I just grappled with a bug involving the Audio Spectrum effect. Well, to be honest, it was only an hour today but this has also halted my workflow many other times in the past. I think I have a bit more clarity this time, though. So here goes:

I have a solid layer with an Audio Spectrum effect applied. I sometimes reuse this layer/effect as I work from existing project files to more quickly complete similar work tasks.

When I try to have the Audio Spectrum effect refer to a different audio layer, the spectrum visuals get all screwy. They do not align with the new audio at all.

So I am forced to make a new solid layer and apply a new Audio Spectrum effect. This means I need to hand copy the effect settings. BUT EVEN THEN, sometimes the spectrum visuals are all screwy. What gives?

I noticed that if I change the "Side Options" from "Side A & B" to either just A or B alone, the visuals are fine. It is only when I select to visualize both. But why?

I also noticed that the bug seems to only take effect if I change the Inside and Outside colors by clicking on the swatch and selecting a color from the dialog box. If I use the color picker instead of clicking on the swatch for these color settings, it seems to function correctly.

Can you imagine how long it took me to figure this out?