Soundtoys PanMan -

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Rhythmic auto-panning with cool classic features, new tricks, and analog color.

Soundtoys PanMan is not your ordinary panning plugin. It can take mundane panning and turn it into a magical rhythmic tool. It offers an endless array of possibilities for creating anything from classic panning box sounds to complex rhythmic patterns and mesmerizing sweeps. With Soundtoys modulation tricks at their disposal, users can achieve incredibly creative and powerful results.

It features an over-the-top range of panning modes to recreate classic analog auto-panners plus some of the cool modes from our other plugs to push it a bit further into the future. With MIDI sync to tempo, preset storage, dynamic control, and automation you get modern innovation alongside the classic features from hard-to-find vintage analog hardware. Control width, speed, direction, and more with the most full-featured panner you’ve ever seen.

Classic Auto Panning

PanMan incorporates features inspired by classic auto-panners. There are classic auto-panners? Yep! And Soundtoys tracked down these obscure boxes, like the Spanner and PanScan, to study what makes them tick. One thing Soundtoys 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 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, Soundtoys didn’t stop there. they added 7 different analog modes that add saturation and a real analog vibe when you push PanMan hard.

Modern and Musical Tools

Like Soundtoys’ 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 choose 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.

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.

Soundtoys PanMan 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

Download Manual

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

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

Soundtoys 5 Compatibility

All version 5 Soundtoys products come in 64-bit VST, AU and AAX Native plug-in formats. Here is a list of our officially supported host applications.

Pro Tools 12 - 2022.6	Mac & PC: AAX Native and AudioSuite
Logic Pro X - 10.7*	Logic Pro X - 10.7*
Ableton Live 9.2.2 - 11	Mac: AudioUnits & VST; Windows: VST
Studio One 4.5+	Mac: AudioUnits & VST; Windows: VST
Cubase 9.5 - 12*	Mac & PC: VST
Nuendo 8 - 11	Mac & PC: VST
Reaper 6	Mac: AudioUnits & VST; Windows: VST
Bitwig 4	Mac & PC: VST

Note about DAW / Computer Support

We cannot guarantee support if you are using a supported host platform listed above on an operating system or computer that is not supported by the host platform itself. Please visit your DAW’s website or manual to ensure you are using a compatible system.

If your DAW is not on the list above, it doesn’t necessarily mean that our plug-ins won’t work. It just means that it has not been tested. If something goes wrong with an unsupported DAW, you are welcome to write to support, but we cannot guarantee a solution. We currently recommend using our free trial with the hosts listed below to confirm compatibility on your computer.

MainStage
FL Studio

32-Bit Plug-in Support

With the release of 5.3.2, we have officially discontinued support for 32-bit plug-ins. With macOS Catalina requiring all applications to be 64-bit, and with the vast majority of our PC customers using 64-bit plug-ins, we decided it was the right time to end 32-bit support. Our most recent 32-bit installers are available to download below.

Download Soundtoys 5.3.2 for Windows (32-bit)

Download Soundtoys 5.3.1 for Mac (32-bit)

Download Windows 32-Bit Installers for Individual Plug-ins

What’s new in v5.4

May 16, 2023

New SuperPlate plug-in, available individually, within Effect Rack, or as part of the Soundtoys 5.4 Bundle.
New Effect Rack Factory Presets
Updated high-resolution graphics and text for most plug-ins.
Fixes issue where VST3 plug-ins had the wrong window size in Studio One\\

What’s new in v5.3.8

VST3 support for both Windows and macOS
Native compatibility with both Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M-series) and Intel processors

Known Issues and Notes

In Digital Performer 11, discrete parameters behave incorrectly for VST3. We recommend using VST2 or AU in Digital Performer 11 until the issue can be resolved.
Some hosts will automatically replace VST2 plug-ins in sessions with matching VST3 versions, depending on the DAW and your DAW preferences. Our VST3 versions are fully interchangeable with their VST2 counterparts, but not all hosts implement this feature of VST3.

What’s new in V5.3.7

Adds native Apple silicon support for Audio Units and VST2.
Fixes issue where installers may fail to install for certain users.

