Three more music Spectrum Analysers. All that glitters...

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  • Опубликовано: 22 авг 2024

Комментарии • 981

  • @wal
    @wal 2 года назад +297

    I'm the kinda guy who thinks the visual part is a good percentage of the total experience. I hate the way VU meters and Spectrum Analyzer displays have been removed from most audio equipment. That said, I love these vids showing off what's available. Thanks for the effort put into making these vids!

    • @EsotericArctos
      @EsotericArctos 2 года назад +8

      Agree with you, but I can also understand why they are removed when a lot of amplifiers etc are used in Home Theatre setups where you don't really want the VU meters and visualisations taking away from the movie experience.

    • @natangurfinkel
      @natangurfinkel 2 года назад +6

      @@EsotericArctos fair enough. Stereo became a niche and vu meters are only found on higher-end amplifier components AFAIK, and probably the manufacturers are assuming you have a dedicated listening room where a TV is irrelevant.

    • @Kremithefrog1
      @Kremithefrog1 2 года назад

      I love the lasers and lights at edc festivals.

    • @thomasandrews9355
      @thomasandrews9355 2 года назад

      I love your channel! You big dummy 🤪

    • @davezorc
      @davezorc 2 года назад +1

      Rick Diculous they plain out lyin to ya.

  • @kenp14
    @kenp14 2 года назад +161

    You have amazing patience. I laughed out loud during the 2nd one when you dumped all the LED strips out of the acrylic out of frustration.

  • @CoolFire666
    @CoolFire666 2 года назад +505

    The second device was doomed to fail on lining up the LEDs. There's 22 acrylic panels and 20 LEDs on each of the strips. So it's fair to say them not lining up properly is no fault of yours.

    • @slother932
      @slother932 2 года назад +55

      Yep, clearly no tolerance analysis was performed. Nor were any f@cks given at the factory!

    • @davelikesthings
      @davelikesthings 2 года назад +30

      I guess you could use 20 panels and all the spacers, but, yeah it's a very half-assed implementation of an over-complicated design :/

    • @jmctoob2
      @jmctoob2 2 года назад +38

      I assumed the extra panels were to be unspaced at the bottom to hide the chips.

    • @midniteoyl8913
      @midniteoyl8913 2 года назад +11

      @@jmctoob2 - Thought the same, but it didn't look like the slots were big enough to fit the chips.

    • @jonny5alive123
      @jonny5alive123 2 года назад +7

      @@midniteoyl8913 Maybe some of the strips have a larger hole for the chips

  • @Dark_Ronius
    @Dark_Ronius 2 года назад +225

    That second one looks like it would be good if it were about £40 as opposed to over £100. I quite like the industrial look, but at that price really you shouldn't be paying for a factory work experience position.

    • @tenow
      @tenow 2 года назад +9

      Yup, I like the design of the second one

    • @Kousaburo
      @Kousaburo 2 года назад +10

      Fully assembled and with the LEDs in the right place, then yeah.

    • @ItsMrAssholeToYou
      @ItsMrAssholeToYou 2 года назад +8

      £10-20, tops.

    • @Mekchanoid
      @Mekchanoid 2 года назад +12

      Totally. Is it just me, but it seems like this cheap Chinese tat has gone up in price a lot in the last few years? Haven't bought on anything on Aliexpress for a while now, doesn't seem to any point.

    • @c3pu333
      @c3pu333 2 года назад +4

      It would look pretty good, when lined up properly. But it is grossly overpriced.

  • @timehunter9467
    @timehunter9467 2 года назад +67

    The second one probably included the other type of parts by accident. The thinner spacers combined with the longer LED strips were probably a different model. I wasn’t expecting that price either, it looks like something you’d buy from Argos for about £35.

  • @kaitlyn__L
    @kaitlyn__L 2 года назад +345

    Wow, masochistic Mat in this one! I definitely would’ve stopped bothering after the first construction on the second unit - especially because they ended-up in phase by the end and the height matched. I think the manufacture measurements are what’s wrong rather than your method, probably a compounded rounding error! Still, I do appreciate the sacrifice of your time and your patience :)

    • @Virolaxion
      @Virolaxion 2 года назад +10

      When you spend over £100 on it you might as well make a project out of it. Or return it.

    • @kaitlyn__L
      @kaitlyn__L 2 года назад +2

      @@tiepup any extra spacing would have the acrylic extend above the circuit boards though, and any less spacing would have the circuit boards extend above the acrylic.
      There was no way with the provided spacers to get better alignment - it goes out of phase so slowly that the differences are sub-millimetre. Which makes me think it could be a case like 2.54 vs 2.5mm spacing for IC legs (not those exact numbers, but that kind of magnitude, tenths or hundredths out between the PCB pad spacing and the acrylic’s thickness - my guess is the acrylic and spacers were measured with digital callipers and that number was used for the CAD for the PCB without accounting for the limited resolution).
      Building it as you said may have confirmed that with less work than rebuilding it three different ways from scratch, but I’d determined that from just looking at it after the first time.

    • @kaitlyn__L
      @kaitlyn__L 2 года назад

      @@Virolaxion the first build was the project! The other two rebuilds were the masochism ;)

    • @MikehMike01
      @MikehMike01 2 года назад

      It’s from China. It’s broken on purpose so you have to buy 2 or more to get what you want. Terrible country.

    • @JTA1961
      @JTA1961 2 года назад

      (1) word... comPLEX

  • @thenargles
    @thenargles 2 года назад +409

    The “dual channel” one that is actually mono just blows my mind. Why would they do such a stupid thing?! Anyway, you made it entertaining for us as usual!

    • @Preske
      @Preske 2 года назад +13

      money.

