spiral spectral analysis plugin by Photosounder showing a coiled spectrum display

Photosounder·Spectral AnalysisFree trial

spiral: Spectral Analysis Plugin by Photosounder Free Download

Rated 4.3/5 on Plugin Boutique (118 ratings)

spiral is a music analysis plugin by Photosounder that displays the spectrum as a coiled spiral framed by a chromatic circle, so you can see the notes and harmonics in a mix.

VST2AUWindowsmacOS64-bit

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Free trial available from the developer

01Overview

spiral is an effects plugin from Photosounder built for analyzing music rather than shaping it. Instead of a conventional spectrum display, it coils the frequency spectrum into a spiral framed by a chromatic circle, which makes pitch relationships easier to read at a glance. Colors show where sounds sit in the stereo field, so instruments are often easy to tell apart. It is available as a VST2 and AU plugin for Windows and macOS.

Best for

Chord analysis
Transcribing melodies
Tuning instruments
Identifying notes in a mix
Studying harmony

Developer: Photosounder
Category: Spectral Analysis
Store: Plugin Boutique

02Key features

What you get

Spiral spectrum display framed by a chromatic circle
Colors indicate position in the stereo mix
Record audio into memory and play back at 0–100% speed
Adjustable analysis resolution for time or frequency precision
Rotatable spiral to place the scale root at the top
Click-to-create harmonic overlays for individual note identification

03In depth

Visualizing notes and chords in a spiral display

The spiral view places the spectrum around a chromatic circle, so notes that share a pitch class line up visually even across octaves. Photosounder's own description is that this lets you see what is happening musically and spectrally at once.

The display can be rotated so the root of the scale sits at the top, which helps you recognize notes more quickly. Clicking the visualization creates overlays for the harmonics of a chosen note. Adjusting those overlays helps you pick out the individual notes that make up a chord.

Recording, slowing down and adjusting resolution

spiral can record a portion of the sound into its memory and play it back at a slower rate, from 0% to 100% of the original speed. This is useful when you want to write down notes or work through a chord that moves too fast to follow in real time.

Analysis resolution is adjustable. Lower settings give more precision in time, which suits fast passages. Higher settings give more detail for complex chords, bass instruments and tuning an instrument.

04Specs

Will it run?

Formats, systems and requirements as listed by Plugin Boutique. Missing details are left out, not guessed.

Developer	Photosounder
Type	Plugin
Category	Spectral Analysis
Formats	VST2, AU
Operating systems	Windows, macOS
Architecture	64-bit
Free trial	Yes

05FAQ

Questions, answered

What is spiral?

spiral is a music analysis plugin by Photosounder. It shows the spectrum coiled into a spiral with a chromatic circle, so you can see notes and chords as you listen.

What formats and operating systems does spiral support?

spiral is available in VST2 and AU formats, as 64-bit plugins for Windows and macOS. The listed requirements say Windows 7 and later, and macOS versions up to 10.15 for VST and Audio Unit builds.