Overtone Analyzer

Overtone Analyzer

Overtone Analyzer is a software application for anyone interested in sound or music. It can be used as a spectrum analyzer and a visual feedback tool as well as an interactive visualization of music theory. Originally written by and for overtone singers, it uniquely relates the physics of sound to the perception of music. In particular, it highlights the role of natural overtones or harmonics as a fundamental aspect of the structure of sound. Using Overtone Analyzer will deepen your understanding of sound and music and sharpen your perceptual skills.

Read on to see what you can do with Overtone Analyzer:

Spectrum Analyzer

At its heart, Overtone Analyzer has a powerful high-resolution spectrum and spectrogram display. You can record and analyze sounds in real time, or you can load and view existing recordings. The results are displayed in physical and musical terms at the same time.

Visual Feedback for Singers

See the pitch and timbre of your voice. Measure the quality and consistency of your vibrato. Improve your resonance by monitoring harmonics and formants. Visual feedback training can accelerate the learning of specific vocal techniques, and it's fun, too. Overtone Analyzer is designed to record entire voice lessons and play them back later for further practice.

Instrument Tuner

Overtone Analyzer can precisely measure the pitch of your instrument. Unlike a normal tuner that simply displays the measured fundamental frequency, Overtone Analyzer allows you to tune your instrument to the upper harmonics, which allows far more accuracy.

Tone Generator

With its simple and intuitive interface, Overtone Analyzer enables you to easily set up and play any combination of sine waves. This can be used for calibration and testing, but also for psycho-acoustic experiments such as difference tones and binaural beats. It is also useful for learning the harmonic sequence of any given tone.

Physics of Sound

Overtone Analyzer helps you to understand the physical structure of sound and music in an intuitive, visual way. You can instantly switch spectrograms between display in the linear frequency scale and the logarithmic musical scale. Zoom into a piece of music to see the individual vibrations in the wave form display.

Music Theory

Compare the natural harmonic sequence with the musical scale and learn more about temperament and tunings. Understand the physical reasons why an octave and a fifth are the most consonant intervals, and compare intervals in different tunings.

Psychoacoustics

Learn more about how your ear and your brain translate incoming sound waves into pitch and music. Perform experiments to explore your aural perception.

Overtone Singing

All these aspects make Overtone Analyzer a perfect tool for overtone singers who want to improve their technique or study specific pieces, as it expands the understanding of this art and gives accurate feedback over which harmonics are being sung.

 

Continue to a tour of the User Interface.

Screenshots:

Analysis of singers format

Spectrum of test signal with second peak at -40dB

Spectrogram of speech

Sung vocals

Harmonic sequence of base tone with 100Hz with linear frequency display

Example of simple overtone song