DVRack: Video Recording without the Tape

Audio Spectrum Analyzer

Ever wonder how the pros get rid of hisses and pops in their video? You can fix these flaws in post-production using your editing program, but it makes sense to not even record them in the first place. The Audio Spectrum Analyzer shows a real-time chart of sound levels. If you see them jump up, then you should move the microphone away from the speaker or ask the speaker to talk more softly.

Vectorscope And Waveform Monitor

The Vectorscope and Waveform Monitor show how much color and brightness is being recorded on each frame. They are updated in real-time, and the patterns can be mesmerizing if you stare at them for too long.

The Vectorscope provides a summary of colors on the frame. For example, if you point the camcorder at a red picture, then the lines will creep into the red (R) triangle. For professionals, the vectorscope is much more accurate than the old human eyeball.

The Waveform Monitor is primarily used to measure the brightness of the incoming video frames. It displays brightness as a graph from left to right, much like a photograph's brightness histogram (for the Photoshop people out there). You can accurately see if you have bright or dark areas, rather than guesstimating with your eyes.