Sonic Academy’s JU-60 Is Now Free, A Timeless Synth Gifted to Producers Everywhere

Every once in a while, the music production world gets a pleasant surprise — a moment when a company drops something so generous, so producer-friendly, that it immediately sends shockwaves through the community. Sonic Academy’s decision to make their JU-60 synth plugin completely free is one of those moments.

For producers who’ve spent years trying to capture the warmth, nostalgia, and shimmering pads of classic Roland-style analog synthesis, this move feels like Christmas arriving early. Suddenly, an entire generation of creators — from bedroom beatmakers to professional engineers — has access to an instrument capable of defining a sound.

Today, we’ll dive into what makes the JU-60 special, why this free release is such a big deal, how it stacks up against modern analog emulations, and how producers can incorporate it into their workflow in ways that truly elevate their music.

A Love Letter to the 80s: What the JU-60 Actually Is

The JU-60 plugin is Sonic Academy’s tribute to the legendary Roland Juno-60, one of the most iconic polyphonic synthesizers ever created. If you’ve listened to synthwave, new wave, dream pop, house, techno, deep electronic, chillwave, or even modern R&B, you’ve heard the Juno-60’s DNA everywhere.

Its signature sound comes from a perfect storm:

• Warm analog chorus

• Solid, creamy saw waves

• Deep, weighty sub-oscillator

• Punchy envelopes

• A filter that sings when pushed

Sonic Academy’s JU-60 brings all of that into the digital world with remarkable accuracy. The plugin recreates the character, the oscillators, the filter response, and — most importantly — the Chorus I & II modes, which basically defined 1980s synth music.

And now… anyone can download it for free.

It’s not a “lite” version, not a stripped-down version, not a demo. It’s the whole analog experience, unlocked.

Why Making JU-60 Free Is a Massive Win for Producers

This isn’t just another freebie. This is a serious tool with real musical weight behind it.

Here’s why the JU-60 going free matters:

1. Analog Warmth Without the Price Tag

Let’s be honest: authentic analog tone usually costs money.

Most convincing Juno emulations run anywhere from $49 to $199+. Hardware? Thousands.

JU-60 being free means:

• Producers on any budget can access elite-level sound.

• Beginners can start their synth journey without spending a penny.

• Working professionals can add another high-quality color to their palette.

It lowers the barrier to creativity in a way that benefits the entire music community.

2. Perfect for Modern Genres

While the Juno is vintage, its sound is timeless.

The JU-60 drops beautifully into:

• Tech House

• Melodic House & Techno

• Synthwave

• Drum & Bass

• Trap

• Lo-Fi Hip-Hop

• Deep House

• Ambient & Cinematic

Producers today crave warmth — a counterbalance to the digital sharpness of modern mixing. The JU-60 gives that instantly.

3. Sonic Academy’s Reputation Adds Trust

Sonic Academy isn’t just a random plugin company. They’re the team behind:

• ANA 2

• Kick 2

• Countless high-quality tutorial series

When they release something — free or paid — it’s built with intention. JU-60 isn’t a marketing gimmick. It’s a genuine, professional-grade instrument.

4. A Gift to the Next Generation

Music right now is becoming more accessible, with creators emerging from small towns, remote regions, and countries where expensive music software is out of reach.

Free plugins like JU-60 democratize music creation. That creates a richer, more diverse global music landscape.

The Sound: What Makes JU-60 Stand Out

Let’s go deeper into what you can actually do with the JU-60 and why it sounds so good.

1. The Famous Juno Chorus

The JU-60 nails the two classic chorus modes that give the Juno-60 its lush stereo width and dreamy shimmer.

• Chorus I: Gentle, warm, silky

• Chorus II: Wide, glossy, dramatic

Turn them both on and you get the thick, swirling character that shaped synthpop and wave music for decades.

It’s emotional. It’s atmospheric. It’s unforgettable.

2. The Filter Is Unrealistic in the Best Way

The Juno-style filter is known for one thing: musicality.

The JU-60 models:

• Smooth low-pass curves

• High-resonance sweeps

• Beautiful self-oscillation

• That analog grit as it opens up

It's the kind of filter that makes you hold down a single note and just listen.

3. The Sub Oscillator Gives It Serious Weight

Producers today love low-end. JU-60’s sub-oscillator makes it effortless to:

• Fill space in a mix

• Add body to a pad

• Create thick basses

• Support lead synths with warmth

It’s the kind of sound that can tie a track together even before the drums come in.

4. Simplicity = Creativity

Many modern synths overwhelm users with:

• Hundreds of knobs

• Deep modulation matrices

• Complex routing

The JU-60 keeps the original Juno structure: clean, straightforward, and inspiring.

