NopeRef — compare your mix to a reference

Reference analyzer · VST3 · AU

One reference. Eight ways to see the mix.

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Reference workflow

Your reference, in the same window as your mix.

Loop a comparable section, match its level and A/B it with your mix in stereo, mono or side.

01 / 08Compare frequency balance in detail and solo any band to check it by ear.

Stereo · L/R · M/S: Compare mix and reference as a whole, by channel or in mid/side — and listen to each part on its own.
Band · frequency · Q: Solo a broad band or an exact frequency and adjust the listening width.
Speed · Detail: Tune the graph’s response and resolution to the material.

02 / 08Check that the low end hits and decays evenly bar after bar, and that the bass makes room for the kick.

SC · Ref: Lay the sidechained kick over the bass and see whether the bass makes room — or compare the low end with the reference.
Time · Decay: The envelope folds over musical bars and the previous pass stays as a trace, so uneven repeats stand out.
Range · Listen: Set the upper edge from 40 to 250 Hz and listen to that band alone.

03 / 08Inspect waveform shape, timing and frequency-layered transients.

Wave · Spectral: Switch between waveform and low, mid and high time layers.
Overlay · Split · Hold: Compare your mix with the sidechain, the reference or the previous pass on one time axis.
Zoom · Range · Listen: Pan through detail, isolate a frequency range and audition it directly.

04 / 08See whether lows, mids and highs sit above or below a useful target without chasing narrow peaks.

Profile · Reference: Choose one of four tonal profiles or your selected reference section.
Target corridor: Judge the mix against a range, not one rigid curve.
Inspector & audition: Find excess or missing tone, then verify it by ear.

05 / 08Shows how far peaks rise above short-term loudness: the bigger the gap, the more punch in the mix.

3-second peak contrast: See how punch and density change as the track plays.
30-second history: Your mix and the sidechain on the same timeline.
Run · Reference profiles: The typical value and middle 50% instead of a single moment.

06 / 08See where the stereo image sits, spreads and loses level in mono.

Six frequency ranges: Read width and center from sub to air.
Vector · Correlation: Follow image shape and phase relationship live.
Mono loss · Band solo: Find and audition the range causing cancellation.

07 / 08Measure loudness, true peak and level history in one view.

M · S · I · LRA: Momentary, short-term and integrated loudness, plus loudness range.
True peak · L/R: Catch channel-specific peaks and retained maxima.
10 s–10 min history: Trace LUFS over time and compare sources.

08 / 08See where your mix persistently differs from the reference in tone, stereo, dynamics and level.

Tone · six bands: Locate the frequency ranges that are above, below or inside the reference.
Stereo · Mono: Compare side energy with the reference and see which bands risk losing level in mono.
Dynamics · Level: Compare punch and density alongside integrated loudness.