Viewing and analyzing waveforms on a Mac

Discussion in 'Digital Audio' started by theSeaHawk, Aug 2, 2008.

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  1. theSeaHawk, Aug 2, 2008

    theSeaHawk macrumors newbie

    Joined:
    Oct 27, 2007
    #1
    This unfortunate trend in audio mastering is something I'd like to examine more closely.

    I'd like to be able to examine the waveforms of CDs of classic rock mastered and issued in the 80s (like early Atlantic pressings of Genesis and Led Zeppelin mastered by Barry Diament) and compare them to the brickwalled "remasters" done later. Over at the Steve Hoffman forums members on PCs use EAC to provide screenshots of waveforms like this, so my question here is

    which Mac program(s) would let me rip tracks and then view the audio as waveforms? and to see figures for peak values, dynamic range, etc.

    Example below: the left channel of the 1973 Genesis song 'Cinema Show' from, top to bottom:
    Virgin/Charisma CD - ca. 1984
    Definitive Edition - 1994
    Platinum Edition - 2005
    Mail On Sunday sampler CD (the mastering for the forthcoming 1970-75 boxset) - 2008
     

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  2. jackmileshunt, Aug 3, 2008

    jackmileshunt macrumors member

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    England
    #2
    audacity should do the trick, it is also open source meaning that it is free.
    if you wanted to do any audio manipulation work, ableton live is very good.
    hope it helps
     
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  3. junior, Aug 4, 2008

    junior macrumors 6502a

    junior

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    #3
    Almost any DAW in existence will show you the waves.
     
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  4. Luap, Aug 5, 2008

    Luap macrumors 65816

    Luap

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    #4
    I use Sound Studio. Not free, but very cheap for what it does.
    But yes, there is a multitude of apps available which will show you waveforms.

    While im here.. Im very much against the loudness wars too. We have all this amazing technology capable of great sound quality. but the quality is all squandered away in favour of loudness.

    And.. Looking at that Waveform. it is a good example, but perhaps later I will post a better example of 'rectangular music'
     
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  5. theSeaHawk, Aug 6, 2008

    theSeaHawk thread starter macrumors newbie

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    Oct 27, 2007
    #5
    thanks for the replies, I think I'll go ahead with Audacity.
    Luap, looking forward to the example, hopefully it's not from one of my favorite bands :(
     
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  6. Killyp, Aug 6, 2008

    Killyp macrumors 68040

    Killyp

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    #6
    Audacity will actually let you modify the individual samples in the waveform which is actually a relatively unique feature, or at least I haven't found a way of doing it in most other DAWs, although Audacity isn't really a DAW.
     
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