    • @justanotherviewer4821
      @justanotherviewer4821 2 года назад +10

      They could have used 2 mono circuits stacked one on top of the other (and use that in their mono version).

    • @Sortsylic
      @Sortsylic 2 года назад +19

      It's China style marketing

    • @drakefallentine8351
      @drakefallentine8351 2 года назад +16

      They know the "consumers" are easily impressed mit der blinkin lights...but don't know enough to question why? All they need to know is...."it's cool"...(and if it can be mounted on their dashboard.)

    • @jonnyreverb
      @jonnyreverb 2 года назад +2

      Agreed. It's not an impressive light show, and you can't tell which channel is clipping to use it as a spectrum analyzer.

  • @australianandrew128
    @australianandrew128 2 года назад +173

    Techmoan's easter story.
    He suffered for us so we don't have to. Concerning number 2.

    • @guyh3403
      @guyh3403 2 года назад +3

      He made me suffer by fubarring the assembling.

    • @johanneswerner1140
      @johanneswerner1140 2 года назад +3

      no.3 was a no. 2 as well...

    • @coffeekatk4067
      @coffeekatk4067 2 года назад +1

      Yup! Enjoyed whilst stuffing chocolate malt eggs in my face!

    • @Slay1337pl
      @Slay1337pl 2 года назад +2

      If you think that's suffering, imagine trying to dust it off.

    • @seronymus
      @seronymus 2 года назад

      Andrew pls become Orthodox, look up the Holy Fire of Jerusalem

  • @discostu1uk
    @discostu1uk 2 года назад +82

    The only man I would spend the best part of an hour listening to talking about blinking lights

    • @claytonius3
      @claytonius3 2 года назад

      I think you might enjoy James May's The Reassembler series.

    • @JTA1961
      @JTA1961 2 года назад

      valid point

    • @TriAmpHiFi
      @TriAmpHiFi Год назад

      Crap, I'm doing it too.

  • @CARLiCON
    @CARLiCON 2 года назад +133

    13:39 "I feel like I just volunteered for a job in a Chinese factory here, and it wasn't really what I wanted to do today..." PRICELESS!

    • @matytoonist
      @matytoonist 2 года назад

      like check

    • @minty_Joe
      @minty_Joe 2 года назад

      Remember, Techmoan, the Chinese don't care. They only want your money. That's how they get back at us for cr*pping on them all these years.

  • @LaTigerGenesis
    @LaTigerGenesis 2 года назад +251

    Please consider offering "It's mono and it's hopeless" tee-shirts!

    • @RegebroRepairs
      @RegebroRepairs 2 года назад +9

      Just "Mono and hopeless" so it applies to me. :-D

    • @LaTigerGenesis
      @LaTigerGenesis 2 года назад +5

      @@RegebroRepairs Better mono and hopeless than "mini and hipless," I'd reckon!

    • @DumahBrazorf
      @DumahBrazorf 2 года назад +6

      But is a PROFESSIONAL graphic equalizer!!!

    • @aeiouxs
      @aeiouxs 2 года назад +4

      I want to see a Tshirt representing Mats' polite disappointment at seeing another Tanashi (spelling?) cassette mechanism used inside a new audio product.

    • @rvk8991
      @rvk8991 2 года назад

      Don't forget the fancy bits.

  • @fhwolthuis
    @fhwolthuis 2 года назад +44

    I think for the second one you should build it bottom to top with the LEDs already placed vertical in the base. Then you can check the alignment of each piece of perspex and decide which washers to use for the next one

    • @kenabi
      @kenabi 2 года назад +9

      to be specific, install led strips into base along with the threaded rods, put first acrylic layer on, install thick spacers. from here, try another layer of acrylic, add thin spacers if needed, otherwise move onto next layer. adjust thickness of each set of spacers per layer as needed.
      doing this process off the assembly, as became obvious, is an exercise in frustration.

    • @richardl4556
      @richardl4556 2 года назад +3

      Yep, exactly how I would have done it.

    • @JaredReabow
      @JaredReabow 2 года назад +1

      i was screaming at the screen!! how was this not obvious????

  • @geraldhenrickson7472
    @geraldhenrickson7472 2 года назад +35

    Rather than speculate, whine or state the obvious, I will just thank you once again for taking us along to see these latest acquisitions. It makes my Sunday morning coffee extra special.

    • @Aeduo
      @Aeduo 2 года назад +1

      It's saturday.

    • @JoeOrber
      @JoeOrber 2 года назад +1

      @@Aeduo this is clearly a post from the future; don't mess with time travellers, they can come back and kick your butt lol 😆

  • @tarnvedra9952
    @tarnvedra9952 2 года назад +90

    Correct way of assembly is probably screw the posts into the base, insert LED strips and then space the acrylics to proper level as you go?

    • @pev_
      @pev_ 2 года назад +8

      But you cannot space them properly unless you make your own spacers instead of using the supplied ones.

    • @MrJef06
      @MrJef06 2 года назад +10

      Perhaps you need to use both the hard and soft spacers as Matt did, but then tighten the top bolts until the space is correct?

    • @pev_
      @pev_ 2 года назад +4

      @@MrJef06 I do not think so, the difference of height of the two spacers seems too much. I think it is just manufacturer's error or incompetence.

    • @CTCTraining1
      @CTCTraining1 2 года назад +2

      I think I’d trim slots into the thin separators and then try using them to shim up as needed ... but does look like a nightmare.

    • @DumahBrazorf
      @DumahBrazorf 2 года назад +4

      @@pev_ It may not line perfectly but using one spacer or the other or adding both when needed should make a better result.

  • @ModernClassic
    @ModernClassic 2 года назад +52

    I'm extremely familiar with the "I don't know what I was thinking when I ordered this" feeling... it's usually the result of a late night combined with alcohol.

