Spectrum Analyze - Android App

[Steve.Toscano]

Thought i'd let you all know:
Not sure if anyone else has found this neat little app yet.
Matt from AGMS showed me an app he's been useing for tap tests.
It's available in the Google Play store for Android. Called "Spectrum Analyer" by Raspberrywood.
I was skeptical on how good this would be, but tonight i done some tap tests side by side and compared to my visual analyzer setup (with a shure SM57), and to my surprise on all the tests it was giving the exact same results as per the laptop and decent microphone.
No settings were changed in the app, everything as per the default.

Much more convenient for the workshop - I run an old android tablet in my workshop to play tunes through my sound system. Instead of having to take the laptop out there and deal with the fan noise interfering, mic setup etc i'm thinking i'll switch over to this app on the tab.

[joel]

I was about to post a question about what microphone and recording interface people use, and I found this post!

How have you found this app over the last year? Has anyone else used this app? Free is always better than paying for equipment I'll rarely use.

[Steve.Toscano]

Hi Joel,
I've been using this app since i made that post.
Tap tested around 30 instruments in the last 18months, no complaints. I've since also compared to other peoples VA results side by side and continually get matching results.

Love not having to setup a laptop & mic everytime. I even got my phone out and tap tested a guitar in the local music shop - which attracted some strange looks from the staff.

I did end up getting the paid version for a huge $1.99 or thereabouts . Can't remember why i upgraded now, think there was a feature i wanted that wasn't in the free one.

I've hacked it abit so that the data is saved from the tablet directly to dropbox as a CSV. This means I do a series of tap tests, then can go to my office open up the computer and all the data is there in a format i can work with.

The app doesnt natively export or save the data in any usable format - i've asked the developer if he had plans to do this but didn't get a reply.
Without this hack you would be limited to taking a screenshot of the results on the phone/tablet which leaves you with a JPG file like what i posted above, so not as nice to work with as the VA data.


If you do decide to go down the VA route, I was useing a Shure SM57, connected to a USB converter - not the same, but like this one: https://www.jbhifi.com.au/headphones-dj ... sb/999933/

[joel]

Thanks Steve.

That adapter looks like the old PS3 singstar game microphone. Wonder if that'd work?

Any chance of PMing me your app hack details? Or even put it on this thread for other budget minded builders out there?

[Steve.Toscano]

I can when im back in the shed, but it will just be a lump of code. Which will be pointless unless you know what to do with it, and modify it for your dropbox setup.
The tablet is also running a custom ROM. I doubt the hack will work under a normal locked down device.
Obviously the app still works fine without the custom rom by the way.

[joel]

I'm no code guru unfortunately. But thanks for the tips.