Comparison

LiveSpec vs CVOsc

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

LiveSpec

This audio analysis tool allows users to measure and optimize sound in any environment. It provides real-time spectrum analysis, sound level monitoring, and tools for system tuning and live mixing. The app supports various audio interfaces and offers iCloud syncing for configurations.

Highlights
  • Real-time spectrum analyzer
  • Spectrograph for sound over time
  • SPL monitor with A/C weighting
  • Dose meter for safe listening time
  • Live Mix plugin host
  • Transfer function with phase
  • Impulse response and delay finding
  • Parametric and Graphic EQ
Read full description

LiveSpec is the audio analyzer you can carry into any room. Point it at a stage, a sanctuary, or a stream feed and see exactly what is happening, then fix it with confidence. Whether you tune arenas for a living or run the board at church on Sunday, the tools are the same and they are all included. RUN THE SHOW Real time analyzer with sharp, smooth traces and a 3D view that shows how the spectrum moves. Spectrograph that unfolds your sound over time, so feedback and rumble have nowhere to hide. SPL monitor with A and C weighting, LAeq and LCeq, a stoplight for your limit, and logging you can export to prove how loud the night really was. Dose meter with NIOSH and OSHA standards, so you know how much safe listening time is left. Live Mix plugin host that runs Audio Unit plugins on your stream or broadcast feed, with input and output meters and LUFS targets. Mix Balance targets that give your whole team one standard to mix to, every night. Auto EQ with Smart Listen that hears the mix and suggests the correction, then lets you shape it. TUNE THE SYSTEM Transfer function with phase and coherence, so you can trust what the trace tells you. Impulse response, delay finding, and speaker alignment, with multiple microphones averaged into one picture. Decay, waterfall, RT60, and harmonic distortion views when you need to look deeper. Parametric and Graphic EQ with profiles that match the grid of popular consoles and processors, so what you design is what you can actually dial in. Signal generator with popular noise types, sweeps, and a playlist for your reference tracks. Setup wizard that finds your interface, checks your channels, and has you measuring in about a minute. MADE FOR THE JOB Works with the built in microphone or any USB audio interface, from a single mic to a full multichannel rig. Calibration files for your measurement microphones. Measurement configurations, targets, captures, and settings sync between your iPhone, iPad, and Mac through iCloud. Dark themes designed for a dim front of house position, with every panel readable at arm's length. ONE PLAN, EVERYTHING INCLUDED Start with a 7 day free trial. All Access is $17.99 per month or $149.99 per year and covers every feature on every device signed into your Apple account. No add ons, no tiers, nothing held back. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Payment is charged to your Apple account, and you can manage or cancel in your account settings at any time. Privacy policy: https://linearphase.com/privacy Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

CVOsc

Features
Read full description

Connect an Expert Sleepers ES-9, ES-8, or any class-compliant DC-coupled interface to your iOS Device, and visualize up to sixteen simultaneous channels of Control Voltage and audio — no laptop, no patch cables to a computer. See your patch • Up to 16 simultaneous channels in a paged, responsive grid • Three display modes: All (every channel), Selected (just the channels you tag), and Overlay (selected traces superimposed on a single canvas for phase and correlation work) • Per-channel range, offset, and time base, in volts for CV and normalized units for audio • Auto-trigger on zero crossing for rock-steady waveforms • Auto-fit to waveform when you just want the trace centered • Independent CV vs Audio mode per channel, with renameable identities ("VCO 1", "LFO Slow", etc.) Listen in • Built-in live monitor: route any input channel to any physical output of the interface • Monitor multiple channels simultaneously, each to its own output • Output assignments persist across sessions • Hot-plug aware — disconnect and reconnect, and CVOsc rebinds automatically Pro features (auto-renewing annual subscriptions) • Tuner — pitch detection that works on both CV pitch signals and audio. See note name and cents offset live in the pane. • Record & Playback — capture every selected channel to its own WAV file, then play recordings back through the interface. CV recordings are routed only to DC-coupled outputs; the app warns you if you try otherwise. Live monitoring and playback share the same USB pipeline, so you can play recordings while monitoring live channels at the same time. • Saved Channel Settings — every channel comes back exactly the way you left it on the next launch. • Presets — save and recall whole-rig configurations: channel names, signal types, all scale settings, monitor routings — under a single name. Each subscription is independent. Restore Purchases in Settings re-entitles anything you've previously bought on this Google account. Cancel anytime; cancellations take effect at the end of the current billing period. Hardware requirements CVOsc requires a class-compliant USB audio interface and a USB-C OTG cable. To visualize CV signals (not just audio), the interface must be DC-coupled. A powered USB hub is recommended for tablets that don't supply enough bus power. Supported DC Coupled USB Sound Cards Expert Sleepers - ES-9 (14 ch) - ES-8 (8 ch) - ES-3 (8 ch) - ES-40 (8 ch) Solid State Logic - SSL 2 MKII (2 ch) - SSL 2+ MKII (4 ch) - SSL 12 (4 ch) - SSL 18 (10 ch) - SSL ALPHA 8 (8 ch) MOTU - M2 / M4 / M6 (2 / 4 / 6 ch) - UltraLite-mk5 (10 ch), UltraLite AVB (8 ch) - 624 (6 ch), 8A (8 ch), 8M (8 ch), 10pre (8 ch), 16A (16 ch), 24Ao (24 ch) - 1248 (8 ch), 828 (8 ch), 828es (8 ch), 848 (12 ch) RME - Fireface UCX II (6 ch) Universal Audio - Apollo Twin / Twin MkII / Twin X / Twin USB / Twin X USB (4 ch) - Apollo x4 (6 ch), x6 (8 ch), x8 (10 ch), x8p (10 ch), x16 (18 ch) Native Instruments - Komplete Audio 6 MK2 (4 ch) Non-DC Coupled interfaces still work for audio I/O; they just won't pass the validator's DC-coupling check for CV playback. EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy: https://cvosc.com/privacy.html

Screenshots

LiveSpec4 screens
CVOsc1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: LiveSpec at every 2 weeks against CVOsc's every 6 weeks. LiveSpec also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. LiveSpec sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $17.99 per month and CVOsc sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LiveSpec ships an update every 2 weeks, CVOsc every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
LiveSpec versus CVOsc: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLiveSpecCVOsc
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.4
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLinear Phase LLCAleph Void LLC

In-app purchases

6 purchases

LiveSpec

Subscriptions6
  • All Access Monthly$17.991 Month
  • Live Mix Monthly$19.991 Month
  • System Tune Monthly$19.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • All Access Annual$149.991 Year
  • Live Mix Annual$149.991 Year
  • System Tune Annual$149.991 Year
4 purchases

CVOsc

Subscriptions4
  • CVOsc Annual Tuner$0.991 Year
  • CVOsc Annual Recording$0.991 Year
  • CVOsc Preset Annual$0.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • CVOsc Annual Convert To Gate$0.991 Year

Questions

Is LiveSpec free?
LiveSpec is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is CVOsc free?
CVOsc is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do LiveSpec or CVOsc have ads?
Neither LiveSpec nor CVOsc shows ads.
Which is updated more often, LiveSpec or CVOsc?
LiveSpec ships an update every 2 weeks, and CVOsc every 6 weeks. Most recently, LiveSpec was updated on October 14, 2026 and CVOsc on October 6, 2026.

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