After Effects: Fake EQ or Audio Spectrum Effect (Text + Wiggly)

by | Sep 6, 2022 | Adobe After Effects, Tutorials

After Effects CC 2022: Fake EQ or Audio Spectrum Effect (Text + Wiggly)

Solids Folder Basics

Description:
This tutorial will show you how to create a faux audio spectrum or equalizer animation in Adobe After Effects CC 2022 using only a text layer and the Wiggly Selector

Font Used in Tutorial:
Londrina Solid
https://www.fontsquirrel.com/fonts/londrina

Text Characters Used:
Lower case I (eye)
Lower case L (l)
Pipe…| (above the forward slash)

Expression Used:
repeat(25)

Inspiration/Source for Tutorial:
Eran Stern, Adobe Educator
https://sternfx.com

Chapters:
00:05 Intro: What you will learn
00:16 Where did I learn this technique?
00:28 Composition Settings
00:39 Add a Text Layer (Cmd/Crtl + T)
00:49 Font Used: Londrina Solid
01:00 Add Repeater Expression to Source Text
01:30 repeat(25)
01:45 Click on ‘Animate’ and add ‘Scale’
01:58 Unlink ‘Scale’ Constrain Proportions
02:15 Add ‘Wiggly’ Selector
02:28 Wiggles Per Second (Control the speed)
02:48 Customization Ideas

Software Used:
Adobe After Effects CC 2022 (Click To Try or Buy)

How To Create a Faux EQ or Audio Spectrum

  1. Create New Composition (Cmd/Ctrl + N)
  2. Add Text to Composition (Cmd/Ctrl + T)
  3. Type out a Pipe Character (|) or lower case L or I
  4. Align to Center of Comp
  5. Go to Layers Panel and twirl open the text layer
  6. Option or Alt Click on the stopwatch for Source Text
  7. Add expression: repeat(25) to repeat the number of characters
  8. Align to the center of the Comp
  9. Click ‘Animate’
  10. Select ’Scale’
  11. Click the link icon to ‘Un-constrain Proportions’ of the Scale Property
  12. Keep the first Scale Property at 100%
  13. Change the 2nd Scale Property to 10%
  14. Click on ‘Add’
  15. Select ’Selector’
  16. Select ‘Wiggly’
  17. Press the Spacebar to Preview

How To Change the Speed of the Animation:

  1. Go to Animator 1
  2. Twirl open Wiggly Selector
  3. Change Wiggles Per Second  (decrease to slow down and increase to speed up)

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