Limitations like that actually force creativity, which is why so many producers love vintage gear.

10 Use-Cases Where JU-60 Shines in Production

If you’re wondering where to start with the JU-60, here are real-world, producer-tested ideas you can try immediately.

1. Dreamy 80s Pads

Slow attack, long release, chorus I & II engaged.
Instant Stranger Things.

2. House Stabs

Short envelopes, filter slightly closed, a touch of resonance.
Great for Tech House and Melodic House.

3. Retro Basslines

Use the sub oscillator and keep the filter tight.
Perfect for analog-style grooves.

4. Glistening Plucks

Fast attack, medium decay, low chorus.
Beautiful in deep house or ambient tracks.

5. Emotional Chords

This is where the JU-60 shines — especially with both chorus modes on.

6. Reese-Style Dual-Layer Bass

Stack two JU-60 patches:

• One pure sub

• One slightly detuned
  Great for DnB or techno.

7. Synthwave Arps

Add chorus, slightly detune the wave, sync delay — magic.

8. Ambient Soundscapes

Slow LFO, long release, reverb wash.
Works for meditation, film, and lo-fi scenes.

9. Punchy Leads

Brighten the filter and add a touch of drive.

10. Sidechained Pads for EDM

JU-60 pads + sidechain = huge modern EDM atmosphere.

How It Compares to Other Juno Emulations

There are quite a few Juno-style plugins out there:

• Arturia Jun-6 V

• TAL U-No-LX

• Roland Cloud Juno-60

• Cherry Audio DCO-106

Each has strengths, but the JU-60 holds up shockingly well — especially considering it’s free.

Where JU-60 Wins:

• Simplicity

• CPU efficiency

• Accurate chorus

• Warm filters

• User-friendly layout

• Zero cost

Where Paid Versions Might Edge It Out:

• Additional modulation options

• Expanded features

• Modernized FX racks

• Larger preset libraries

But for pure, nostalgic, analog tone?
The JU-60 punches far above its price tag — even when the price is zero.

Why This Release Matters for the Future of Music

Sonic Academy didn’t just release a free synth — they made a statement.

When companies give away high-quality tools, a chain reaction happens:

• More people make music.

• More genres evolve.

• More creativity enters the world.

• The community grows stronger.

Music isn’t created through equipment alone, but access to good tools opens doors for artists who want to express themselves but don’t have the financial freedom to invest in expensive software.

JU-60 becomes a bridge between dreams and reality.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of JU-60

Here’s how to squeeze every drop of potential out of this free synth.

1. Layer It

Stack two or three JU-60 tracks with slight parameter variations for huge, rich pads.

2. Use External Effects

Try it with:

• Valhalla VintageVerb

• Soundtoys effects

• Waves compressors

• Serum FX

• Arturia delay plugins

Layering modern effects with vintage-style synthesis creates magic.

3. Add Subtle Saturation

A gentle saturation or analog emulation plugin gives JU-60 even more authentic presence.

4. Automate the Filter

Moving filters bring tracks to life — especially in Tech House, Progressive, and Melodic Techno.

5. Explore the Presets First

Sonic Academy’s presets give you quick access to usable sounds.
Pick one, then tweak — that’s how you discover your style.

Final Thoughts: JU-60 Is a Love Letter to Creativity

The fact that a synth this good is now free says something powerful:

Music is evolving into a space where creativity is no longer gated by price or access.

Sonic Academy’s JU-60 is a gift to the producer community — a warm, analog, nostalgic instrument that adds soul to modern tracks and gives newcomers a chance to explore sound design without spending a cent.

Whether you're producing Tech House, Trap, Synthwave, Lo-Fi, Melodic Techno, or even cinematic scores, JU-60 deserves a permanent spot in your plugin folder.

Download it. Explore it. Abuse it.
Let it inspire you.

This is one of those rare free plugins that isn’t just “good for a freebie” — it’s simply good, full stop.

“As Close to Perfect as We Have Ever Heard”: Why ValhallaDSP’s Future Verb Took Eight Years to Create — And Why It Was Worth It

In music production, some plugins are great, plugins that become industry standards… and then the rare ones that feel like they were beamed back from the future. ValhallaDSP’s newest release, Future Verb, falls into that last category — not because of hype, not because it’s trendy, but because it embodies eight years of relentless research, refinement, and sonic obsession.

