Plugin Suggestion for Linux: Tonal Balance / Reference Metering tool

[valjazz16]

Hi ZL Audio team,

First of all, thank you so much for your incredible open-source plugins (ZLEqualizer is amazing!).

I would like to leave a feature/new plugin suggestion. Currently, the Linux audio community lacks a native Tonal Balance Metering plugin (similar to iZotope Tonal Balance Control or Orra Tone Zone). These tools are essential for mixing and mastering, allowing users to compare their frequency spectrum curves against commercial targets or custom reference tracks.

Since you already have a powerful DSP spectrum analyzer engine and native Linux build pipelines, a "ZLTonalBalance" or "ZLToneMeter" plugin would fill a huge gap in the market, especially for open-source and Linux audio producers.

Regarding the workflow, I think there are two amazing paths you could explore:

Option 1 (iZotope style): A dedicated metering plugin that communicates directly with ZLEqualizer instances via inter-plugin communication, allowing us to fix frequencies in individual tracks directly from the master meter.

Option 2 (Orra Audio style): An all-in-one plugin that displays the tonal zones (Sub, Low, Mid, High) against a target curve and includes built-in gain/EQ controls to fix the balance directly within the tool.

Thank you for your time and for supporting the Linux audio ecosystem!

Best regards,
Val Santos

[zsliu98]

Sorry for asking as I haven't used the plugin you mentioned.

May I know how they differ from the EQ Match in ZL Equalizer 2? https://zl-audio.github.io/plugins/zlequalizer2/manual/#eq-match-panel

[valjazz16]

No problem at all, thank you for your quick response!

The main difference between ZL Equalizer 2's EQ Match and these tools comes down to workflow, macro vs. micro adjustments, and artistic control on the master bus:

1. Tonal Balance: This is strictly a visual macro-metering tool. It displays the frequency energy divided into broad target areas (Sub, Low, Mid, High) based on genre averages. It does not automatically change the sound; it only shows you where there is a build-up/excess or where frequencies are lacking compared to the market.

2. Tone Zone: In addition to analyzing the spectrum by zones, it features a built-in corrective interface. It shows exactly which frequency areas are too loud or too quiet against a reference, and it includes broad EQ controls (like fixed-band cuts or boosts) so the user can manually fix the balance directly within the tool itself.

Why this differs from EQ Match:
The EQ Match in ZLEqualizer 2 is an automated snapshot tool that forces a complex, multi-node surgical curve to copy a specific track. On a Master bus, copying an exact curve automatically can sometimes feel too rigid or create narrow phase issues.

TBC and Tone Zone operate on macro-zones, letting the producer make broad, manual, and musical decisions to balance the overall energy without destroying the track's original character.

That is why my suggestion is to create a new plugin based on one of these two concepts.

[zsliu98]

@valjazz16 Thanks for your detailed explanation. Though you could adjust scaling/smoothness during EQ match in ZL Equalizer 2, it is still very different from either Tonal Balance or Tone Zone. Actually, those two also seem to be quite different from each other.

It does sound like an idea of a new plugin. But I need to think carefully about what it should include.

Given that there are still several ideas in the queue (FYI, currently I am working on a spectrum plugin), I am not going to work on this in the near future, likely.