PanShaper €34

A programmable stereo panner might not sound very exciting, but you’ll be surprised how versatile and useful such a thing can be…

Best known for their superb Curve 2 synth (9/10, 186), German developers Cableguys also produce a range of modulationbased effects plugins, the latest of which, PanShaper (VST/AU), is a stereo panner.

The focus of the main window is the waveform display on the left-hand side, which runs a timeline from top to bottom, with the left and right channels represented literally. A white audio waveform display is overlaid with an orange line, which describes the shape of the panning movement. The amount of time represented by the window from top to bottom is determined by the LFO fields to the right. These can be set to sync to host tempo from 1/128 up to 32 bars (including dotted but not triplet options), run free in Hertz, or be triggered via MIDI (either one-shot or with the frequency of the MIDI note played determining the speed).

With your modulation speed set, the next step is to create a panning pattern. For this, you can use the extensive library of presets (see Preset Panning, below) or draw in shapes of your own. This process follows the usual Cableguys workflow. Clicking the orange line creates a breakpoint that can be dragged left or right, and breakpoints can be snapped to grid or not, with the Shift key momentarily turning snap off. By default, breakpoints define soft curves, but Ctrl/Cmd-clicking creates sharp ones for triangular waveshapes, etc. Further tools enable shifting the pattern up and down the grid, randomising the breakpoint positions, and drawing quarter-note stepped patterns. And if you make a mistake, the Undo/Redo buttons are there to save your bacon.

There’s more…

Rather excitingly, PanShaper is a multiband processor. In the frequency display to the topright of the main window, you can drag in the top and bottom ends of the Mid band (which is set to cover the full frequency range by default) to reveal the High and Low bands, turning the whole thing into a two- or three-band panner. So, you can keep the bass content centred while swaying the top-end sounds in a frequency-rich signal, for example. Each band can be soloed, and pre- and post-panner Width controls essentially set the mid/side balance of a stereo signal, ranging from 0% (mid signal only) through 100% (natural stereo) to 200% (side signal at +6dB). Finally, there’s a Master wet/dry mix knob and a dropdown menu enabling you to select one of a variety of panning laws, from 0dB to -6dB centre attenuation.

PanShaper is easy to use, totally intuitive, and a highly creative tool that you might only realise you’ve been missing once you start to use it. Sure, you can draw automation curves in your DAW and copy them down the length of a track, but Cableguys’ affordable plugin gives much more immediate results and allows for far more artistic development. A built-in sequencer for stepping through and jumping between the six Local preset waveshapes would make a great inclusion, but PanShaper is a whole heap of fun just as it is, and a very handy tool to have in your virtual studio. www.cableguys.com