    • @ETC_Rohaly_USCG
      @ETC_Rohaly_USCG 2 года назад +7

      As my friends always tell me… “Don’t drink and Prime”… lol

    • @kenmore01
      @kenmore01 2 года назад +1

      Yeah, I remember a case of magic spoon cereal showing up and me wondering who bought it for me, only to find they were a sponsor of a channel I watch. 😅

  • @HansenPL
    @HansenPL 2 года назад +53

    Thank you for showing those contraptions so we wouldn't be tempted to waste the money on such things. 😂

    • @peterjf7723
      @peterjf7723 2 года назад +7

      Those were some seriously disappointing products.
      Shoddy build quality/poor instructions and overpriced.

  • @rustkitty
    @rustkitty 2 года назад +26

    The display is decent on the first one because it's an off-the-shelf module. They just snap it into their plastic frame along with some shoddily programmed microcontroller and done.

  • @davelordy
    @davelordy 2 года назад +15

    On the last analyser . . . the 63Hz band is duplicated to the 6 bands below it, so basically it's faking the lower bands, also 80Hz and 100Hz are duplicates of each other . . . it's all a bit scamy !

    • @compzac
      @compzac 2 года назад +1

      *spits tea at monitor* a bit! that thing reeks of scamy the button being upside down that display falling off the wobbly knobs what i dont get is how lazy they were with it, the stereo display instantly fell over because before he even called it out that the displays were duplicating i was looking at it going wait hold on why are the right and lefts exactly parallel even a song set like that would have had little moments of difference they didnt even try to attempt to pretend it was possible someone would notice.

  • @richardbanks2669
    @richardbanks2669 2 года назад +44

    Really like the little avatar who explains things, hope your hand gets better soon! Thanks for sharing this, even if something turns out to be rubbish, the video is still entertaining :)

    • @trewlove
      @trewlove 2 года назад +5

      I would like to see muppet instead of graphic avatar

    • @ironspike171
      @ironspike171 2 года назад +4

      I like that „formerly known as old man tonie“ avatar a lot!

  • @tentotwo8290
    @tentotwo8290 2 года назад +38

    42 minutes of Techmoan. Brilliant 🤩

  • @vwlssnvwls3262
    @vwlssnvwls3262 2 года назад +4

    Thank you for always doing the music while removing the screen protectors. This is always a favorite treat in the videos it appears in.

  • @KroltanMG
    @KroltanMG 2 года назад +40

    When you ran the frequency sweep on the first two devices, it seems like they only do a few buckets and interpolate the values between each. You can see the line segments rising up and down individually, instead of having a smooth curve with a single peak. So it's really just like 8 bars spread out into 32 or 20.
    At least the third device seems to actually use one bucket per bar, for all its other faults.

    • @adimifus
      @adimifus 2 года назад +1

      Yep I noticed that, too. It looks like 7 evenly spaced tent poles going up and down.

    • @KroltanMG
      @KroltanMG 2 года назад +12

      ​@@minoreye9984 "Bucket" is a common term in mathematics/statistics/computing, it means a group of similar values. In this case, we're talking about "groups of frequencies".
      In a properly made frequency analyzer, each column being displayed should correspond to a single bucket, but the first two devices share buckets per column, and just interpolate between them.
      Using adimifus' analogy above, there are 7 tent poles (buckets), and the columns between each just get some proportion of the value of the two nearest poles, hence it looks like a stretched tarp. The column half way between two tent poles is higher by half the difference of the poles, and so on.

    • @rsaxvc
      @rsaxvc 2 года назад

      Perhaps a rectangle windowed FFT.

    • @compzac
      @compzac 2 года назад

      Uhh the third one was better because it was not interpolating the graphs down to 7... did you miss the beginning and the end when it just went nuts and shoved 7 bars in the air on the low end then all the bars went off on the high end?
      yea sure maybe its trying to have more resolution but it screws up so bad that it produces even worse garbage data than the first 2, yes sure those might only have 7 data points but they looked ok doing it smoothly transitioning, plus they dont try to act like they are better than they are... that third one tried to act like it was stereo and professional with things like the frequency numbers at the bottom and it failed so hard id rather have the first two.

    • @KroltanMG
      @KroltanMG 2 года назад +2

      @@compzac I did not say it was objectively a better product, not sure where you got that idea from.
      Regarding the terrible low/high response on the sweep, it might be they used a small FFT window, and/or there is some sort of "auto gain control" that amplifies noise when given a single frequency. It's probably built for blinkenlight entertainment (despite its claims) and so is only really designed to analyze music.
      Can't really argue about the "stereo and professional" point, it really is shitty business. But as I said, it has other flaws, it's just decent in this specific respect.
      Overall, if I was forced to choose one of them at gunpoint, I'd still pick it because the user interface is not entirely insane and unhinged, designed by someone not in Chaotic Neutral D&D alignment.

  • @gummboote
    @gummboote 2 года назад +17

    These devices fall into three categories: meh, nightmarish and you-must-be-joking.

    • @genius1a
      @genius1a 2 года назад +1

      That's an excellent summary...

    • @Lively_1185
      @Lively_1185 2 года назад +2

      I honestly think the meh one is half decent, the price is within range just for the screen being used. But I hate it because graphic design is not their passion! Oh well.

  • @Kitteh.B
    @Kitteh.B 2 года назад +5

    I live vicariously through this channel, in the hopes that one day Matt will stumble across the ideal spectrum analyzer and that I'll be able to snag one before his video causes the price to soar!

  • @NLind
    @NLind 2 года назад +14

    That first one with the 128 x 32 could be used in a pinball machine since the majority of DMD (Dot Matrix Display) games used that resolution.