When Valhalla calls something “as close to perfect as we have ever heard,” you pay attention. This is the company behind VintageVerb, Shimmer, and Supermassive — effects that reshaped the landscape of modern production. Future Verb is not just another reverb plugin in the chain. It represents a philosophical shift, a technological leap, and a reimagining of how space can be synthesized in digital form.

Let’s dive into what makes Future Verb so special, why it took so long to build, and how it is already redefining the sound design world.

The Long Road to “Future Verb”: Why Eight Years?

When developers take months to build a plugin, we call it dedication. When they take eight years, it becomes a mission.

Future Verb’s development cycle wasn’t about polishing a concept — it was about inventing something that didn’t exist yet. According to ValhallaDSP, the goal was to design a reverb that could simulate natural spaces, alien atmospheres, synthetic dreamscapes, and cinematic depth… all while remaining CPU-light and intuitive.

That challenge broke down into four massive hurdles:

1. A New Reverb Algorithm

Future Verb didn’t reuse or upgrade any previous Valhalla algorithms.
They built a brand new architecture capable of ultra-dense reflections, smooth tails, and zero metallic ringing. Most algorithmic reverbs struggle with artifacts at extreme settings — Future Verb’s model was built to thrive there.

2. Real-Time Modulation Without Phase Smear

Modulation helps reverbs feel lush and alive, but it often comes at a cost: phasing, blurring, or loss of clarity.
Valhalla spent years trying to keep modulation invisible, so the tone stays clean even when pushed.

3. Hybrid Reverb Possibilities

Future Verb blends algorithmic reverb with new computational techniques that mimic characteristics normally found only in convolution reverbs. But without convolution’s drawbacks. No heavy impulses. No static decay. No locked-in tonal signature.

4. Simplicity Without Sacrificing Power

Valhalla is famous for minimalistic UIs. The challenge? Designing a plugin that is deep enough for sound designers but simple enough for beginners.
They didn’t want a NASA control panel.
They wanted power through clarity.

Eight years later… they cracked it.

Future Verb’s Sound: Rich, Clean, Deep — and Shockingly Versatile

If you’ve used any Valhalla plugin, you know they have a signature. Future Verb continues that, but with more precision, depth, and dimension than anything they’ve built before.

Producers describe its tone as:

• “dimensional without muddying the mix”

• “huge but controlled”

• “smoothest tails ever heard in a digital reverb”

• “cinematic without the CPU death”

Future Verb can do the classic Valhalla lush ambience — but it can also do things none of their other reverbs could, like ultra-realistic spaces, evolving morphing echoes, and atmospheric textures that feel like they’re alive.

Let’s break down why it sounds so good.

The Technology Behind the Magic

Future Verb introduces several design concepts that aren’t found in typical algorithmic reverbs.

1. Hyper-Dense Reflection Network

Most reverbs rely on a network of delays and filters to simulate space. Future Verb uses a massively higher-resolution network — thick, smooth, and free from metallic artifacts.
This is why even extreme settings still sound musical.

2. Advanced Spectral Modulation

This is where eight years really paid off. Future Verb uses micro-modulations across the spectral field that keep the reverb tail constantly evolving without losing clarity or becoming “washy.”

It’s almost like the reverb is breathing.

3. Time-Warped Decay

This feature is one of the reasons sound designers are losing their minds over this plugin. You can stretch, bend, and warp decay envelopes in ways no traditional reverb allows.
This makes it perfect for:

• cinematic sound design

• sci-fi ambiences

• atmospheric dance music pads

• spectral vocal effects

• game audio

It’s reverb that bends time.

4. Ultra-Low CPU

This is a Valhalla trademark.
Producers can load Future Verb on dozens of tracks without cooking their laptop.
It’s boutique-level sound with beginner-level accessibility.

Presets: Not Just Presets — A Library of Worlds

Future Verb’s preset library doesn’t feel like a collection of settings. It feels like a selection of environments. Each preset is essentially a world you can drop your sound into.

You’ll find:

Cinematic Spaces

Perfect for scoring, trailers, and atmospheric breakdowns.

Modern Ambience and Rooms

Useful for mixing drums, vocals, instruments, and real-world environments.

Sci-Fi and Futuristic Tones

Think shimmering constructs, synthetic chambers, alien resonance.

Experimental and Evolving Tails

These presets are playgrounds for producers who want motion, texture, and uniqueness.

Valhalla has always taken presets seriously — but Future Verb’s library genuinely feels next-level.

How Future Verb Fits Different Production Styles

Because of its eight-year development cycle and hybrid design, Future Verb is shockingly flexible. Here’s how it serves different musicians.

1. Electronic Music Producers

Future Verb instantly elevates atmospheres, pads, leads, and transitions.
Its time-warping and modulation options turn simple synth notes into rich cinematic clouds.

