An encoder spectrograph is used to analyze radiation from one or more samples in various configurations. The radiation is analyzed by spatially modulating the radiation after it has been dispersed by wavelength or imaged along a line. Dual encoder spectrographs may be used to encode radiation using a single modulator. An encoder spectrograph includes a modulator with radiation filters having non-equal widths and centered at non-equal intervals along the encoding axis of the modulator.