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JUCE · VST3 / AU · C++ In Development

Echo
PsychFX

Not a delay plugin. A subtle psychoacoustic perception processor that manipulates how the listener thinks the sound is positioned, sized, coloured, or emotionally framed — without pushing the audio into obvious effect-territory. Coordinated perceptual illusions, not transformations.

🎛️ VST3 🍎 AU 🖥️ Win / macOS 64-bit 🧠 Psychoacoustics
01 — Demo

Plugin Demo

// replace with YouTube embed when ready

02 — Interface
🎛️

Main interface — perception chain

↔️

Width Balancer

〰️

Tilt EQ

🌀

Spatial FX

Core Components

  • Width Balancer — smooth perceptual stereo rebalancing without collapsing mono integrity
  • Tilt EQ — psychoacoustic tonal shaping based on brightness–warmth perception curves
  • Mod Delay (Micro Modulation) — subtle depth, movement, and stereo motion without audible flutter
  • Spatial FX — phase and micro-timing cues that shift perceived proximity and space
  • Perception Presets — centralised presets controlling the entire psychoacoustic chain at once via PerceptionPresetManager

🧠 Perception Design

01

Haas-zone cues

Sub-30ms inter-aural timing differences create phantom positioning without audible delay — the brain localises to the earlier channel arrival.

02

Loudness asymmetry

Subtle per-channel gain offsets shift perceived centre image using the brain's dominant-ear localisation shortcut.

03

Warmth illusion curves

Spectral tilt and even-order harmonic content trigger the perceptual category of "warmth" without audible saturation artefacts.

04

Proximity weighting

Combined air-absorption simulation and micro-reverb tail control perceived source distance independently of raw loudness.

04 — What It's Best At

Vocal presence

Makes vocals feel closer, warmer, or more intimate without adding reverb or delay tails that colour the mix.

Spatial depth

Guitars and synths get width and depth without mid-side phasing issues or mono compatibility problems.

Mix placement

Pushes elements forward or backward in the perceptual field using cues rather than volume — preserving headroom.

Subtle movement

Adds life to static sounds without the tell-tale flutter of obvious modulation effects.

Mix glue

Gives the full mix subtle spatial dimension and coherence without any single effect being identifiable.

Mastering bus

Perception presets allow full-chain psychoacoustic adjustments on the master without destructive processing.

05 — Download

Builds available once beta phase begins. Early testers get direct input on feature development.

🪟
VST3 — Windows
64-bit, Windows 10+
Coming soon
🍎
VST3 — macOS
Universal (Intel + Apple Silicon)
Coming soon
🎵
AU — macOS
Logic, GarageBand, MainStage
Coming soon
🎙️
AAX
Pro Tools 11+
Planned
Ableton Live Logic Pro Reaper FL Studio Cubase Pro Tools
06 — Technical Specs
C++ / JUCE
Core engine
64-bit floats
Processing precision throughout
PerceptionPresetManager
Central psychoacoustic state control
Modular components
Parameters via public setters
VST3 / AU / AAX
Plugin formats

🔬 Planned Additions

Micro-pitch detune, L/R phase shift, exciter/saturation, and a psychoacoustic pre-delay verb. Next focus: something more immediately noticeable on instruments to balance the chain's subtlety.

Interested in Testing?

Looking for producers and mix engineers to test early builds and give feedback on the perception algorithms and workflow.