Chromas

Chromas

Chromas is a free, lightweight, open-source spectral plugin that can analyze audio input in real-time or imported audio files. It displays a colorful graphical representation of the audio frequency spectrum, useful for visualizing music production.
Chromas image
spectral-analysis frequency-analysis music-production open-source

Chromas: Real-Time Audio Spectral Analysis Plugin

Free, lightweight, open-source plugin for analyzing audio input in real-time or imported files, offering a colorful graphical representation of the audio frequency spectrum.

What is Chromas?

Chromas is a free, open-source spectral analyzer plugin released in 2017. It is lightweight software designed to work as an audio effect plugin in digital audio workstations like Ableton Live, Logic Pro, FL Studio, Reaper, and more.

With Chromas added to an audio track, it displays a colorful graphical representation of the frequencies present in that audio in real-time. This allows music producers, sound engineers, and DJs to visualize the spectrum of sounds they are working with to better understand frequency balance and dynamics.

Key features of Chromas include:

  • Real-time audio analysis showing changing frequencies over time
  • Supports imported audio files for analysis
  • Multiple color schemes and customization options
  • Touch-compatible and retina/high-DPI display support
  • Lightweight processing footprint for smooth performance

As an open-source and completely free plugin, Chromas provides an accessible entry point into spectral analysis for music producers. It can help both amateurs and professionals visualize the dynamics of their mixes to achieve better sound. The colorful shifting display also makes for visual interest during music performances and livestreams.

Chromas Features

Features

  1. Real-time spectral analysis
  2. Can load and analyze audio files
  3. Displays audio frequency spectrum graphically
  4. Lightweight and optimized for low CPU usage
  5. Open-source codebase

Pricing

  • Free
  • Open Source

Pros

Free to use with no limits

Small resource footprint

Can visualize audio in real-time

Open-source allows customization

Cons

Limited to spectral analysis features

No audio editing capabilities

Basic UI without many customization options


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