    • @compzac
      @compzac 2 года назад +3

      I think your right, but a little backwards, im guessing that is a display for a pinball machine that is being repurposed for this use case

    • @rares3968
      @rares3968 Год назад

      @@compzac Nope, it's not. It's actually two 64 x 32 RGB panels that you can get for cheap. They are easily controllable with Arduino / ESP / Raspberry pi.

  • @10p6
    @10p6 2 года назад +29

    The last spectrum analyzer display looks like it is using the SP107e RGB controller that is sold on Amazon for like $20. It claims to be stereo when it is only mono, and a poor one at that.

    • @volvo09
      @volvo09 2 года назад +5

      Yeah that one is poor.
      Mono, and frequency handling / identification / whatever you want to call it is really really bad.

  • @K-o-R
    @K-o-R 2 года назад +9

    We appreciate your patience and dedication!

  • @aeiouxs
    @aeiouxs 2 года назад +4

    This video is the truest definition of TechMoan I've seen yet!
    And in the best way of course, as always, thanks Mat.

  • @electronicengineer
    @electronicengineer 2 года назад +3

    Very nice of you Mat/Techmoan to "take the hit" on these three (3) audio spectrum analyzers and advise all of us viewers to "stay clear" of all of them. You're a class act sir. Fred

  • @slother932
    @slother932 2 года назад +9

    The 3rd one was damaged by the unsecured plug right next to the unit. Naive package designers rarely take inertia into account and that leads to damage regardless of how much foam they put around the unit.
    Good quality can be had out of China, but it usually requires expert design and on premises ex-pats in charge to ensure quality is maintained.
    But Chinese-designed with a cheap-out mindset? Forget about quality!

  • @imnickleonard
    @imnickleonard 2 года назад +3

    Thank you Techmoan; for buying these so we don’t have to.
    The first one looks like it has potential after few more iterations however I knew not to expect much when I saw the cheesy labels and the nasty power switch.

  • @halloweenengineer6283
    @halloweenengineer6283 2 года назад +45

    Personally, I think the ultra simple Laser FX is still the best music visualizer that you've shown.

    • @billschlafly4107
      @billschlafly4107 2 года назад

      I knew someone who bought one, I guess sometime around 1990. It was a hot pile of useless garbage. We were both very excited to get it going and it was a complete disappointment.

    • @halloweenengineer6283
      @halloweenengineer6283 2 года назад

      @@billschlafly4107 Did your experience differ from Techmoan's video about it? Once he got it working I liked how it looked. If I ever actually listened to music through speakers rather than ear buds, I would definitely get one.

    • @nickwallette6201
      @nickwallette6201 2 года назад

      I had one as a kid. I really liked it. 🤷‍♂️

    • @MrDuncl
      @MrDuncl 2 года назад +1

      The best visualizer I have ever seen was the Cthugha computer program. The problem was it actually looked better when my computer was a 486SX25 than after an upgrade to a 486DX2-66

    • @kevreeduk222
      @kevreeduk222 2 года назад +1

      @@MrDuncl You went with Cthulhu and didn't offer the requisite sacrifices and are surprised when your experience didn't meet expectations? I'd suggest that you count yourself lucky that you survived with your sanity (mostly) intact, and don't make the same mistake again! /s :)

  • @Blaulicht1120
    @Blaulicht1120 2 года назад +15

    The second constructor when not switched on looks like Duga locator station at Chernobyl-2.

  • @louisreich89
    @louisreich89 2 года назад +50

    Strong “James May’s The Reassembler” vibes through the middle but of this video. Honestly I’d you released a real time version of the entire process I’d watch it to go to bed.
    “Techmoan’s The Assembler and Disassembler and Reassembler and Disassembler and Reassembler.”

  • @Ivor_Nastyboil
    @Ivor_Nastyboil 2 года назад +2

    A huge thank you for taking one for the team and wasting your money on these, so that I didn't make the mistake of doing it. :)

  • @grahamhill8280
    @grahamhill8280 2 года назад +1

    Your methodical approach 'chills' me Sir. I look forward to your videos- a vision of a fair and kind world with tech. taking us there.

  • @synthmage00
    @synthmage00 2 года назад +24

    It's really wonderful how much poorly designed, useless plastic junk like this is being manufactured. I actually love to think about how much labor and raw materials are essentially being funneled directly into landfills so someone can sell this e-waste on questionable websites for a minor profit, and it doesn't upset me at all.

    • @kavyman1066
      @kavyman1066 2 года назад

      Underated comment, exactly this! Matt does not care he has spent the best part of half a grand on this rubbish because he will get it back and then some in in youtube ad revenue and then just dump them at the tip. But this sort of fruadulent crap is helping in killing the planet.

    • @nickloss2377
      @nickloss2377 2 года назад +1

      well there's always rich people in the West that will buy them then toss em. Case in point- this video

    • @xoxoxo5286
      @xoxoxo5286 2 года назад

      @@nickloss2377 yeah let's blame the west, that dirty region thinks it's so good, buying things and shit.

    • @Stettafire
      @Stettafire Год назад +1

      @@nickloss2377 "Rich people" 👀🙄

    • @EmeraldLavigne
      @EmeraldLavigne Год назад

      Thank Christ we've oriented our entire economy, society, and planet around THAT, and not something like making life better for humans, eh???

  • @andymouse
    @andymouse 2 года назад +6

    You "Took One For The Team " there sir and I applaud you...cheers.

  • @AndersEngerJensen
    @AndersEngerJensen 2 года назад +19

    Thanks for buying all the crap, so we don't have to!

