Compression Frequency Analyzer
This compression frequency analyzer shows the live per-band level and dynamic range (loudest minus quietest) of each octave band from your microphone, revealing which frequencies are the most and least dynamic — the bands a multiband compressor would work hardest on and a practical guide to setting per-band dynamics before you open your DAW.
ℹ Relative dBFS, single-source view — not a before/after file comparison. This shows per-band level and how much each band’s level varies over time. It can’t compare a compressed vs uncompressed version (that needs offline file processing), and the numbers depend on your uncalibrated mic and room. Use it to see where the dynamics live. Nothing is recorded or uploaded.
What This Shows
The microphone signal is split into octave bands (63 Hz up to 16 kHz). For each band the analyzer shows the current level and, since you pressed Start, its dynamic range — the difference in dB between that band’s loudest and quietest moments (above a noise gate). The noise gate ignores samples below a low-level threshold so that room noise doesn’t artificially widen the range reading when the source is silent. A band with a large range is highly dynamic; a band with a small range is steady or already compressed. That’s exactly the information you’d use to decide where multiband compression might help.
Because it reads a live, uncalibrated, single microphone signal, the figures are relative dBFS and include your room. It’s a way to see per-band dynamics, not a calibrated measurement or a true before/after comparison of a compressed file. To check the overall spectral balance of a signal, pair this tool with the audio spectrum analyzer, which shows a full FFT view with peak hold.
In practice, vocal recordings tend to be most dynamic in the 125–500 Hz "body" region and can spike in the 2–4 kHz presence band when consonants hit. Drum overheads often show very high ranges across most bands. Seeing these patterns in real time tells you which bands of a multiband compressor or dynamic equalizer deserve the most attention — before you commit settings in your DAW.