Installation
Get EMSPEC running on your machine.
Windows Installation
1. Download the latest EMSPEC-Setup-x.x.x.exe from the homepage.
2. Run the installer. If Windows SmartScreen appears, click "More Info" and "Run Anyway".
3. The application will launch automatically once installed.
macOS Installation
1. Download the .dmg file appropriate for your architecture (Intel or Apple Silicon).
2. Open the .dmg and drag EMSPEC to your Applications folder.
3. On first launch, you may need to right-click and select "Open" to bypass security prompts if the app is not yet notarized.
Apple Silicon (M1/ and later) "App is Damaged" Fix
If you encounter an error stating that "EMSPEC is damaged and can't be opened" on an Apple Silicon (M1 and later) Mac, this is caused by macOS Gatekeeper blocking the application because it is currently unsigned.
The Fix
You can easily fix this by removing the "quarantine" flag that macOS automatically applies to downloaded files.
1. Open your Terminal (found in Applications > Utilities).
2. Copy and paste the following command:
sudo xattr -cr /Applications/EMSPEC.app
(Note: If you have installed the app in a different folder, please update the path accordingly.)
3. Press Enter. You may be asked for your Mac password.
4. You should now be able to open EMSPEC normally.
To prevent malicious software, macOS requires developers to sign and notarize their apps with an Apple Developer account. Since EMSPEC is currently an open-source project being shared directly, it hasn't gone through this official Apple verification process yet. The command above simply tells your Mac that you trust this specific app.
Setup
Initial configuration and permissions.
Setup for Windows
For the best experience on Windows, we recommend using the VST Audio Bridge. This avoids the limitations of system loopback and provides low-latency analysis.
Ensure your audio drivers are up to date. If using ASIO, see the VST section for integration details.
Setup for macOS
macOS requires explicit permission to record audio. When you first launch EMSPEC, you will be prompted for "Microphone" permissions. This is necessary for EMSPEC to capture the system audio loopback.
If you deny microphone access, EMSPEC will show a black screen or no signal. Re-enable it in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone.
VST Audio Bridge vs Loopback
Understanding the two ways EMSPEC captures audio.
Overview
Loopback Audio: Captures everything your computer is playing. It's easy to set up but can include system sounds (notifications, browser audio) and has higher latency.
VST Audio Bridge: A lightweight plugin you place on your DAW's master channel. It transmits audio directly to the EMSPEC standalone app with near-zero latency and high precision.
VST Installation
1. Open EMSPEC Settings.
2. Locate the "VST Installation" section.
3. Click "Install to Default Location" or choose a custom folder where your DAW looks for plugins.
4. Rescan plugins in your DAW (Ableton, FL Studio, Logic, etc.).
Usage
Place the EMSPEC Bridge VST on any track you want to analyze. Usually, this is the end
of your master chain. Once active, the EMSPEC standalone app will prioritize the VST signal over
loopback.
In the Sttings window, toggle VST Audio Bridge to enable or disable the VST signal.
Settings Overview
Deep dive into the analysis parameters.
- Auto-update: Enables or disables checking for and downloading new versions on launch.
- Presets: Save and recall specific configurations of the visualizer.
- FFT Size: Controls the frequency resolution. Higher values (e.g., 8192) give more detail in the bass but higher latency. It will also become more difficult to see details at higher scroll speeds.
- Scale: Move the slider to switch between Linear and Logarithmic frequency scaling.
- Colormap: Changes the color palette of the spectrogram (e.g., Magma, Viridis, Inferno). Hover to view, click to select.
- Gain: Adjusts the input signal sensitivity.
- DB Range: Sets the dynamic range displayed (e.g., -60dB to 0dB).
- Low Boost: Enhances the visibility of low-end frequencies.
- Noise Gate: Filters out background noise below a certain threshold.
- Reassignment: A technique to sharpen the spectrogram by reassigning energy to its center of gravity. *recommended for accurate low-end frequency analysis*
- Natural Weighting: Adjusts the spectrum to better match human hearing (similar to A-weighting).
- Always on top: Keeps the EMSPEC window above all other windows.
Stereoscope
Visualizing the stereo field and phase relationships.
Options
The Stereoscope provides a vectorscope (Lissajous) and a Correlation meter. You can toggle between different drawing modes and adjust the persistence of the visual trail.
VST Audio vs Loopback
When using the VST Bridge, the Stereoscope displays the exact stereo signal from your DAW. When using Loopback, it displays the combined stereo output of your system. Depending on your system, true stereo may not be possible. If your system is sending mono only data, EMSPEC will display mono data in a stereo field.