I wonder if there are compatible processing plugins for Sonar 8.5 Producer? Things like a denoise tool, but especially an audio version of what would be otherwise considered visually oriented, a spectral editor. Someone told me about something called Spectrum Analyzer, but I'm not sure if that's exactly an audio spectral editor.

I am having trouble imagining a spectral editor that isn't visual. That is kind of the definition of a spectral editor: a visual representation of the spectrum that can be manipulated visually.
 
A spectrum analyzer (usually) is not an editor, but rather just the visualization part. It's meant to be used in conjunction with the traditional "spectral editor", an equalizer.
 
I'm no expert, but I think the best approach for a non-sighted person is probably the good old parametric (or paragraphic) equalizer. How that actually works, I have no idea. But the fact that each filter has specific parameters means you don't technically have to see them to manipulate them. The visual aspect of parametric equalizers is really just a convenience, or at least it's a convenience for sighted people.
 
Have you considered hardware EQ? I have seen engineers tweak hardware equalizers without looking at them, because they know where the controls are and the knobs often have tactile feedback such as notched positions. That not only makes it possible to operate them by touch, but also makes it easier to replicate settings.
 

Hi Annabelle!
This might be what you are looking for:
http://www.stillwellaudio.com/plugins/spectro/
 
Regards Thomas

There is Span  which I'm finding handy-  Free too--  http://www.voxengo.com/product/span/
 
But for figuring out which frequencies I have going over the top I like to put the LP 64 Multiband on my master bus. It will quickly tell me if say I've got to much of any one of the bands it set for. Say if you have to much low end that meter will be showing steady action. Should be easy for you to see. 
 

Hi again!
To answer Annabelle's question on Spectral Analyzer & Spectral Editor, they are two different things.
The free Spectral Analyzer Span is a great tool Cactus Music :) but sound like Annabelle is looking for a Spectral Editor, to edit out unwanted noise, right?
 
The Stillwell Audio's Spectro is an Spectral Editor VST plugin, fully functional to try:
http://www.stillwellaudio.com/plugins/spectro/
 
There are other Spectral Editors like SpectraLayers, iZotope RX and Samplitude has it built in but these are not plugins. Here's an example of the Samplitude Spectral Editor so you get the picture how it works:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gqt087D1054
 
Stillwells Spectro work in a similar way, a great tool to have :)
 
Regards Thomas

TotteG
Hi again!
To answer Annabelle's question on Spectral Analyzer & Spectral Editor, they are two different things.
The free Spectral Analyzer Span is a great tool Cactus Music :) but sound like Annabelle is looking for a Spectral Editor, to edit out unwanted noise, right?
 
The Stillwell Audio's Spectro is an Spectral Editor VST plugin, fully functional to try:
http://www.stillwellaudio.com/plugins/spectro/
 
There are other Spectral Editors like SpectraLayers, iZotope RX and Samplitude has it built in but these are not plugins. Here's an example of the Samplitude Spectral Editor so you get the picture how it works:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gqt087D1054
 
Stillwells Spectro work in a similar way, a great tool to have :)
 
Regards Thomas

Does it have text-based knobs and sliders that screenreaders can understand?

TotteG
Hi again!
To answer Annabelle's question on Spectral Analyzer & Spectral Editor, they are two different things.
The free Spectral Analyzer Span is a great tool Cactus Music :) but sound like Annabelle is looking for a Spectral Editor, to edit out unwanted noise, right?
 
The Stillwell Audio's Spectro is an Spectral Editor VST plugin, fully functional to try:
http://www.stillwellaudio.com/plugins/spectro/
 
There are other Spectral Editors like SpectraLayers, iZotope RX and Samplitude has it built in but these are not plugins. Here's an example of the Samplitude Spectral Editor so you get the picture how it works:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gqt087D1054
 
Stillwells Spectro work in a similar way, a great tool to have :)
 
Regards Thomas

Yes, I'm trying to get rid of noise, for example, the 60-cycle hum when making telephone tone recordings. Or the hum of the refrigerator in the kitchen, or the hum and swish of my upstairs neighbor's washing machine.

Annabelle

TotteG
Hi again!
To answer Annabelle's question on Spectral Analyzer & Spectral Editor, they are two different things.
The free Spectral Analyzer Span is a great tool Cactus Music :) but sound like Annabelle is looking for a Spectral Editor, to edit out unwanted noise, right?
 
The Stillwell Audio's Spectro is an Spectral Editor VST plugin, fully functional to try:
http://www.stillwellaudio.com/plugins/spectro/
 
There are other Spectral Editors like SpectraLayers, iZotope RX and Samplitude has it built in but these are not plugins. Here's an example of the Samplitude Spectral Editor so you get the picture how it works:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gqt087D1054
 
Stillwells Spectro work in a similar way, a great tool to have :)
 
Regards Thomas

Does it have text-based knobs and sliders that screenreaders can understand?

Hi Annabelle! Sorry, no text-based knobs or sliders so I don't think it would work with a screenreader.
It's a visual tool which shows the audio frequencies in different colours so you can identify the problem visually and you draw a box around specific frequencies you want to edit.
 
Regards Thomas

Annabelle

TotteG
Hi again!
To answer Annabelle's question on Spectral Analyzer & Spectral Editor, they are two different things.
The free Spectral Analyzer Span is a great tool Cactus Music :) but sound like Annabelle is looking for a Spectral Editor, to edit out unwanted noise, right?
 
The Stillwell Audio's Spectro is an Spectral Editor VST plugin, fully functional to try:
http://www.stillwellaudio.com/plugins/spectro/
 
There are other Spectral Editors like SpectraLayers, iZotope RX and Samplitude has it built in but these are not plugins. Here's an example of the Samplitude Spectral Editor so you get the picture how it works:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gqt087D1054
 
Stillwells Spectro work in a similar way, a great tool to have :)
 
Regards Thomas

Yes, I'm trying to get rid of noise, for example, the 60-cycle hum when making telephone tone recordings. Or the hum of the refrigerator in the kitchen, or the hum and swish of my upstairs neighbor's washing machine.

Ok, then a Denoiser plugin would be a better choice, with that you can take a noise print (noise sample) of the problem to edit it out in realtime, I'm not sure which Denoiser plugin which work best with a screenreader.
 
Regards Thomas

I would based on solely the 60Hz hum, you could do that with a multi-band parametric eq. (Sonitus should be in 8.5) Set to the highest Q and then cut 60hz, 120hz, 180hz, etc... multiples of the 60hz frequency (harmonics).
 
I think there is a 60Hz preset in the Sonitus eq.
 
Good luck!