Create a Sound Reacting 3D Waveform Animation without 3rd Party Plugins
Tutorial Details
- Program: After Effects
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Run Time: 42:43 min
Final Product What You'll Be Creating
Satya has done it again. He’s managed to re-wire and re-invent tools that we’ve had for a long time to create what would normally only be possible with third party plugins. For all of you that ask for tutorials that only use built-in plugins, this one is for you. Satya has even created a free preset so you don’t have to re-create the effect from scratch every time.
Satya also wrote an article on his blog comparing the techniques explained in this tutorial to Trapcode Soundkeys.
View Tutorial
RSS readers: click post title to view preview video at Aetuts+.
Instructions: Click ‘View Full-screen’ button (bottom right corner) to see this HD tutorial at maximum size. Click screen to pause, click again to play.
Download
Tutorial
Download
Spectrum Analysis CS4 Preset
Download
Spectrum Analysis CS3 Preset

first:D
It’s great!
niceeee, keep going Satya.
Jep well done m8!!
nice work really like it
looks damn nice!
great tutz..
smart cookie! well done mate!
like as form the plug !it is great
I just did a small comparision with Trapcode Soundkeys so that you can understand the scalability of this method. Visit http://www.gutsblow.com/archive/5/audio-analysis-after-effects
Very cool my friend, very cool.
keka ra all the best for your future projects keep going
Great Job
沙发
very nice
Really cool! Thanks a lot.
Wich Track did you used for this tutorial ? Sounds pretty experimental…
It’s AMON TOBIN – Kitchen Sink :)
Cheers, Ernest.
Yes!!
sorry, but I have a problem! I´m useing After Effects CS3 – and if I drag the preset – AE say´s I should by a newer Version…
Does it only work with CS4 ?
I guess thats because I created the preset in CS4. But let me update you with a CS3 preset.
You can now download the preset for CS3 here:
http://www.gutsblow.com/file_download/2/Spectrum+Analysis+CS3.zip
I also updated the post with the link at the top.
Awesome tut, and thank you for the update to the preset. Definitely will use it :)
the CS3 Spectrum Analyser link is broken, please fix!
Thanks for catching that. It is fixed now.
you’ve got a bright future!!
Hi,
Great Efforts Satya Meka i like that.
thank you for this
link for sound plz,
& thanks a lot for tuts leave 100 years
Awesome tutorial, and great effect!
ONCE AGAIN!!! BEAUTIFUL WORK!!!
Thank you so much for sharing this.
You can do this stuff with quarts composer, has anyone thought about a tutorial on that to do that?
Yes. I love Quartz Composer and I am definitely planning tutorials on it. But the problem is, it is mac only. Also, we can make plugins for after effects which are GPU accelerated.
Thanks for the good and fast support – it works :-)
Bit of a shameless plug here, but I’ve been slowly chugging away at my series of Quartz Composer/VDMX video tutorials which you can find at http://www.hybridvisuals.nl/tutorials, also with a handy index to more QC related stuff. Would love to see your work and tuts on it, Satya!
Joris
Well done !!!!!
I like your job.
Thanks for sharing.
Cheers from Uruguay.
Great tut…great site!!!…congratulations Satya…this have a huge potential…i `m so impress!!!
Awesome work man. I would love to see more stuff from you.
It remembers me a lot of things!
It rocks!
Excellent work
Amazing work Satya!!
sweet tutorial but you need to learn some short cut keys so you don’t have to click 4 million times
can some one tell me the name of the sound sample pack that are use………..pls
What expression did you use at final range values in null objects?
AMON TOBIN IS THE KING !!!!!!!!!!!!! Nice tut!!!
converting the spectrum thingy to key frames doesnt seem to work for me
Make sure you did everything right. You have to apply the preset to a null object and in the layer selector you should select the spectrum layer but not the audio layer. Also the spectrum should not be composited on the background nor pre-composed. Also, you might wanna adjust the amplitude and bands in the spectrum layer to get decent values. Let me know if you have further problems.
does the spectrum analysis support windows?? mine doesnt work… it should mention that if it doesnt. silly.
I tested it on windows and it should definitely work without any problems. Can you be more specific about the problem?
I download Spectrum Analysis for CS3. It opens up in WinRAR like everything I download, I extract it to a folder on my computer. I find it and there is a folder MACOSX (and in it Spectrum Analysis preset) and the file: Spectrum Analysis. I double click on it and it attempts to load into AE.
The error says:
After Effects error: Can’t import file “Spectrum Analysis CS3.ffx” unsupported filetype or extension. ( 0 :: 1 )
…
Presets are run from the Animation menu within After Effects, not by double clicking.
Refer to the following documentation http://help.adobe.com/en_US/AfterEffects/9.0/WS3878526689cb91655866c1103906c6dea-7ddaa.html
Awesome tutorial, and great effect! I like your all the work which posted in your site. And this one was special for me. Keep up the good work.
brilliant tutorial thank you very much
hi, nice tutorial. tried it but it gives the msg: function sampleImage is undefined Expression disabled. can u help out. i use ae 7. i need this effect for a music video.
sampleImage() requires AE CS3 or higher.
Great tutorial, love the fact that it doesn’t include expensive third-party plug-ins that much. Wish to see a non-HD/lo-res version of the video tutorial for slower connections.
Very nice tuts but what is this the expression u used in the final range value slider
Satya, I hadn’t ever gotten around to watching this one until now. Dude, you blew me away! This was truly well thought out and insightful! Awesome! I think I’m going to use your technique to generate a different effect if that’s cool with you. Very Well done!
Hey Adam, I have no problem with it as long as you credit me ;)
Geez……awesome stuff yo!!!!
Hey can you please get the spectrum analysis preset for AE 7 as well!!!!!! plz plz plz plz …. :(!!!!!
It is not possible in AE7 as the function sampleImage() requires AE CS3 or higher.
Is there a OSX version of the preset? Most helpful
I cant get the spectrum analyzer! Im using cs4, downloaded the extra animation presets on adobe, but they wont open into after effects, says ‘unsuported filetype or extention’.
wicked thanks, i love this type of stuff, because i make music, i always wants cheap easy ways to make exciting and new videos
thanks
how can you make song for this effects? witch program do you use?
Hi there,
I use a French version of AE CS4 so the preset doesn’t work because it needs translation for “Layer”. How can I edit the preset and translate the word?
thanks a lot
I have the same problem, someone can help ?
Thanks