PanMan

Panning. You wouldn’t be alone if you thought of it as nothing more than the simple act of moving sounds from left to right and back again. But it can be so much more. PanMan opens up a Pandora’s Box of panoramic possibilities. Recreate the sounds of classic hardware panning boxes. Trigger panning with the dynamics of a track. Create complex rhythmic patterns and dizzying sweeps. With the full range of Soundtoys modulation tricks at your disposal, PanMan turns the simple act of panning into something incredibly creative and powerful.

Classic Auto Panning

PanMan incorporates features inspired by classic auto-panners. There are classic auto-panners? Yep! And we tracked down these obscure boxes, like the Spanner and PanScan, to study what makes them tick. One thing we just had to run with comes from the PanScan: the trigger divider. This quirky feature lets you set the number of trigger events it takes to move to a new pan position. For example, you can set it to scan from the left to right in three triggers. Trigger the panning by clicking with your mouse, automate the trigger with your host, or even set a threshold to have it respond to incoming audio. You can even filter the audio going to the trigger so it responds to just low, or high, frequency events. And of course we didn’t stop there: we’ve added 7 different analog modes that add saturation and real analog vibe when you push PanMan hard.

Modern and Musical Tools

Like our other modulation effects, PanMan also offers advanced rhythmic tools that let you create your own signature pan effects. Two different rhythm modes give you tons of possibilities: Step mode lets you chose a new position on each beat and sync it to your host, while the Shape mode lets you choose from a library of custom panning shapes or even draw your own. Open the Tweak panel and you’ll find a bevy of creative options—you’ll be amazed at how versatile PanMan can be.

PanMan - Pan Hopper

For panning effects that follow the feel of the music, you can even set the threshold control and trigger PanMan using the dynamics of your track. Move the width, speed and offset controls based on the rhythm of the audio. Create sounds that sweep whenever the snare drum hits. Change the speed of the panning based on the loudness of a vocal. With PanMan, you’ll come up with creative new pan-based effects you didn’t think were possible.

PanMan - Shape Tweak

Highlights

Create custom auto panning effects, locked perfectly to your song’s tempo

Choose from 6 different panning modes including LFO, step and random

Recreates the clever “trigger divider” feature from the vintage PanScan hardware

Design your own rhythmic patterns and panning waveshapes

Set the threshold to let your music’s dynamics control speed, offset and width

Add vintage tone with 7 different analog emulation algorithms

Quotes

“PanMan made me realize how neglected auto‑panning as an effect has become in the DAW age. This plug-in has a remarkable ability to bring alive whatever you put through it, whether adding a subtle wobble or a violent lurching motion. It shines particularly strongly on instruments such as Rhodes piano or clean electric guitar, where it offers a great alternative to more obvious modulation effects, such as chorus.” – Sam Inglis, Sound on Sound

“As with most of the Soundtoys plug-ins, the programming detail and feature sets go on and on and PanMan is no different in that regard. But I’m a beginner and I have had no problems getting beautifully ornate panning treatments very quickly. This is a sound designer’s dream tool that pays off more and more as I learn more about the internal tweak controls.” – Barry Rudolph, The Record Shop Blog

Specs

Current Version: 5.4

Release Log

Apple Silicon and VST 3 Compatible

Plug-in Formats (64-bit only):

AAX Native, AAX AudioSuite, VST 2, VST 3, and Audio Units (AU)

Supported Sample Rates:

Minimum: 44.1 kHz, Maximum: 192 kHz

System Requirements:

Operating systems: Mac OS X 10.12 or later; Windows 7 or later.
An internet connection is required at the time of activation.

Supported Hosts:

Pro Tools, Live, Cubase, Nuendo, Logic, Studio One, Reaper, Bitwig
Click here to view our full list of compatible host applications.

Download Manual

Soundtoys, PanMan and their respective logos are all trademarks of Soundtoys, Inc.

*All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Soundtoys. These trademarks are used only for historical reference or to identify products whose sounds or tone were studied in the development of PanMan.

Included In

Soundtoys 5

The Ultimate Effects Solution. All 22 Soundtoys plug-ins including the new SuperPlate reverb, Decapitator, EchoBoy, Little Plate, Little AlterBoy and Effect Rack. Learn More.

$499On Sale $199