Pi Audio Monitor
Open-source audio monitoring and analysis software for Raspberry Pi and other platforms, featuring meters, analyzers, and test tools.
What is Pi Audio Monitor?
PAM is an open-source audio monitoring software designed to run on platforms like the Raspberry Pi with a touchscreen interface. It provides a suite of professional audio monitoring, analysis, and test tools, including various digital and moving coil meters, spectrum analyzers, and audio generators. It solves the need for a flexible, cost-effective audio monitoring solution that supports both local hardware inputs and networked audio streams like AES67.
Audio engineers, broadcast professionals, system integrators, and hobbyists who need detailed audio monitoring and analysis on embedded systems or general-purpose computers.
Developers choose PAM for its comprehensive set of professional audio tools in a single open-source package, its ability to run on low-cost hardware like the Raspberry Pi, and its support for modern networked audio standards like AES67 and NMOS, offering an alternative to expensive proprietary monitoring systems.
Overview
Audio Monitoring Software designed to run on a Raspberry pi with touchscreen
Use Cases
Best For
- Monitoring audio levels and quality in broadcast environments
- Analyzing audio signals for distortion and timing issues
- Testing audio equipment and signal chains
- Visualizing audio with spectrum analyzers and oscilloscopes
- Generating test tones and sequences for system calibration
- Integrating with AES67 or NMOS-based audio-over-IP networks
Not Ideal For
- Casual users needing simple audio playback without analysis tools
- Projects requiring quick deployment with minimal library dependencies
- Teams seeking highly customizable or modern web-based GUIs
- Applications that must run seamlessly on macOS or Windows without manual setup
Pros & Cons
Pros
Supports BBC PPM, EBU, Nordic, and VU meters, making it ideal for broadcast and audio engineering workflows where compliance with industry standards is critical.
Accepts AES67 streams with DNS-SD/SAP discovery and optional NMOS support, enabling seamless integration into modern audio-over-IP environments for flexible monitoring.
Optimized for Raspberry Pi with touchscreen, providing a low-cost hardware platform for professional audio monitoring without sacrificing feature richness.
Includes spectrum analyzer, oscilloscope, R128 loudness measurement, and distortion tools, offering a wide range of diagnostic capabilities in one package.
Cons
Requires installation of multiple core and external libraries like wxWidgets and PortAudio, with a non-trivial CMake or Code::Blocks setup that can be time-consuming.
The README admits NMOS support is a work in progress, with client-side limitations for handling many nodes, reducing its reliability in large networked audio systems.
CMake builds are currently Linux-only, and Windows support relies on Code::Blocks with manual library linking, making cross-platform adoption more challenging.
Primary documentation is stored in local help files rather than online, which can hinder accessibility and updates compared to web-based documentation systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Projects
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