This guide walks you through a complete analysis session in V-Listen, from launching the application
to viewing your first results. The entire process takes less than five minutes with a pre-recorded
HDF file.
Before You Begin
Ensure the following prerequisites are met:
V-Listen is installed and launches without errors.
You have an HDF recording file or a WAV file to analyze.
Your display resolution is at least 1920 × 1080.
Tip: If you do not have a recording file, you can use any of the example HDF files
included in the V-Listen installation directory under Examples\Recordings\.
Step 1: Launch V-Listen
Double-click AnalysisWorkbench.exe or use the desktop shortcut. The main window opens
with the Start Menu visible in the center of the workspace.
On first launch, V-Listen detects your hardware configuration and available analysis modules.
Step 2: Open an HDF File
Click Load HDF in the toolbar, or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+O.
In the file dialog, navigate to your HDF recording file and click Open.
V-Listen reads the file header and displays the recording metadata in the Pool
workspace—including channel count, sample rate, duration, and calibration status.
Note: V-Listen HDF files use a structured binary format. V-Listen includes a dedicated reader that handles this format natively.
Step 3: Add Channels to the Data Viewer
In the Pool, select one or more channels by clicking their names. Hold Ctrl to
select multiple channels.
Right-click and choose Add to Data Viewer, or simply drag the selected
channels into the Data Viewer tab.
The Data Viewer displays the raw time-domain waveform for each selected channel.
Understanding the Data Viewer
The Data Viewer is the primary visualization workspace. It supports multiple plot types and
overlay modes:
Feature
Description
Zoom
Scroll wheel to zoom in/out on the time axis. Click and drag to rubber-band zoom.
Pan
Hold middle mouse button and drag to pan the view.
Cursor
Click on the plot to place a cursor. Readout values appear in the footer bar.
Overlay
Drag additional channels onto an existing plot to overlay waveforms.
Step 4: Select an Analysis Type
With channels loaded in the Data Viewer, you can apply any available analysis engine:
Open the Analysis section in the left navigation panel.
Expand the desired category (e.g., Spectral, Order,
Psychoacoustics).
Click the analysis type you want to run (e.g., FFT vs. Time).
The Properties Panel on the right displays the analysis parameters (window function, FFT size,
overlap, frequency range, etc.).
Adjust parameters as needed, then click Calculate (or press F5).
Important: For order analysis, you must have a valid tacho/RPM signal in your recording.
If no tacho channel is detected, the order analysis options are grayed out.
Step 5: View and Interpret Results
After calculation completes, results appear in the Data Viewer as a new plot:
Spectrogram (FFT vs. Time): Displayed as a color-mapped heatmap with frequency
on the Y-axis and time on the X-axis. Color intensity represents amplitude in dB.
Spectrum (single FFT): Line plot showing amplitude vs. frequency at a single
time instant or averaged over a selection.
Loudness vs. Time: Time-varying loudness curve in sone, with overall loudness
displayed as a single value in the footer.
Order Map: Heatmap of order content vs. RPM, with order cursors for tracking
individual harmonics.
Each result plot includes a footer bar showing single-value summaries (overall level, peak frequency,
A-weighted equivalent level, etc.) appropriate to the analysis type.
Step 6: Export Results (Optional)
To export your analysis results:
Right-click on the result plot in the Data Viewer.
Choose Export > CSV to save numerical data, or Export > Image
to save the plot as a PNG file.
Select a destination folder and filename, then click Save.
Navigation Overview
The left navigation panel is organized into functional sections. Familiarize yourself with these
to navigate efficiently:
Section
Purpose
Acquisition
Configure and control live data acquisition from connected hardware frontends
(NI DAQ and other supported devices).
Structure
Import and manage geometry models, define measurement points, and set up test
configurations for EMA/OMA/ODS.
Editor
Edit channel properties, apply calibration, and configure signal conditioning.
Listening
Play back recorded signals through the system audio output for subjective evaluation.
Includes filtering and A/B comparison tools.
Analysis
Access all analysis engines organized by category: Spectral, Order, Psychoacoustics,
Structural Dynamics, Diagnostics, and Sound Power.
Tips for First-Time Users
Start with spectral analysis. FFT vs. Time is the most commonly used analysis
and provides an immediate visual overview of your signal's frequency content over time.
Use the Properties Panel. Every analysis type exposes its parameters on the right
side. Hover over parameter labels to see tooltips with explanations and typical value ranges.
Check the footer bar. Single-value results (overall level, peak frequency)
are displayed in the footer below each plot. These are often the most important deliverables.
Use keyboard shortcuts. Press F5 to calculate, Ctrl+O
to open files, and Ctrl+S to save your workspace.
Save your workspace. V-Listen preserves your layout, loaded files, and analysis
configurations when you save the workspace. This lets you resume exactly where you left off.
Next step: For a detailed explanation of every UI element, see the
User Interface Guide.