Known issues and notes:

The minimum recommended version of Logic for native Apple silicon is 10.7.3
Switching presets in Logic’s built-in preset manager may cause instability with Effect Rack. Using our internal preset manager should be fine.
VST3 support is not included in this release and will come at a later time.

5.3.6 Update

October, 20, 2021

Fixed an issue where Effect Rack could crash when doing an offline render to a new sample rate with VST.
Fixed an issue where Effect Rack could produce an incorrect “out of automation slots” alert during an offline render.

5.3.5 Update

September 30, 2021

Fixed issues with offline rendering in certain hosts, where the effect might have a delayed onset or undesirable fade in.
Fixed audio artifacts that could happen when editing modulation patterns during playback.
Fixed issue where events could be edited to 0 level and then no longer modified.
Effect Rack now resets delay buffers on preset changes.
Fixed an issue with PhaseMistress sound for certain 2-stage phaser styles.
Fixed an issue where Effect Rack could crash on load in Reaper on Windows.
Pattern editor stability improvements.

5.3.4 Update

March 30, 2021

Fixed CPU Spiking in Bitwig when certain plug-ins were on an instrument channel.
Fixed incorrect license expiration warning that would appear in certain circumstances.
Fixed bug where Effect Rack could lose signal after re-ordering effects in certain circumstances.
Fixed issue where EchoBoy could crash while changing presets during audio playback.
Added new transport indicator to Rhythm Editors to convey current location within a pattern.
Stability improvements for Windows versions.

5.3.3 Update

December 10, 2020

Added support for macOS Big Sur (11).
Fixed minor graphics issues in macOS Big Sur.
Fixed issue where plug-ins would sometimes crash on instantiation in GarageBand or Maschine on macOS Catalina.
Improved handling of bad floating point values.
Fixed graphical issues with pattern editors.
Fixed tempo sync during offline render in certain plug-ins.
Fixed issue where delay of dry signal path in Little AlterBoy did not match host DAW delay compensation.
Fixed issue where Decapitator would flood undo history with AutoGain changes in Ableton.
Eliminated low level noise from MicroShift.
Adjusted levels of Decapitator’s “Dark Drive” preset.
Added numpad and arrow key support for string controls.
Improved mouse tracking behavior in preset menus.
Fixed Effect Rack crash that could happen during certain preset changes.
Fixed “Waveform and Rhythm Too Complicated” alert in certain rhythm presets.
Fixed Tremolator crashing on selection of “12 Bar Roller” rhythm preset.
Fixed Organize command disappearing from the preset menu in certain situations.
Fixed rare crash on recall with multiple Effect Rack instances in Ableton.

5.3.2 Update

December 17, 2019

Added support for macOS Catalina (10.15).
Fixed issues on Windows where knobs could snap to minimum position and stop responding to mouse movements.
Double-clicking to reset controls has been fixed on Windows.
32-bit plug-ins have been discontinued.
Installer now includes the latest version of iLok License Manager, which solves an issue where plug-ins were blacklisted in Cubase on Windows.

5.3.1 Update

October 30, 2019

Fixed a bug in Little AlterBoy that could cause left and right channels to move slightly out of sync when used on a mono track in DAWs like Ableton and Cubase that process mono tracks in stereo.**
Fixed a similar left/right sync bug that could affect PrimalTap in “Freeze” mode.**
Improved parameter mapping for Resonance parameter in FilterFreak and PhaseMistress. This may very slightly change the sound of sessions that use automation on this parameter. If no automation is used on this parameter then all sessions should recall perfectly.
Smoothed out choppy animation on certain Retina displays.
Repaired window scaling problems in Windows on high DPI monitors, especially in Ableton and Studio One
Added MIDI triggering to PhaseMistress and EffectRack AAX.
Installer icons on Mac and PC should now show up more easily on a black background.
Mac installer supports light and dark mode.
New Remove Soundtoys utility on Mac lets you uninstall individual plug-ins more easily.

** These changes will affect the sound of audio in some sessions. You may want to bounce or freeze tracks if you want to keep the out-of-sync or phasey sound that may have occurred in previous versions.

What’s new in v5.3

macOS and PC:

Plug-in activation window now includes support for Activation Codes, which will be distributed to customers who purchase a new product (not an upgrade) from our web store, and will allow those licenses to be activated without an iLok account (optional).
Little Plate is now included in the 5.3 license group for new Soundtoys 5 customers.

macOS-only:

macOS Mojave is now officially supported.
Graphics issue that was causing several components of the Soundtoys graphical user interfaces to display incorrectly on macOS Mojave has been resolved.

