Last updated on December 31st, 2023 at 08:12 pm
I Put together this list of the best oscilloscope VST plugins that are out there so that you wouldn’t have to go scouring the internet looking for them like I did since there aren’t too many great ones out there.
I will be going over the ones you can get for free as well as some premium alternatives and also tell you exactly what an oscilloscope does.
So, without any further ado, let’s get started!
What is an Oscilloscope
An oscilloscope uses a two-axis graph to give a visual representation of a waveform over time; the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents the amplitude.
In music production, oscilloscopes are usually placed last in the chain and are used to assist dynamics processing and sound synthesis.
The point of placing it last in the signal chain is so that it analyses the cumulative effects of any plugins placed before it.
However, you can place it anywhere you like to view the signal at that precise point.
Now that that’s out of the way, let’s move on to the plugins!
Best 5 Free Oscilloscope VST
MOscilloscope by MeldaProduction (Windows, Mac)
MOscilloscope is a powerful oscilloscope equipped with a pitch detector.
This would be my top oscillator choice of this list, both for 32-bit and 64-bit Windows and Mac systems.
Download it here.
Related: Here’s a huge list of the 225 best Free VST plugins available!
Oscarizor by Sugar Audio (Windows, Mac)
Oscarizor is a free oscilloscope VST/VST3/AU plugin for Windows and Mac.
Despite not having as many features as the Pro version, which I will link later on, Oscarizor is still a very functional oscilloscope that offers a lot of value.
Features
- 2D / 3D full featured parametric multi analyzer
- Multi channel waterfall spectrum analyzer audio plug-in with mountains, bars, cylinder and tube models
- Parallel waveform & spectrum comparison using side-chaining and send/receive channels
- DAW host synchronization, initial autosync to receives & resync to receives button
- Automatic instrument tuner with FFT size and function memory
- …and many more!
Download it here.
Oscillos-Mega-Scope by Schulz Audio (Windows, Mac)
Oscillos-Mega-Scope is an oscilloscope plugin that synchronizes to your music’s tempo.
It’s a great tool for learning what other VSTs do to your tracks; you can insert one instance of it before the effect plugin and another one after it to get an accurate visual representation of what’s happening.
It’s got a feature that is currently in beta which is designed to let you measure and see information about the musical notes and amplitude.
Features
- supports multiple channels / test-points
- multiple draw modes (precise, shaded, and more)
- preset management
- different zoom-levels (1/32th note to 16 bars)
- multiple visualisation modes (separate waves, combined waves)
- input-level adjustment
- …and many more.
Note: To be able to use it you’ll need to create an account.
Download it here.
Related: Here’s a list of the best Mastering VSTs you can get your hands on today.
S(M)exoscope by Smartelectronix (Windows, Mac)
S(M)exoscope has always been considered by many to be the best free oscilloscope out there, the issue is that it only works on 32-bit systems.
Now, if you’re still using a 32-bit system, then absolutely get s(M)exoscope since it’s the absolute best choice.
Download it here.
Oscilloscope by SocaLabs (Windows, Mac)
This is a free stereo oscilloscope VST/AU plugin that is super simple to use, with a resizable UI, and more.
Features
- Stereo Oscilloscope.
- Negative or positive edge trigger.
- Adjustable trigger level.
- Y Offset per channel.
Download it here.
Best Premium Oscilloscope VST
Oscilloscope Multi by Blue Cat Audio (Windows, Mac)
Oscilloscope Multi lets you visualize the content of several audio tracks on the same screen and compare them thanks to its X-Y view.
The plugin offers stereo or mid-side channels waveform extraction as well as several synchronization modes.
The zooming and precise measurement capabilities let you analyze the waveforms in details, and the XY phase scope view will help you track phase issues within an effect chain or while recording with multiple microphones.
Features
- Multiple tracks real time oscilloscope: visualize and compare the waveform of several audio tracks on the same screen.
- Waveform display with loop, flow and trigger modes.
- Histogram display.
- Dual channel XY phasescope view for easy phase cancelation and mono compatibility issues detection on multiple tracks or within an effect chain.
- Latency compensation capability to align waveforms.
- …and more!
Find out more about Oscilloscope Multi here.
Oscarizor Pro (Windows, Mac)
I mentioned the free version of Oscarizor previously, which should actually be more than enough for almost anyone.
However, the Pro version syncs to the tempo of your song, which is always nice.
Additionally, it comes with a sidechain input with parallel waveform comparison for up to 16 audio channels which would allow you to, for example, send a complete drum mix to a separate sidechain inputs and compare any two tracks you’d like.
The Pro version sells for $49.95 + Taxes.
Download it here.
Conclusion
Like I mentioned, Moscilloscope would be my top choice.
However, Oscilloscope by SocaLabs is still a great contender that you should check out!
Have a wonderful day!
Downloaded Moscilloscope, but is there a way to compare two waveforms/tracks?
I’ve downloaded MOscilliscope to mac, but its unclear how to open it, after installation the only files that were added to my applications were a ‘downloader’ and ‘setup’ which is an uninstall system.
Expected to be able to open it with ‘MOscilliscope’ in finder but no love.
How do you open it?
If it’s a VST you might need to open it as a plugin inside of a DAW (Pro Tools, Logic, etc.). Hope that helps!