Overview
ANALYZER measures loudness, true peak, L/R levels, spectrum and stereo image. Drop a local reference file to compare measurements and graphs. It does not change the input audio during normal metering. Reference Play temporarily auditions the reference loop instead of the input; Stop returns to your track.
Requirements and installation
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Computer | Apple Silicon Mac, macOS 13 Ventura or newer |
| Formats | Standalone Mac app, VST3, AU |
| Host | A compatible VST3/AU host; verified in Ableton Live 12 |
| Access | Free edition. No online plugin activation or trial timer. Your free Lemon order is your licence receipt. |
See Downloads for availability. In Ableton Live enable VST3 System Folders and Audio Units, then rescan. In standalone open Settings, connect the required audio device and unmute deliberately; input starts disconnected/muted to avoid feedback.
Readings and reset
- Integrated: BS.1770 programme loudness, with absolute and relative gating. Play the whole track for a full-track result. Stop holds the number; the next host Play starts a fresh Integrated pass.
- Momentary: a 400 ms window. Short Term: a 3 s window. Each needs enough audio after reset before a reading is available.
- True Peak: a 4× interpolated inter-sample peak estimate. The number holds the measured maximum until reset.
- Levels: per-channel true-peak hold and unweighted 300 ms RMS. RMS digits refresh twice per second; graphical meters respond continuously.
- Click a reading to reset that measurement. RESET clears the live measurements. Clicking the compact Levels panel resets Levels; its corner arrow opens the larger window.
On host Stop, live level bars, spectrum and stereo traces decay smoothly; numerical results remain available for inspection. Graphical Freeze deliberately holds a display.
Spectrum, stereo and history
Use the SPECTRUM, STEREO and HISTORY tabs inside the main graph area. Click a graph to expand it; use the corner arrow for Levels. Expanded windows can remain on another display.
- Spectrum: Linear, 1/3 Octave and LED Bars views; Stereo / Left / Right channels, Freeze, Peak Hold and Clear Hold. Hover to inspect Hz and dBFS, including band ranges in Bars. Settings include FFT size 1024–16384, window function, averaging, overlap and hold duration. A larger FFT improves frequency resolution but has greater time spread.
- Stereo: Polar Sample, Polar Level and Lissajous/XY views, with correlation from −1 to +1. +1 indicates matching channels; negative correlation can indicate cancellation when summed to mono. It is a diagnostic, not an automatic correction.
- History: Momentary, Short Term and Integrated traces with elapsed time. The default view fills left to right over an initial minute; its time scale expands for longer passes. Expanded History offers shorter time ranges, trace toggles, target overlay, cursor inspection and Freeze.
Targets
Targets change the comparison reference and readout colours, never the audio gain. CUSTOM permits direct editing. Named profiles use programme gating; they do not provide dialogue gating or LRA compliance certification.
| Profile | Loudness | Peak limit | Tolerance |
|---|---|---|---|
| CUSTOM | Editable | ||
| STREAMING | −14 LUFS | −1 dBTP | 1 LU |
| CLUB REFERENCE | −7 LUFS | −1 dBTP | 1 LU |
| AES STREAMING | −16 LUFS | −1 dBTP | 2 LU |
| EBU R128 | −23 LUFS | −1 dBTP | 0.5 LU |
| ATSC A85 | −24 LUFS | −2 dBTP | 2 LU |
| OP-59 | −24 LUFS | −2 dBTP | 1 LU |
| EBU DPP | −23 LUFS | −3 dBTP | 0.5 LU |
Streaming and club values are comparison presets, not universal mastering requirements. Confirm the actual delivery specification for your destination.
Reference comparison
Drop an audio file onto Drag to Reference. The local analysis provides full-file Integrated LUFS and file maxima for Momentary, Short Term and True Peak, plus L/R levels and graph data. Compare like for like: whole-file Integrated against a full-track pass, maxima against maxima. A loop and a whole track can legitimately have different loudness.
Reference Loaded opens the waveform and full duration. Drag to choose a loop, drag its middle to move it, drag an edge to trim, or click the waveform/position line to seek. Play auditions the loop at reduced preview gain; Stop returns to the input. Silent comparison can advance without playing reference audio. The Reference checkbox shows/hides overlays without removing the file. Reference readouts and file totals are labelled separately; resetting live readings does not delete the reference.
A/B compares target and display configurations. It does not switch between the live song and reference audio.
Workflow and troubleshooting
- Put ANALYZER after the limiter at the end of the master chain.
- Select a target or load a reference. Match the section and measurement type you want to compare.
- Reset before a full-track pass and play from the beginning.
- Check True Peak and stereo compatibility as well as loudness.
- Adjust your processing upstream; changing a meter target does not change the audio.
Different readings for the same song can come from different sections, gain, warp, sample rate conversion, decoding, active effects or reset times. Compare the same decoded audio, gain and measurement interval before judging a discrepancy. For help, send your app/DAW/macOS versions and a screenshot to Support.