  • @kevreeduk222
    @kevreeduk222 2 года назад +5

    With the "dual channel" one:
    You showed how the device is able to modify the audio in-device (attenuation and Graphic Equaliser).
    I'm wondering if the one display is showing the unmodified input (with the two channels merged into a mono display), and the other is showing the modified output (again, with the two channels merged into a mono display)?
    Alternatively, another commenter noticed reference to selectable single / dual band in the settings when you briefly showed the instructions (my screen is too small for me to confirm, so I'm taking their word for it).

  • @j0hnf_uk
    @j0hnf_uk 2 года назад +27

    I liked the, 'look', of the first one, but out of them all, I wouldn't want to have to pay as much for any of what are all sub-standard products. How that third one had the gall to call itself, 'professional', is anyone's guess. It's all academical, as I wouldn't have wanted to pay any more than about £30-£40 for any of them anyway.

    • @JoeOrber
      @JoeOrber 2 года назад +1

      Yeah, sadly these days we should stay away from any electronics that have the "professional" word in the name or description lol 😆 The real professional equipment is well-known and they don't need to brag about it

    • @GizzyDillespee
      @GizzyDillespee 2 года назад +1

      It's like "pleasant tasting cherry" flavored cough syrup. That was the actual flavor name. I drank the whole bottle, to see if I would get accustomed to the flavor, but nope. The flavor just got weirder as the night went on.

    • @JoeOrber
      @JoeOrber 2 года назад

      @@GizzyDillespee LOL don't try this at home (or anywhere to that extent, maybe in the parking lot of the ER?)

    • @JoeOrber
      @JoeOrber 2 года назад +1

      @@MadScientist267 hahaha indeed, but then again, anyone using all the new medications advertised on TV that mention tons of possible, even fatal side effects would qualify for a nomination, right? "Talk to your doctor about Suicyda and ask if it's right for you" 😃

  • @mbarr691
    @mbarr691 2 года назад +30

    I love these spectrum analyzer videos. If I may, just a suggestion when assembling something like that second analyzer, try building in place. Start by inserting the LED strips then the metal rods and then stack the plastic pieces and spacers as needed as you go. Rather than constructing the whole thing at once just to disassemble it each time.

    • @TheTruthKiwi
      @TheTruthKiwi 2 года назад +2

      Exactly what I was going to say. :)

    • @avsystem3142
      @avsystem3142 2 года назад +3

      Actually, the way to do it correctly would be to measure the pitch of the LED's on the strips (I know Matt has a pair of calipers) and then determine the necessary thickness of spacers to assemble the acrylic strips at that pitch. I'm guessing you might have to throw out the supplied spacers or possible use them in conjunction with some metal washers to achieve the correct pitch. In any event, the product is clearly a piece of crap and not worth the time spent in assembling it.

    • @8bitwiz_
      @8bitwiz_ 2 года назад +4

      Then you'd not only be doing the job of a Chinese factory worker, but the job of a Chinese design engineer as well!

    • @avsystem3142
      @avsystem3142 2 года назад +1

      @@8bitwiz_ Well, yeah, which is why the product is total crap.

  • @OldSonyMan
    @OldSonyMan 2 года назад +2

    Thank you for the review, years ago I used to have a plug-in sound to light unit which I used with a six foot florescent tube !
    Happy memories of strong strobing lights in my white painted bedroom.
    It didn't last very long but was pretty awesome after a session in the pub !
    I wish I'd kept it and now maybe I could repair it, but as they say "Life is too short" !

  • @UnholyTriforceDelenn
    @UnholyTriforceDelenn 2 года назад +1

    Hey Mat, I just wanted to let you know that I really appreciate the little cartoon Mat that you added in from time to time to point certain things out. It's a really fun addition, and takes me back to when you did your little muppet-esque segments. I realize those probably took a great deal of work, but I did appreciate them too, and I wonder if they'll ever make a comeback on your channel, because I'm sure I'm not the only one who misses them.
    Also, all those times of taking the analyser apart and putting it back together again, and even at the end they still didn't line up correctly. Honestly, I can't even begin. I'd be very disappointed in these things too. And that last one. No care taken at all in the design, manufacture or delivery of it to you. Wow.

    • @kutter_ttl6786
      @kutter_ttl6786 2 года назад +2

      I recall the reason Mat removed the puppets was because RUclips somehow started labeling his videos as for kids (and all of the restrictions that entails), and it was exceedingly difficult to remove that label. So unfortunately he got rid of his puppets to avoid all of the headache that came with it.

    • @UnholyTriforceDelenn
      @UnholyTriforceDelenn 2 года назад

      @@kutter_ttl6786 oh that really sucks! RUclips just doesn't make sense these days.

  • @dominik.jokiel
    @dominik.jokiel 2 года назад +6

    You could have build the second one on the device
    1st Screw the bolts in
    2nd Stick the LED stripes in
    3rd Put the acrylics on one at a time and you have the LEDs in and can look where to put the spacers....
    Would have been easy, but they didn't made a manual for it...

  • @peterjf7723
    @peterjf7723 2 года назад +11

    Thanks for the warnings about the disappointingly inferior and over priced products.

  • @lobomella128
    @lobomella128 2 года назад

    I cannot think of a single reason why I'd ever want to buy any of the visualizers you've shown. I also cannot think of a single reason why I'd ever want to miss any of your videos. This is some of my very favorite entertainment on RUclips, period. Thanks again for another great video. Cheers from Chile 🇨🇱.

  • @ralphalder14
    @ralphalder14 2 года назад +2

    I would have hurled it across the room in frustration ! Congratulations on your patience!

  • @DJNeiloSF
    @DJNeiloSF 2 года назад +5

    thank you for the clear and honest assessment!

  • @rx80
    @rx80 2 года назад +1

    You are still such a kid inside. I love your content.

