Real Time Analyzer

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A Real Time Analyzer (RTA) is a pro-audio device that measures and displays the frequency spectrum of an audio signal in real time. As the name indicates, it is a spectrum analyzer that works in real time. An RTA can range from a small PDA-sized device to a highly detailed piece of software running on a laptop. It works by measuring sound input, often from an integrated microphone or with a live feed from a PA system and displaying amplitude across the spectrum of audible sound on a Cartesian coordinate system with X being frequency and Y being amplitude.

Contents 1 Types 1.1 Professional Use 2 External links 3 References 4 See also

[edit] Types

There are generally two types of RTAs:

1. RTAs employing analog signal processing, and
2. RTAs employing digital signal processing (DSP).

The main difference between the two types is that the analog RTAs use a series of hardwired, analog bandpass filters to break the signal into frequency bands prior to measuring it. Digital RTAs use digital sampling technology and microprocessor based digital signal processing to perform necessary calculations, such as Fast Fourier Transforms, to perform the measurements and thus do not need analog hardware filters to isolate each frequency band. The digital approach to signal analysis generally yields much higher accuracy and resolution and thus most RTAs currently in production use digital signal processing technology.^[1]

[edit] Professional Use

RTA's are often used by sound engineers while on tour (or acousticians installing a new system in an existing venue) to measure the acoustic properties of different venues. Many professional audio systems incorporate an RTA along with a device that also performs equalization. While measuring pink noise or other test tones, such a controller can level out the frequency response by employing a set of adjustments (often called an EQ curve, see equalization) in the appropriate frequencies according to the system's interaction with the venue's size, shape and construction materials, among other things.^[2]

[edit] External links

• True Audio, a manufacturer of RTA software
• DBX Professional Products, pro audio hardware manufacturer
• A thorough walkthrough for setup and operation of the True Audio software from the AV Science forum
• Noise — an open-source program that creates pink noise on the Macintosh
• Test Tone Generator — Windows Software that can create pink noise

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• Architectural acoustics
• Real-time computing
• Spectrum analyzer
• Pink noise
• Auditory scene analysis incl. 3D-sound perception, localisation
• audio processing
• sound localization
• source separation
• timbre