Measurement Software for Amateurs and Hobbyist - Recommendations?

[formdissolve]

After seeing a few other members (such as @Rja4000) reviewing gear, I got the bug and seems like it would be a fun project to get into. I obviously can't afford an AP unit, but I have an RME ADI-2 Pro FS R which seems to have an excellent AD section suited for this task. I have a bunch of gear I want to test at home and a few friends have shown interest as well.. so I was wondering if anyone can recommened any software (Mac, Linux, or Windows).

Some software that I am aware of:

Virtin Multi-Instrument Pro: Relatively cheap at $140 or so. Seems like it has some quirks and can be a pain to set up, but ultimately fairly versatile and accurate
APx500 Flex Audio Analyzer: Expensive at $3300(!!), but also has a yearly subscription version at $1000 a year(!).. seems to be the same software used in conjunction with AP hardware analyzers
Multitone: Free? Looks like it has a full feature set
Room EQ Wizard: I don't know anything about this one

 

[DVDdoug]

Some software I haven't used -

RMAA There is a free version and pro version that the website says is not available at the moment. I don't know the difference but I'm sure the pro version is affordable.

REW is free for personal use and although it's meant for acoustic measurements it can measure frequency response, distortion, and noise and I assume it can work with a direct-electrical connection.

 

[Blumlein 88]

I would say for starters Multitone, and REW. Both could use better how to information, but some of it you'll figure out and people will answer your questions. I wouldn't spend $3000+ until I was into this enough to see the justification. The RME you have can go a long way without being much of a bottleneck.

Further down the road, a Cosmos ADC and Scaler will get you pretty close to what is possible. There are threads here about the Cosmos ADC. The software writers, the Cosmos developer and even RME have members of this forum.

 

[AdrenalinH]

I am also interested in this topic. Do you know what software Ervin or Amir use?

 

[AnalogSteph]

Amir Buys a New Audio Precision Analyzer (APx555)!!!

Yes, you read it right: I now own a second and the latest state-of-the-art analyzer from Audio Precision, the APx555. She is sitting here next to her elder unit to the left I have been using until now: Avid readers know that I have been getting a lot of mileage out of my much older AP2522...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Erin's Audio Corner gets a Klippel NFS!

Well, after months of back and forth, looking at expenses and trying to predict the future, I finally did it… I have acquired a Klippel Near Field Scanner!!!! As some of you have seen me say before, it takes me 10+ hours; sometimes literal days. The NFS will cut that time down significantly...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Neither really qualifies as hobbyist grade...

 

[kemmler3D]

REW is pretty much the best free software I'm aware of for audio measurement, unless you want to start doing manual analysis in Audacity or something. @GXAlan and @VintageFlanker also do measurements on their own, not sure what they use but I don't think it's the APx555?