  • @SSand4
    @SSand4 2 года назад +2

    When it comes to the second one...regardless of what the instructions said to do, I think I would've put the metal rods in the base first, then the LED bars, then stacked the acrylic pieces, spacing them as-needed in place as I went.

  • @MatthewUrso
    @MatthewUrso 2 года назад +8

    I swear these things get more expensive and worse as time goes on

  • @ronniepirtlejr2606
    @ronniepirtlejr2606 2 года назад +6

    It is insane that they sell these things for this amount! Apparently nowadays, all we can get is rubbish that flashes colors!
    I know that a true stereo spectrum analyzer can be built with quality & at a fair price. Why doesn't anyone build it?

    • @jpdemer5
      @jpdemer5 2 года назад +1

      Nobody wants to pay the fair price, is why.

    • @Lively_1185
      @Lively_1185 2 года назад

      Also the market for a decent led, vu meter, spectrum analyzer, or visualizer, is very very small. The manufacturers can't generate enough profit to actually make something good worthwhile and sustain it for a group so niche.
      Sony and Magnavox are prime examples, especially all their overpriced HDMI cables.

  • @The4ndres
    @The4ndres 2 года назад +1

    If you wished for a 42 minute video about a chap being totally miserable, you came to the right place... You're the man, Mat.

  • @davelordy
    @davelordy 2 года назад +6

    On the first analyser - you say you'd rather not introduce noise into the audio chain by feeding audio in through the inputs and then out (and onwards) through the outputs . . . and you prefer to use the Mic . . . (the mic is going to be vastly lower quality than even the cheapest analog inputs) . . . all you need to do to avoid introducing noise is to put the analyser at the end of your audio chain and not somewhere in the middle. For example feed it from a spare output on your amp.

  • @john_thorpe
    @john_thorpe 2 года назад +6

    For the second one, the way I would have put the panels on there is to screw the screw rods onto the base with the LED's installed on it. Then panel by panel slide them over the screw rods and LED bars and adjust the lining as needed for each section, rather than building it all and then sliding it on the LED bars and base. Doing it this way should make lining up the acrylic pieces easier as well as when you get about 1/2 the way up, sliding the panels over the screw rods and LED bars should be easier as it should become stiffer. But this is my opinion though.
    Also I don't think it was worth what they asked for it.

    • @JoeOrber
      @JoeOrber 2 года назад

      I agree, that would make it align perfectly since it seemed to be an issue with the same rows of all the columns, but what a pain in the a*s 😆

    • @Hurricanelive
      @Hurricanelive 2 года назад +1

      This exactly. It has to be assembled with the components in place then the plastic built up layer by layer so you can eyeball where the lifts have to be doubled up. Really was making the job 4x harder then it should be.

  • @untoldfattboy
    @untoldfattboy 2 года назад +8

    Great video, just a thought to align second one, not sure if it's something you tried, maybe as 1 had plastic and 1 rubber as you already tried but use the nuts to compress the rubber to achieve the right spacing. Looked like a nightmare to assemble!, good old aliexpress...🤣

    • @Stengah2010
      @Stengah2010 2 года назад +1

      That's exactly what I was thinking, there is obviously a reason why they are rubber. Seems pretty simple.

  • @mericet39
    @mericet39 2 года назад

    You, sir, have the patience of a saint.
    ALso, I like at the very end when all 3 are going, that the top 2 are doing roughly the same thing, and the bottom one is in a world of its own.

  • @SheriffJackCarter
    @SheriffJackCarter 2 года назад +2

    I was lucky enough to get my hands on two new RTA-31 units at the low, low price of about $250 USD shipped. I have them wired in stereo (top analyzer for left, bottom analyzer for right). Having them in this configuration gives me the result that the "Professional Graphic Equalizer" (Item 3) should have given as a spectrum analyzer (minus the digital graphic equalizer function). I am still in search for a rack-mountable stereo level indicator that is decently affordable, but isn't garbage.
    I've noticed that whenever a manufacturer tries to make a spectrum analyzer or similar product that has a lot of different functions and features rolled into one unit with minimalistic controls, it's usually shite. The RTA-31 is very minimalistic in it's function. Power, brightness and sensitivity adjustments. That's it! No clock, no remote. As a result, it responds exactly as anyone with an audio background would expect a spectrum analyzer to respond and it just works.
    Unfortunately, the minimalistic approach to design doesn't always produce such good results. The American Audio DB Display MKII which I also bought after seeing it on this channel has nothing but a power switch, the dot/bar switch, and level adjustments. Unfortunately, it responds very fast across the entire display which makes it very difficult to get accurate DB readings, the level adjustments are incredibly sensitive and difficult to get to any position of accuracy, and the DOT function just looks bad. The fact the LEDs are doubled up just adds more blinky lights with no improvment in accuracy.
    I'll keep watching this channel in the hopes you find a DB Level Indicator that's worth anyone's time and I'll be sure to let you know if I find something that's worth testing and exhibition.

  • @shelby3822
    @shelby3822 2 года назад +3

    SUN headline:
    Swindon chap driven mad by quest for perfect spectrum analyzer

  • @thes764
    @thes764 2 года назад +5

    Regarding the chinese puzzle: maybe the flexible washers should be in there and forced down by the nuts to line up? Still not worth the time. Thanks for pointing out that, even if I was in the market for one of those, I should avoid them... As I see the Clive supercomputer in the background: you might just send them all over for some destructive circuit analysis?

  • @Kellanium
    @Kellanium 2 года назад

    I’m headed to bed but I just got the notification and I’m gonna watch it first thing. I love these videos.

  • @BabyMissions
    @BabyMissions 2 года назад

    Techmoan Clippy is my new favorite addition to any video ever.

