The Note Audio has released True Panner, a free stereo panning and spatial imaging plugin that combines conventional level-based balance with ITD (Interaural Time Difference) panning.
The Note Audio says.
Human spatial hearing relies on more than one cue. Level differences between the ears are only part of the picture — arrival time differences are just as fundamental to how we locate a sound. Yet the pan control found on almost every mixing console and DAW channel strip adjusts level alone. It works, but it renders the stereo field one-dimensional, which is why engineers so often reach for delays, wideners and EQ moves to recover the depth that level panning cannot provide.
True Panner adds the missing cue. Its ITD-based panning introduces the small time differences the ear actually uses to judge direction, producing placement that reads as positioned rather than merely louder on one side. Because the shift is frequency-independent, the tonal character of the source stays intact as it moves across the field.
Six modes cover the range from an everyday balance move to precise spatial placement: Balance, Dual Pan, Width, Time Pan, Spread and Output. A real-time stereo field visualizer makes the effect of each adjustment visible as well as audible, which is particularly useful when time-based and level-based panning are combined.
Key Features:
- Five panning modes from one interface: Balance, Dual Pan, Width, Time Pan, Spread and Output.
- ITD-based panning for frequency-independent spatial placement.
- Independent left/right pan controls with width adjustment.
- Real-time stereo field visualizer.
- Low CPU usage, suitable for use on every channel in a session.
Pricing & Availability
True Panner is available free of charge for macOS and Windows in VST3, AU and AAX plugin formats at thenoteaudio.com, with no trial period and no feature restrictions. Downloading requires a free account; once installed, the plugin needs no licence or activation and runs offline.
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