What’s New in v5.2.3

All Soundtoys Plugins updated June 4, 2018 (Maintenance Update 5.2.3.13619 (Mac) and 5.2.3.13636 (PC))

Little Plate now included in the Soundtoys 5 installer
Fixed rare audio dropout/glitches under certain circumstances
Fixed crash that could happen sometimes on session recall
Fixed sluggish animation of tweak drawers on high DPI monitors on Mac
Fixed rhythm editor to allow for creation of multi-bar rhythms
Fixed “update nesting too deep” alert
Added support for MIDI triggering to AAX versions of FilterFreak and PrimalTap
Fixed CPU spiking in certain instances
Fixed AudioSuite support for different stem formats (mono-mono, mono-stereo, stereo-stereo) for Tremolator, Decapitator, Devil-Loc Deluxe, FilterFreak 1 & 2, Little Radiator, Radiator, and Sie-Q
Fixed occasional crash when rendering in Reaper on Windows
Fixed preset sorting in macOS High Sierra
Audio Units plug-ins will now scan correctly without requiring a restart in macOS High Sierra
Locked knob titles will remain red when GUI is closed and reopened
Fixed Pro Tools automation hotkey support for Effect Rack, as well as compound parameters like Delay Notes/Time in EchoBoy
Fixed Pro Tools automation hotkey support for all plug-ins on Windows
Fixed session recall in AU Lab
Fixed balance offset in in PanMan Random & Triggered modes
Updated VST plug-in names to make them consistent with AU and AAX versions when displayed in DAWs. *This included Little Plate, Little AlterBoy, Little Radiator, Little PrimalTap, Little MicroShift, EchoBoy Jr., and Sie-Q.

What’s new in 5.2:

EchoBoy Jr. is now available in Soundtoys 5 and Effect Rack
EchoBoy Jr. is now included with individual EchoBoy 5 licenses and installers
Some Effect Rack presets now include EchoBoy Jr.
Fixed an issue where certain AAX plug-ins did not support multi-mono operation
The LFO rate parameter can now be automated in PhaseMistress and FilterFreak 1 & 2

What’s new in 5.1

Sie-Q was added to the lineup.

What’s new in 5.02

Features:

Plug-ins with the Analog Mode option now have a new “Op Amp” style to replace the Version 4 “Digital” style that was removed. In the previous version 5 release sessions using “Digital” defaulted to “Clean”. They now default to “Op Amp”. This will address the sound differences that some customers heard when recalling old sessions.
PrimalTap has a new Auto Gain switch added to the Tweak menu. When enabled, the output will automatically be lowered proportionally as the input gain is raised. This is the new default behavior for PrimalTap. Old sessions and user presets will open with Auto Gain set to “Off.”
Preset names, when edited, now display in italics to indicate an edited state

Fixes:

Preset names are now displayed correctly when sessions that were last saved with V4 are recalled (instead of reading “Default”).
Fixed an issue in PrimalTap where the Rolloff feature was not filtering the feedback loop as intended. (Note: this update will change the sound of some presets and sessions but is the correct and intended sound and behavior of PrimalTap).
Fixed an issue where Devil-Loc and Devil-Loc Deluxe knobs could jump to minimum or maximum when clicked in a certain area.
Fixed a problem where the delayed signal in EchoBoy might drop out under certain conditions.
PhaseMistress default settings will now sound identical to the default preset.
Preset names are now pre-populated when using the Save As… option.
Resolved a Windows problem where alerts could be hidden behind other windows.
Fixed issues that would cause the compare light to come on unnecessarily with certain plugins and presets.

New in Soundtoys 5:

Effect Rack, PrimalTap, and Little AlterBoy plug-ins
New authorization options
Workflow enhancements

Getting Rhythmic with SoundToys Plug-ins

SoundToys guru Mitch Thomas demonstrates the basics of using SoundToys plug-ins to create rhythmic effects, and then dives deeper with the powerful Rhythm Editor in part 2.

More...

v5 Soundtoys PanMan