  • @seanet1310
    @seanet1310 2 года назад +11

    I want to know who the target market for these spectrum analysers are aimed at.
    It is a lot of money to effectively risk on a random item of questionable quality and functionality from overseas
    Even if I was in the market for one, I would want to spend at most 1/3 on a sight unseen analyser.

    • @Spookieham
      @Spookieham 2 года назад +1

      I've had proper ones years ago that were full analogue with fewer channels that were much, much better.

    • @kenmore01
      @kenmore01 2 года назад +1

      Remember color organs?

    • @erwintimmerman6466
      @erwintimmerman6466 2 года назад

      I would put the big one somewhere on a party just for fun. It wouldn't need to be very accurate for that. The brightness would be more important than the finish, and brightness it seems to have plenty of.
      Most music has so many frequencies going on at the same time that you wouldn't notice the difference anyway, unless the spreading would result in all bars lighting up simultaneously without any distinction anymore.

  • @rusland.r.9044
    @rusland.r.9044 2 года назад +3

    honestly to line them up what you should have done was insert the threaded rod into the chassis first, then line it all up by stacking individually overtop of them, slight pain in the ass but then you know exactly how much distance you need each time.

  • @FRETW1ZARD
    @FRETW1ZARD 2 года назад +2

    Ah well. The quest continues!
    Btw I really appreciate these videos, I’m also constantly looking for a decent one of these and it’s amazing to watch someone sort the wheat from the chaff. Mostly chaff.

  • @ramen6236
    @ramen6236 2 года назад +2

    YES! My favourite format is back!

  • @randomnickify
    @randomnickify 2 года назад +4

    This simulation games become insanely realistic. This China Assembly Plant Simulator looks rad!

    • @MarkTheMorose
      @MarkTheMorose 2 года назад

      I wonder if in China, they have a Techmoan Simulator.

  • @SierraLimaOscar
    @SierraLimaOscar 2 года назад +3

    I found the peak leds floating up incredibly annoying. It really triggered me! 😂
    I'm so thankful you bought these so I don't have to.

  • @ttww1590
    @ttww1590 2 года назад +2

    The second one seems like the perfect gift for a fussy person you hate.

  • @starbase218
    @starbase218 2 года назад

    Congratulations! You passed the test and we hereby offer you a position at the assembly line of our electronics manufacturing plant in Wuhan, China. You showed a lot of perseverance and willingness to do good, honest work, despite setbacks. We have faith that you will be able to sort out the problem in the factory.
    ;)

  • @plebugen9659
    @plebugen9659 2 года назад +9

    the first one at least looks nice. It wouldnt be such a bad deal if it was 100e cheaper

  • @001REQ
    @001REQ 2 года назад +4

    thanks for giving us a real 'tech moan'!

  • @gl_tonight
    @gl_tonight 2 года назад +1

    I would use an add and test method. Have one column in and add or subtract spacers as needed, work back if things are too out of whack. As fiddly as it seems it looks like a nice cathartic project to do while listening to or watching something.
    Kinda interested in it now.

  • @markbrum
    @markbrum 2 года назад

    I just love your style in these. Ideas. Every detail is considered and I love your northern dry humour.

  • @cgourin
    @cgourin 2 года назад +6

    Repurpose an old laptop, tablet or DIY raspberry Pi to make an LCD screen based one for cheaper, easier and more versatile, you can even find virtual vintage needle vu meter.

    • @john_michael_white
      @john_michael_white 2 года назад

      This is a great idea!

    • @Lively_1185
      @Lively_1185 2 года назад

      The problem is not everyone knows how to code on a computer, or do any work outside of their skills. These products are more for people who don't want to take part of any of the hassle of building their own unit.

    • @cgourin
      @cgourin 2 года назад +1

      @@Lively_1185 Software already exist and even so there is probably more interest in learning a new skill like basic use of Linux than that tedious expensive joke of a product.

    • @ChromeDestiny
      @ChromeDestiny 2 года назад +1

      Hook it up to back of a large flat screen TV too, might as well make the display huge.

  • @davelordy
    @davelordy 2 года назад +4

    The Alesis DEQ230D still reigns supreme !
    (with the DEQ830 as a second place alternative)
    The BDS PP31 is also pretty decent.

    • @mickeythompson9537
      @mickeythompson9537 2 года назад +2

      I still use DOD RTA Series II Real Time Audio Analyzer.

  • @matthewbutcher2931
    @matthewbutcher2931 2 года назад

    Absolutely insane how difficult the assembly was in that second one. Well done for persisting!

  • @nimoy007
    @nimoy007 2 года назад +1

    That second display is interesting. It looks like they are multiplexing the LEDs (why not) but with the mux chip on each LED stick. Interesting that the chips aren't in the base, but I suppose that eliminates having lots of pins per LED stick.
    For those that don't understand what I just said: Muxes (multiplexers) allow electronics to control a large number of devices through a small number of data inputs. In this case, we have lots of LEDs in each "stick," but the spectrum analyzer has a mux chip on each stick that assigns "addresses" to each LED. When data comes into the stick, the mux is told what the data is as well as what LED it goes to, and it sends the data to the correct LED. This means that very few connections are needed to describe which LED the data goes to + what the data is, meaning that the connector between the stick and the base need only have a few pins instead of 3-4 (depending on RGB standard) per LED. The drawback on muxing is that you can't update every LED at once. If you took slow-mo video of the spectrum analyzer, you might see a shimmering effect across it as each LED changes in sequence. You can often see this effect in LED signage or even alarm clocks.

    • @reniferZiolo
      @reniferZiolo 2 года назад

      Interesting,thanks for the elaborated version!

