Our verdict: Sonic Visualiser is the reference free tool for looking closely at what is inside an audio recording. Layered spectrograms, waveforms and annotations make it ideal for study and research. It is not an editor, and most analysis features need separately installed Vamp plugins.
About Sonic Visualiser
Sonic Visualiser was started at the Centre for Digital Music at Queen Mary University of London. The project describes it as the first program to reach for when you want to study a music recording closely, and it is aimed at musicologists, archivists, signal-processing researchers and curious listeners.
You open an audio file and stack layers on top of it: waveforms, spectrograms, pitch and note data, time instants and text labels. Analysis comes from Vamp plugins, which are downloaded separately, and annotations can be saved and exported. It can also use LADSPA and DSSI effects plugins, but not VST.
What it does well
- Spectrograms. Detailed, configurable spectrogram views alongside the waveform.
- Layered panes. Stack waveforms, spectrograms and annotation layers in synchronized panes.
- Annotations. Mark time instants, regions, notes and text labels and export them.
- Vamp plugins. Runs separately installed Vamp analysis plugins for features such as pitch and onsets.
- Effects plugins. Can apply LADSPA and DSSI effects plugins on any platform.
Who it is for
Good fit
Music students, researchers, archivists and audio engineers who need to inspect recordings in detail.
Look elsewhere
People who want to edit or mix audio, or who need VST plugin support.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Excellent spectrogram views
- Flexible layers and annotations
- Extensible with Vamp plugins
- Used widely in music research
Cons
- No audio editing
- Analysis plugins must be installed separately
- No VST plugin support
How to install Sonic Visualiser
Download the 64-bit Windows MSI from sonicvisualiser.org. No analysis plugins are included, so also install a Vamp plugin pack from the Vamp plugins page linked on the download page. Restart Sonic Visualiser after adding plugins so it picks them up.
Questions about Sonic Visualiser
Is Sonic Visualiser free?
Yes. It is open source under the GNU GPL v2 or later.
Why does Sonic Visualiser show no analysis options?
No plugins come with it. Install Vamp plugins from the Vamp plugin download page, then restart the program.
