Altitude Audio has launched Crossfeed, a free stereo imaging and monitoring plugin for Home windows and macOS.
Should you use headphones for mixing and really feel such as you’re lacking out, this one would possibly assist. To be 100% sincere, I don’t suppose headphones will ever sound precisely like audio system, however instruments like this one can not less than emulate the expertise to some extent.
Altitude Audio’s plugin makes an attempt to take action by combining crossfeed processing with varied stereo visualization instruments to assist flip your headphones right into a extra speaker-like listening atmosphere.
Crossfeed is especially designed to cut back the “in-your-head” impact that’s widespread when listening to stereo mixes on headphones. It subtly blends the left and proper channels into every ear, very like how we understand sound when listening to audio system in a room.
The result’s extra pure imaging and improved spatial consciousness. One other potential benefit is that it would scale back listening fatigue throughout lengthy mixing periods, however once more, I’m very skeptical in that regard.
You are nonetheless listening to headphones, in spite of everything.
That stated, not like extra primary crossfeed implementations, Crossfeed contains a number of adjustable parameters for fine-tuning that purpose to enhance the top outcome.
You may management the cutoff frequency and suggestions quantity, providing you with exact management over how a lot and what a part of the sign will get shared between channels. There’s additionally a excessive shelf EQ part with adjustable frequency and enhance, designed to counteract any perceived high-end dulling brought on by the crossfeed course of.
The plugin helps each conventional (Direct) and fashionable (Help) processing approaches. The trendy Help mode simplifies parameter interactions for a extra delicate impact, whereas Direct offers you full management for extra pronounced outcomes.
There’s additionally a Moist/Dry combine knob and stereo picture Width and Focus controls, permitting you to form the ultimate sound to style.
One in every of Crossfeed’s principal benefits, although, is its built-in visible monitoring. You get real-time visualizations, together with a Lissajous vectorscope for stereo part evaluation, Polar Pattern and Polar Degree views for spatial positioning, and an in depth FFT spectrum analyzer.
These instruments may also help you visually assess stereo steadiness, part correlation, and spectral vitality throughout the stereo subject.
You may run Crossfeed as a VST3 plugin in any suitable DAW or as a standalone utility. For the standalone model, you’ll must route audio utilizing a digital audio gadget (e.g., BlackHole, VB-Cable, or Loopback). Set up is simple, and manufacturing facility presets like “Pure” present a fast place to begin.
Crossfeed is suitable with macOS Catalina 10.15 and up (Intel and Apple Silicon) and Home windows 10 or 11. It helps pattern charges as much as 786 kHz and works in any DAW that helps VST3.
You may obtain Crossfeed without cost from Altitude Audio’s web site.
Obtain: Crossfeed
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Final Up to date on September 5, 2025 by Tomislav Zlatic.
