Spectrum Analysis

Spectrum Analysis

What is Spectrum Analysis?
What are the benefits?

Spectrum analysis is a method of measurement that allows us to accurately see the performance of the sound system. Using this as a reference we can make adjustments that will allow the sound system performance to be the very best that it can be.

The system measured and shown above on this display is essentially perfect.

In this System the Spectrum Analyzer shows a very unbalanced audio spectrum, resulting in very poor sound.

Improper configuration, incorrect Set-Up and Adjustment, and possibly some Bad Choices in the selection of Equipment, contribute to vary Harsh sound. Excessive, shrieking high frequencies and severely diminished Low Frequencies result in great unpleasantness. Feedback is certain to be one of the additional problems encountered. Not a place you want to be if you are a Singer, Talker, or Sound System Operator. This measurement was found on a new system, recently set-up.

In this system: Many peaks in the audio response result in many points of Feedback.
Peaks and Gaps make the sound Harsh and Unnatural.

Bad Choices
Bad Set-Up
Bad Adjustments
Equals – Bad Sound
You wouldn’t like it!!!

sao_04

If your measured audio spectrum looks like this, you will have excellent sound.

This system has subwoofers. The output of the subwoofers can be seen as an increase in intensity in the lowest frequencies at the left of the display. There is a gradual roll-off of the highest frequencies (above 10k) as seen on the right side of the display. That will keep those high frequencies sounding clean and natural.

When your measured spectrum looks like the above, voices sound natural,
instruments and recorded music sound real, live. Feedback is much less likely to be generated when you have this level of linearity.

Below is an actual spectrum measurement in a local church.
Sound is very non-linear, unnatural, male and female voices are almost eliminated
from spectrum. Bass is excessive, high frequencies are muted; Low-Mid frequencies - absent.