User Manual v1.

Input Channels
schOPE has 4 input channels, each
drawn in a different color. You can
route any type of signal to any of the
input channels. Here are a few useful
routing examples:

Route a dry audio signal to one schOPE

channel and the same signal after applying an
effect to another schOPE channel. This allows
to you see exactly how your effect
(compressor, EQ, etc) is changing the audio
signal.
Route different instruments to different
schOPE channels to give you guidance in
separating each track into its own sonic space.
For example, EQ scooping the bass to make
room for the kick drum is easy when you can
see the two frequency images superimposed.
Route multiple captures of the same audio
source (for example, top and bottom snare
mics, or guitar DI and amp mic) to different
scope channels to find phase problems and
see exactly how manual time adjustments will
help or hurt.

P1

schOPE is a flexible signal analysis

tool that provides several ways to
visualize multiple audio sources at
once. Audio can be visualized in
various viewing modes, or domains.
Some controls affect all domains, and
some don't.

Input Chanel Controls

In/out button: controls whether that channel
is displayed or not.

the signals. The current offset is displayed

beneath the knob.

Offset knob: adjusts the manual time delay

offset for that channel. For example, an amp
mic recording will be slightly delayed when
compared to a DI capture of the same
performance; this knob allows you to find the
exact manual adjustment needed to line up

RMS strength: displays the power of only

the visible portion of that channel's audio
signal. If only a small window of time or
frequency is displayed, the RMS display
shows the power contained within that
window.

Time Domain

Zoom handles: the vertical zoom handle to

the left of the display controls the amplitude
scale. The horizontal handles beneath the
display control which portion of the 1-second
input buffer is displayed: moving the left
handle zooms the time window, and moving
the right handle pans the display. (The RMS
strength display for each channel will reflect
only the visible part of the the waveform.)
Hold handles: if a hold level is set, each
channel's waveform is frozen when it breaks
the level selected with the red lines. This
allows easy display of only the interesting part
of a rhythmic recording, such as a series of
drum hits. The hold control can also be used
to simulate sync-scope behavior, by centering
the waveform in the display.
Mouse: the first click freezes the display and
sets the cursor. Dragging vertically controls
amplitude zoom, and dragging horizontally

pans time. Watch the zoom handles as you

drag to understand exactly how you are
affecting what's being displayed. The
mousewheel zooms in or out, centered on the
cursor location.
Cursor: The cursor is set when you freeze the
display. You can drag the cursor to a new
location, which is useful for setting a marker
to zoom in to. You can use the cursor to
measure waveforms as well: when the cursor
is showing, there will be three measurements
displayed above the horizontal zoom bar. The
center measurement shows the length of a
waveform that would exactly fill the display
screen. The left and right measurements
show the length of a waveform that would fit
exactly between the cursor and the left or
right side of the display screen. The easiest
way to measure waveforms is to move the
cursor to the point where a waveform crosses
zero, then scroll the display so that the
waveform also crosses zero right at the left or
right edge.

P2

In this view, waveform peaks are drawn,

representing the strength of the audio signal
over time.

Frequency Domain
In this view, spectral power is drawn,
representing the strength of the audio signal
across frequencies. Hovering the mouse over
the spectrum drawing will display the exact
frequency and note equivalent.
Zoom handles: the vertical zoom handle to
the left of the display controls the amplitude
scale. The horizontal handles beneath the
display control which portion of the frequency
spectrum is displayed.
Mouse: the first click pauses the display.
Dragging vertically controls amplitude zoom,
and dragging horizontally pans frequency.
FFT size: controls how many samples of the
audio signal are used to generate the
frequency drawing. An audio frequency only

exists within a certain window of time, so FFT

size is a tradeoff between time accuracy and
frequency accuracy. If a longer FFT size is
used, there is more time to capture
frequencies, so the frequency display is more
accurate, but the less the display reflects what
is happening right now. A shorter FFT size
allows less time to capture frequencies, so the
display more closely reflects what is
happening right now, but the frequency
display is less accurate.

Phase Domain

Zoom handles: the vertical zoom handle to

the left of the display controls the amplitude

scale. The horizontal handles beneath the
display control which portion of the 1-second
input buffer is displayed: moving the left
handle zooms the time window, and moving
the right handle pans the display.
Mouse: the first click pauses the display.
Dragging vertically controls amplitude zoom.

2008 John Schwartz. Design by White Tie. This manual contains no silliness. If you have any support needs,
or questions on usage or anything else regarding this plugin, please visit the forums at www.stillwellaudio.com

P3

In this view, the stereo phase image of the

signal is drawn. Scope channels 1 and 3 are
interpreted as left channels, drawn along one
diagonal, and channels 2 and 4 are interpreted
as right channels, drawn along the other
diagonal. A balanced stereo image will have
most of its strength along the vertical axis of
the graph; a panned signal will have more
strength along one diagonal. A signal with
phase problems will have most of its srength
along the horizontal axis, because the phase
misalignment causes the left and right
channels to always have opposing polarity,
meaning they partially cancel each other out,
which you hear as a weak or phasey signal.