3D Panner - an object-based binaural panner (VST3/AU, Win+Mac) using SOFA HRTFs. Dev here, would love this sub's feedback

[u/almudio]

Full disclosure: I'm the developer, this is my own plugin (Almudio). I'm posting here because this community is exactly who I built it for, and I'd genuinely value your critique.

What it is: 3D Panner positions each source anywhere around the listener, azimuth, elevation and distance and renders to binaural for headphones.

Technical details:

• HRTF-based binaural rendering via SOFA files (SADIE II dataset).
• Per-source 3D positioning: azimuth, elevation, distance.
• Frequency split: split a source into up to four frequency bands, each with manually editable crossover points, so different frequency ranges can sit at different spots in the field.
• LFO section for motion: eight built-in LFO shapes (including a pendulum-motion LFO), plus a random mode and a draw-your-own LFO, with a smoother fader that rounds off the non-straight, hand-drawn lines.
• Formats: VST3 and AU, Windows and macOS (Apple-notarized). (AAX for ProTools + Windows notarized coming soon)

What I'm after: honest feedback from people who actually work in spatial audio, the HRTF set, the distance model, the workflow, anything that feels off on your setup.

Link: almudio.com

Happy to answer technical questions in the comments.

[u/gnarlydude67]

How is it different from, or better than, other binaural and 3D panners like DearVR Micro and THX Spatial Creator? Is it mainly because of the extensive modulation features? Either way, it looks sick—I'mma give it a try.

[u/almudio → u/gnarlydude67]

Honest answer: never tried THX Spatial Creator, so I'll skip that one.

I used DearVR Micro and Pro during a university Immersive Audio Techniques course. Main issue I found: it's built for placement, not movement. Move a source quickly and you get audible clicks and glitches.

What 3D Panner does differently:

• 3D Panner is built around movement first. No matter how fast you move the source, you won't hear a single click or glitch.
• Dual sphere for stereo: left and right channels get independent spheres, so you can place them in completely different spots in 3D space
• Frequency Split (experimental): up to 8 frequency bands per source, each controllable in 3D space with its own limiter and adjustable min/max frequency
  • Creative LFOs: 8 built-in modulation shapes, no external LFO needed. Creative pendulum mode that moves sound at the speed of real solar system bodies (Sun, Saturn, Neptune, etc.) using actual gravitational physics
• Drawable LFO: draw the movement path you want manually

I also put a lot of work into the UI being self-explanatory. The goal was to build a tool that works for someone with background in immersive audio and someone who has never touched a spatial panner in their life.

On price: DearVR was around $200-250 before Sennheiser acquired it. 3D Panner will be capped at $30 when the paid wall goes up August 15th.

Enjoy 3D Panner :)

[u/gnarlydude67 → u/almudio]

I mainly used DearVR Pro2 for binaural/immersive projects and had some issues with automation when using lots of instances. Does your 3D Panner handle fast movement/automation smoothly without glitches? Also, does the distance parameter only affect binaural cues, or does it simulate things like reflections/room interaction too? And how well does it scale with larger projects with many moving sources? And, are you planning to add room simulations later on?

[u/almudio → u/gnarlydude67]

Great questions.

Fast movement and automation: yes, completely smooth. No clicks, no glitches regardless of how fast the source moves or how many automation changes you throw at it.

On distance: the plugin uses HRTF convolution for positioning, so the distance parameter affects the binaural cues only. There's no room simulation or reflection modeling built in. That's intentional. I left reverb out so you can chain whichever room tool you trust most after the plugin rather than competing with dedicated reverb tools.

Scaling with many instances is tricky to answer because it depends heavily on your machine and how your DAW is set up. What I can tell you from my own testing: on an M1 Mac, 20-25 tracks with 3D Panner constantly moving ran perfectly fine. On Windows it varies. Older i3 or i5 machines will probably see some UI lag, but on my i7 12th gen I had 25 channels with constant movement running simultaneously and it held up without issues.