  • @M1LAD81
    @M1LAD81 2 года назад +4

    I think, Matt what you needed to do with the second analyser is stick with the hard plastic spacers until the point the acrylic doesn't line up then add the soft plastic spacer with the hard.
    They probably gave you more of them because the cost is negligible and it's easier to just give you a set of the soft ones than to get someone to count out the number required. Money saving as usual.

  • @vincei4252
    @vincei4252 2 года назад +26

    Buyers remorse is a thing. There's something for getting a device and it looking pristine when you take it out the package; the fingerprints were off putting, the germaphobe in me wanted to spray disinfectant all over the second one before touching it

    • @ItsMrAssholeToYou
      @ItsMrAssholeToYou 2 года назад +7

      Just curious, does it cause you any dissonance, knowing you'd suffer a hideous, agonizing death without the symbiotic microbes that infest every square millimeter of your body 24/7?

    • @awesomestuff9715
      @awesomestuff9715 2 года назад

      @@ItsMrAssholeToYou i'm a slight germaphobe, but i honestly don't mind my own germs at all
      but the thought of other germs from other people make me want to disinfect everything lol

  • @dougkinne1192
    @dougkinne1192 2 года назад

    I cracked up at "fingerprint central"
    Good stuff boss!
    Appreciate your work

  • @RetroTinkerer
    @RetroTinkerer 2 года назад

    Bloody hell... That second one, I was chuckling all along, thanks for that one!

  • @ghostwheel2000
    @ghostwheel2000 2 года назад +4

    Great work as always. But it’s “All that glisters is not gold” The pedantic inner me coming out😉

  • @lShishkaBerryl
    @lShishkaBerryl 2 года назад +17

    If I ever become a millionaire I'd want a full wall of these, and a projector with winamp visualizers playing on the opposite wall haha.

    • @TheTruthKiwi
      @TheTruthKiwi 2 года назад +7

      Yes! Or Winamp visualizer on all 4 walls and the roof, some Pink Floyd playing in quadraphonic and experiment with some hallucinogens :p

    • @fouroakfarm
      @fouroakfarm 2 года назад +6

      That setup would really whip the llamas ass

  • @MrButtonpresser
    @MrButtonpresser 2 года назад +1

    That second one. Flippin' eck' indeed!
    It would have been in the bin in my house.

  • @AnonymousFreakYT
    @AnonymousFreakYT 2 года назад +2

    For item 3, I wonder if you had plugged into the XLR / 1/4" inputs, if one of the two displays would have been for the "second input"? Maybe they're not "left/right", but rather "input 1/input 2"? (I wouldn't count on it, based on all the other issues, of course.)

  • @josefbuckland
    @josefbuckland 2 года назад +3

    DISAPPOINTMENT CENTRAL! 3rd one started with so much promise but I guess I’m stuck with the Alesis and dorrough meters until you find a true winner. The hunt will continue. I got a new one last week it’s a bit cheesy but after watching this it’s $50 well spent that runs rings around this lol. Stay safe and keep on monaing

  • @jack_2000
    @jack_2000 2 года назад +3

    I'm stunned by that bent plug, how does that even happen?

  • @RandyCivilized
    @RandyCivilized 2 года назад +2

    33:49 there's a crack in your back piece too. ZING!

  • @calebwright6151
    @calebwright6151 2 года назад +1

    I suppose you'll put them with all of those mini disc players that did not work.... Thanks for another great video more! more! more!

  • @static-san
    @static-san 2 года назад +3

    Yikes. So many corners cut on both of them that they should roll right off the counter. I know we'll never find out, but the thinking behind the software design decisions of the first two would be interesting to hear. Whoever programmed it clearly didn't care for what they were making. Or maybe they just never had enough time to do it right.

    • @Blackadder75
      @Blackadder75 2 года назад

      This is how china has been making low cost crap since the early 1980s. They can make better stuff and in some situations they do but they also keep making trash.

  • @AdamJRichardson
    @AdamJRichardson 2 года назад +12

    It's a shame that these over-priced pieces of landfill fodder are taking valuable chips that could probably be put to better use during the global chip shortage. Made for some entertaining if wince-inducing watching though, thanks Mat!

    • @dashcamandy2242
      @dashcamandy2242 2 года назад +1

      At least those chips could be put to better use making non-crap versions of the crap they're selling. In other words, make the product actually worth making in the first place.

  • @MazeFrame
    @MazeFrame 2 года назад +1

    Finding a good analyzer is a long journey. Thanks for helping to the best of your ability!

  • @dvdmike007
    @dvdmike007 2 года назад +2

    That second one is a right saga

  • @davewave1982
    @davewave1982 2 года назад +2

    could someone PLEASE put me out of my misery and tell me what that device is in the background that is shaped like a HEXAGON and has tiny LED lights in it?!? I looked everywhere and i WANT ONE !!!

    • @randomnickify
      @randomnickify 2 года назад

      One of the "youtuber led lights"? Did you tried Ikea? ;)

  • @josephpoole1497
    @josephpoole1497 2 года назад +3

    I must commend your composure. If I wasted 400 quid on that junk I would be fuming! Thanks for another great video.

  • @scottyTy
    @scottyTy 2 года назад

    I like it when you buy all of this stuff to review. Dodgy is so polite, in the US I call it crap. Your channel is the best!.

  • @utubeb14
    @utubeb14 2 года назад

    This series is very interesting. I enjoy seeing the assembly and multiple units each video.

  • @dungeonseeker3087
    @dungeonseeker3087 2 года назад +8

    Why do I get the impression this was an elaborate troll to all the people who whinge about the amount of talking in TM videos? Super long, 10+ minutes building the same thing 3 times, no sweep until the 30 minute mark and lots of talking. Please, never change Mat 🤣