Best Free Mixing & Analysis Tools for Mixing
Great mixing is not just about creative plugins — it is about seeing and measuring what you hear. These free analysis and utility tools give you the visual feedback needed to make confident mixing decisions, especially if your room acoustics are not perfect.
How We Chose
- Accuracy of measurements and visual feedback
- Usefulness for identifying and solving real mixing problems
- Low CPU impact since these run alongside your mixing plugins
- Ease of reading and interpreting the display at a glance
Quick Picks
Detailed Reviews
SPAN by Voxengo
SPAN is the most widely used free spectrum analyzer in audio production. It displays a real-time frequency spectrum with adjustable resolution, averaging, and slope. It also shows RMS and peak levels, crest factor, and stereo correlation — all in one window.
Pros
- Highly configurable display with adjustable smoothing, slope, and block size
- Shows spectrum, RMS, peak, crest factor, and correlation in one plugin
- Extremely low CPU usage — you can run it on every bus without impact
Cons
- -The interface can feel dense and overwhelming for beginners
- -No loudness metering (LUFS) — you need a separate plugin for that
Best for: Checking frequency balance, identifying resonances, and verifying your mix translates across systems.
Youlean Loudness Meter 2
The definitive free loudness meter for streaming-era production. Youlean measures integrated LUFS, short-term LUFS, momentary LUFS, true peak, and loudness range — everything streaming platforms use to normalize your music.
Pros
- Measures all LUFS standards used by Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and Tidal
- Beautiful real-time loudness history graph
- Preset targets for every major streaming platform
Cons
- -The free version has some feature limitations versus the paid Pro version
- -Large resizable window can take up significant screen space
Best for: Ensuring your masters meet streaming loudness standards before upload.
Voxengo MSED
A free mid/side encoder and decoder that lets you process the center and sides of your stereo image independently. MSED can also be used as a simple stereo width control or to check mono compatibility.
Pros
- Essential for mid/side processing workflows without built-in DAW support
- Solo mid or side channels to check stereo balance
- Lightweight and zero-latency
Cons
- -Very utilitarian — no visual feedback or metering
- -Requires understanding of mid/side concepts to use effectively
Best for: Checking mono compatibility, controlling stereo width, and mid/side processing chains.
Voxengo Correlometer
A free stereo correlation meter that shows the phase relationship between your left and right channels. A reading near +1 means mono-compatible; near 0 means wide stereo; below 0 means phase cancellation problems.
Pros
- Simple visual display of stereo phase relationships
- Essential for catching phase problems before they ruin your mix on mono systems
- Extremely low CPU usage
Cons
- -Single-purpose tool — only measures correlation
- -Requires understanding of phase to interpret the readings
Best for: Monitoring stereo phase coherence and ensuring mono compatibility.
MAnalyzer by MeldaProduction
Part of the MFreeFXBundle, MAnalyzer is an advanced spectrum analyzer with sonogram, oscilloscope, and loudness metering views. It can also compare two signals for A/B referencing.
Pros
- Multiple analysis views including sonogram and oscilloscope
- Dual-channel comparison mode for A/B referencing
- Highly configurable with extensive display options
Cons
- -Part of a large bundle install
- -Can be overwhelming with too many options and settings
Best for: Deep analysis and A/B comparison of your mix against reference tracks.
Panagement 2 by Auburn Sounds
A free stereo panning and imaging tool that goes beyond simple left-right panning. Panagement uses psychoacoustic processing to create more natural spatial positioning, including distance simulation via reverb and filtering.
Pros
- More natural panning than standard DAW pan knobs
- Built-in binaural processing for headphone mixing
- Distance simulation adds depth without a separate reverb plugin
Cons
- -Binaural mode is headphone-specific and does not translate perfectly to speakers
- -Some DAWs already have advanced panning built in
Best for: Headphone mixing and creating a more three-dimensional soundstage.
How to Choose
SPAN and Youlean Loudness Meter are essential — install both immediately. Add MSED and Correlometer if you work with stereo-heavy mixes. Panagement is a bonus for headphone mixers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, especially if your room is untreated. Analysis tools catch problems your ears miss due to room acoustics, listening fatigue, or monitoring limitations. They supplement your ears, not replace them.
Spotify normalizes to -14 LUFS integrated. However, you do not need to master exactly to -14 — just avoid excessive loudness that causes audible distortion. Target -12 to -14 LUFS for a safe, competitive master.
Stereo correlation measures how similar your left and right channels are. A correlation of +1 is mono, 0 is uncorrelated stereo, and -1 means complete phase cancellation. If your mix drops below 0 frequently, it will lose energy when summed to mono on phones and club systems.
No — that would be distracting. Put SPAN on your mix bus and master. Use it on individual tracks only when troubleshooting a specific problem, like identifying a resonant frequency.
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