A plugin by Frithjof Audio Production

Demo: 14 days

RealPan

Realistic panning for stereo productions.

Alongside the level difference, RealPan reproduces the time difference between the ears and the frequency-dependent shadowing of the head – developed from my own measurements with a dummy head and an AB array. Sources sound more natural and more spacious. On headphones they come out of your head; over speakers they come off the cabinets.

Get the demo View manual

VST3 · AU · Standalone  —  macOS 11+ (Apple Silicon & Intel) · Windows 10/11  —  AAX on macOS · Windows coming soon

RealPan interface with pan arc, model selection and the Time, Level and Tone directional cues

Demo

How it works

Thumbnail: How do you hear direction?
How do you hear direction? Why level alone doesn't create direction, and what timing and head shadow add.

By clicking play, you agree to data transfer to YouTube.

A/B comparison

Thumbnail: Can you hear the difference?
Can you hear the difference? Standard panning and RealPan, side by side.

By clicking play, you agree to data transfer to YouTube.

Listen

Hear for yourself.

Choose an example and switch between standard panning and RealPan while it plays. Notice how the source steps out of your head on headphones. On speakers, it detaches from the cabinets and gains depth in the room.

Listen on headphones or stereo speakers.

RealPan uses time, level and tone differences as in natural hearing (ITD & ILD).

  • Drums
  • Guitar
  • Shaker
  • Vocals
  • Band mix

Both versions loudness-matched (EBU R128, within 0.1 dB)

Space: play/stop · A/B or ←/→: switch

The measurements

From measurement to model.

Based on my own measurements with two microphone systems: 19 angles from 0° to 90° in 5° steps, captured via dual-channel FFT under identical conditions.

01 · MEASURE

Neumann KU100 dummy head and an AB array of two Isemcon EMX-7150 spaced 17.5 cm apart.

02 · MODEL

Delay calculated from the measurement data; level difference and filter cascade of the far side fitted to the measured curves.

03 · CHOOSE

Three models with different measurement bases and filtering – switchable in the plugin.

Every model works on headphones and on speakers. The effect is most obvious on headphones.

Controls

Complex mechanisms, simple to use.

Time, Level and Tone can be switched separately and scaled from 0 to 150 %. That way you hear which cue carries your material – and how much of it you actually need.

RealPan interface with pan arc, model selection and the Time, Level and Tone directional cues
aPan arc – azimuth −90° to +90°, continuous
bReal / Intensity – Real: measured model · Intensity: standard panning (equal power) for comparison
cModel 1 / 2 / 3 – AB Array, Dummy Head, Simple
dDirectional Cues: Time · Level · Tone – individually switchable, 0–150 %
eFilter curve – frequency response at the far ear
fGain – output level −60 to +12 dB
gAuto Gain – matches loudness according to BS.1770
hBypass – bypasses the entire effect

Listening test

In direct comparison with standard panning.

Blind test with 12 audio professionals: this is how RealPan performed against standard panning.

73 %preferred RealPan for spaciousness
67 %for naturalness
67 %for overall impression
57 %for sharpness of localization

Several participants described RealPan as wider and more spacious – often as if the source were in the same room rather than on the speakers.

Values rounded, only clear decisions counted. RealPan grew out of my bachelor's thesis in Sound, Music & Production at Hochschule Darmstadt, graded 1.0 (the top grade in the German system).

Good to know

Before you start

Mono tracks

RealPan needs two channels. Switch a mono track to dual mono or stereo before you insert it – otherwise you hear the sound change, but no panning. The plugin will tell you when this happens.

Mono compatibility

The delay causes comb filtering in a mono sum. Check your mix in mono and turn the Time control down if you need to – most of the spatial impression survives.

Demo

Try RealPan for 14 days.

Sign up, confirm your email address, and your demo license arrives right away by email – with download links and instructions.

You get

A 14-day demo license, full feature set
Installers for macOS and Windows
Manual and installation guides

14 days, full feature set, one demo per email address.

Documentation

Guides to read up on.

Specs

Everything at a glance.

Formats
VST3, AU (macOS), AAX (macOS), and Standalone
Systems
macOS 11 or later (Universal Binary) · Windows 10/11, 64-bit
Channels
Mono→Stereo, Stereo→Stereo. Mono outputs are accepted, but the effect needs two channels.
Sample rates
44.1 / 48 / 96 / 192 kHz
Latency
Reported to the DAW and compensated there
Automation
All parameters except Auto Gain
Pro Tools
AAX is available on macOS. The Windows version will follow once code signing is in place.
Start a Project →