Fourier block size in samples, and lets you set the overlap percentage of the FFT window. You can also specify the visual slope of the spectrum, change how the secondary spectrum is displayed, and even smoothen out the spectral display as desired.

SPAN Plus makes it possible to perform a variety of analysis methods. You can compare the spectrums of different tracks at the same time, with unique colors for each channel.

Vst Plugin Cannot Be Found 8004001 Sonar
User impressions

SPAN Plus especially impresses users with its ability to perform multi-track comparisons from a single window. The ability to compare EQ curves pre- and post-mastering on the same graph makes it a flexible and useful tool for mixing and mastering.

It is interesting to note that many users find the free SPAN to be just as capable as the SPAN Plus for their needs. But that is more a testament to the excellence of the free plug-in than it is a criticism of SPAN Plus.

Bottom-line

SPAN Plus is an excellent spectrum analyzer plug-in in more ways than one. Admittedly, you could get pretty much the same features in the free version of SPAN. But if the ability to compare the spectrums of two different audio sources at the same time is important to you, SPAN Plus is a no-brainer.

Spectrum Analyzer VSTs

What is spectrum analysis?

In an audio and musical context, spectral analysis is the process of measuring the frequency content of audio signals. Using a function known as “Fourier transform”, audio is broken down into its component frequencies and displayed on a screen.

Spectrum analyzers–purpose and function

Spectrum analyzers essentially provide visual representations of sound. They measure the frequencies of audio signals and display the results in a graph in real-time. The horizontal axis represents the pitch/frequency of the audio, while the vertical axis represents the amplitude. Pitch/frequency is measured in Hertz, and amplitude is measured in decibels.

By providing a visual representation of audio, spectrum analyzers make it easier to identify specific areas of the frequency range that may cause problems in the mix later on. When used in conjunction with standard audio monitoring, spectrum analyzers can enhance efficiency during the mixing and mastering processes.

Essential features

The display is the most important part of a spectrum analyzer. This is where you can see the frequency content of your audio and how “hard” specific frequencies are hitting. You can then figure out which frequencies you will have to cut or boost to fix any problem.

The best spectrum analyzers give you more specific details on frequencies and levels when you place your cursor at certain points on the display. Some plug-ins even allow you to zoom in for a more accurate view of the levels.

Vst Plugin Cannot Be Found 8004001 Sonar Software

How to choose the best spectrum analyzer

Accuracy is, of course, one of the most important aspects of a spectrum analyzer. You will want to pay particular attention to this quality when comparing the different spectrum analyzer plug-ins available.

You should also look into the option to set the FFT block size a few different ways. This feature allows you to view frequencies at different resolutions, which could help you identify problem areas in specific frequency ranges.

One important thing to keep in mind is that spectrum analyzers can not–and should not–take the place of proper monitoring via speakers or headphones. By all means, use spectrum analyzer plug-ins for an added perspective while mixing or mastering. But don’t forget that what ultimately matters is how the music sounds–not how it looks.