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Frequency Masking Analyzer

Analyzes frequency masking between two audio files with per-octave-band severity. Scores spectral overlap in each octave band. The score is symmetric: swapping the files does not establish which one masks the other. Overlap alone does not establish audible masking or prescribe an EQ cut.

Parameters

Parameter Type Default Description
file_path_a string required Path to first audio file
file_path_b string required Path to second audio file

Example Output

Illustrative summary; MCP responses use structured JSON.

$ analyze_masking vocals.wav guitar.wav

Overlap Analysis: vocals.wav and guitar.wav

Overall masking severity: 0.38 (moderate)

Per-octave Overlap: 31 Hz: 0.05 none 62 Hz: 0.09 none 125 Hz: 0.18 low 250 Hz: 0.34 moderate 500 Hz: 0.52 moderate 1 kHz: 0.67 high 2 kHz: 0.58 moderate 4 kHz: 0.31 moderate 8 kHz: 0.14 low 16 kHz: 0.05 none

What the Numbers Mean

  • Overall Masking Severity — A weighted spectral-overlap score from 0 to 1 (overall_score), with an overall_severity label. Higher scores mean more overlap in the measured bands, not a probability that one source is inaudible.

  • Per-octave Overlap — Masking intensity in each of the 10 octave bands (31 Hz to 16 kHz). Higher values mean more competition. The severity labels map to:

    • none (below 0.1): No action needed
    • low (0.1-0.3): Minor overlap, usually not worth chasing
    • moderate (0.3-0.6): Worth addressing with EQ
    • high (0.6 and up): High overlap. Listen to the pair before choosing an EQ or arrangement change.

    The tool doesn’t return a single “conflict zone” — look at which bands carry the highest scores to find where to focus EQ cuts.

Example Prompts

Vocal clarity

Are the guitars masking my vocals? Check analyze_masking on vocals.wav and rhythm-guitar.wav

Bass vs kick

Is the bass guitar conflicting with the kick drum? Check frequency overlap

Pair analysis

Where are vocals.wav and synth-pad.wav fighting each other in the spectrum?

Pro tip

When masking severity exceeds 0.5 in a band, cutting the masker is usually more effective than boosting the masked signal. A 2-3 dB cut on the guitar at 1-2 kHz will reveal vocals more naturally than a 2-3 dB boost on the vocals.