A real-time car audio analyzer, which often goes by the abbreviation RTA, can assess the quality of your car stereo system's sound or that of any other audio device. An RTA does this by measuring and displaying the frequency spectrum of an audio signal. Real-time audio analyzers range in price and come in all shapes and sizes from small handheld devices to large rackmounted hardware units. There is even real-time audio analyzing software available that can run from your computer.
History of Real-Time Audio Analyzers
Audio engineers made real time analyzers popular in the late 1970s, displaying the frequency spectrum of audio signals for all to see accompanied by music. These graph-like formations on LED screens amazed viewers, who loved watching audio graphs "dance" along with the music. Today, digital technology provides the same results.
Downloadable Real-Time Audio Analyzers
There are several free real-time audio analyzer software programs that can be downloaded for free onto your computer. This software takes advantage of your PCs sound card to analyze the frequency spectrum of any audio source, including your car's stereo system. Simply connect a specially designed microphone with the ability to connect to your PC's USB port and you are ready to get started.
Portable and Handheld Audio Analyzers
Portable and handheld real time audio analyzers may cost a bit more but are smaller in size and therefore much easier to handle. Resembling PDAs, these devices work like larger stationary units to provide audio output from any system.
Costs
Real-time audio analyzers cost anywhere in the $300 to $400 range with handheld units at the higher end of the range and traditional stationary units at the bottom. RTA software that you download to your PC is often free, but you must purchase an RTA microphone specially designed to connect into your computer's USB port. You can expect to pay around $100 for this type of microphone.
Alternative Uses
In addition to analyzing car strereo audio quality, RTAs are used by sound engineers and by those who install audio systems into a variety of venues from movie theaters to home theaters to opera houses. RTAs are also used in the design and testing of musical instruments as well as voice and music learning aids.
Tags: Audio Analyzers, frequency spectrum, frequency spectrum audio, spectrum audio, your computer