Do you need an oscilloscope in your collection of plugins? It can be a majorly helpful tool for viewing waveforms in great detail. First, we’ll talk about what an oscilloscope is, and then we’ll list our top five favorite plugins.
What Is an Oscilloscope?
Historically, the foundation for scopes was laid as long ago as the late 1800s. By the 1930s, after the invention of the Cathode Tube Ray, General Radio began manufacturing oscilloscopes for “regular” use outside of a laboratory or research facility.
The scope graphically measures electrical voltage in real-time. In regards to audio, it accurately displays a waveform as a measure of time on the X-axis and amplitude on the Y-axis.
For practical application, an oscilloscope, placed at the end of a signal chain, can graphically show you the cumulative effect of all your signal processing — namely what compression and other dynamic processors have had on the signal. A scope can show us problems with phase and clipping, as well as visually represent what’s happening to a signal’s transients.
Scopes are great for visualizing and diagnosing potential issues with signals. They’re helpful for mastering work as well.
5 Best Oscilloscope Plugins
1. Smart Electronix s(M)exoscope
S(M)exoscope is a reliable free plugin for waveform measurement. It allows you to visually monitor in real-time, and you can also take snapshots of a signal and have it calculate detailed information about what’s going on in a particular section. It’s free, it’s easy to use, and it’s one of the best oscilloscope plugins.
2. J-Scope Oscilloscope Plugin
J-Scope is a donation-based plugin. It’s made to look and “feel” like a hardware scope. J-Scope accepts stereo signals, and offers five different display modes depending on the info you’re seeking.
3. MeldaProduction MOscilloscope
MOscilloscope by MeldaProduction is part of a free bundle containing 37 plugins. It’s described as a powerful oscilloscope with pitch detection which “saves you time, because it just works.” All of the 37 plugins, including the scope, are almost 100% functional, though a one-time $50 optional purchase completely unlocks them.
4. Press Play Wave Observer
Wave Observer is another excellent free oscilloscope plugin with one of the cleanest (and customizable) GUIs around. It offers two distinct observer modes, including envelope mode and waveform mode. Wave Observer also includes a peak level meter and visual support for high-DPI/retina displays.
5. Blue Cat Audio Oscilloscope Multi
Blue Cat’s Oscilloscope Multi is a paid plugin. Uniquely, it lets you analyze and compare more than one channel in the same plugin. Overall, it has a more advanced set of features than the other free plugins listed here, so it would be a good choice if you’re serious about waveform analysis.