Techno, trance, progressive house, ambient, trap — the plugin adapts to everything.

For vocals, you get clean lush tails without losing intelligibility. For drums, you get space without mud.

2. Film & Game Composers

This is where Future Verb shines.
Most reverbs either lean natural or synthetic. Rarely both.

Future Verb’s chamber algorithms feel real.
Its spectral modes feel alien.

This duality lets composers paint with sound rather than just “apply reverb.”

You can build entire atmospheres with a single hit or pad.

3. Mixing Engineers

Clean decay, no metallic artifacts, and soft diffusion — this is gold for mixers.

• Subtle room enhancement

• Tight vocal space

• Transparent ambience

• Gated or shaped responses

• Realistic instrument placement

It adds space without fogging the mix.

4. Sound Designers

Future Verb is a playground.
Extend decay to 30 seconds.
Freeze tails.
Warp time.
Push modulation.
Create alien acoustics.

Sound designers will squeeze endless creativity out of this plugin.

Why Producers Are Calling It “Almost Perfect”

Across forums, YouTube reviews, and early adopter impressions, one theme keeps showing up:

Future Verb does everything you’d want out of a reverb — and then goes further.

Here’s what people praise most:

1. It Has the Depth of a Convolution Reverb Without Its Limits

No static impulses.
No pre-recorded spaces.
No frozen personality.
Just evolving, living reverb.

2. It Has the Lushness of Valhalla’s Classics — But Cleaner

Supermassive is lush but huge.
VintageVerb is lush but character-driven.
Future Verb is lush and surgically clean.

3. It Handles Extreme Settings Better Than Most Plugins Handle Normal Ones

Huge decays? No problem.
Infinite ambience? Still musical.
Modulation? Smooth as silk.

4. The Sweet Spot Is Massive

Most reverbs have a tiny range of usable settings.
Future Verb sounds great across almost the entire dial.

5. It Inspires Music

This might be Future Verb’s greatest strength.
It makes simple ideas sound beautiful.
It makes producers want to keep tweaking.
It turns small sparks into full tracks.

When a plugin inspires creation rather than complicates it, that’s when it becomes timeless.

Eight Years of Work — Delivered in a Simple Interface

The beauty of Valhalla has always been in its minimalism.
While other companies push massive GUIs, Valhalla focuses on clarity and workflow.

Future Verb doesn’t confuse you with endless menus.
Instead, every parameter is expressive, responsive, and musically tuned.

You can dial in a world within seconds — or dive deep for hours.

Why Future Verb Might Be the Best Reverb Plugin of the Decade

Reverb plugins are everywhere. But Future Verb represents something different:

• a new algorithmic approach

• a new level of density

• a new standard of smoothness

• a new hybrid between realism and sci-fi

• a new workflow philosophy for Valhalla

This isn’t just a plugin.
It’s the result of nearly a decade of craftsmanship from a company that famously doesn’t rush anything.

And that’s exactly why Future Verb feels like a classic on day one.

Final Thoughts

Future Verb is the kind of release that doesn’t happen often. It’s a plugin that pushes the boundaries of algorithmic reverb, blending scientific precision with musical imagination. Eight years of development is unheard of in this industry — but hearing the final result, it makes perfect sense.

This is reverb that inspires.
Reverb that elevates production.
Reverb that adapts to any genre, any workflow, any creative vision.

ValhallaDSP didn’t set out to make a plugin that competes with others.
They set out to make something that didn’t exist yet.

And they delivered something truly special — something “as close to perfect as we have ever heard.”

“Almost the Only EQ You’ll Ever Need” – And It’s 25% Off Right Now on Sounds Space

Every music producer, regardless of genre or skill level, eventually learns one crucial truth: a great EQ isn’t just a tool — it’s a partner in shaping your identity and sonic fingerprint. It’s how you carve space, add clarity, remove mud, highlight emotion, add punch, and achieve that polished character that listeners instantly feel.

And every once in a while, a plugin comes along that goes beyond being a simple utility and becomes a milestone in your workflow.
That’s why we’ve confidently called this plugin “almost the only EQ you’ll ever need.”
And the best part? It’s now 25% OFF exclusively at Sounds Space.

Today, we dive deep into why this EQ has earned such high praise, what sets it apart from the crowded world of audio processors, and why thousands of producers across EDM, hip-hop, pop, cinematic scoring, and even broadcast audio are switching to it as their main equaliser.

Why This EQ Is So Revered in the Music Production World

To say an EQ is “almost the only one you’ll ever need” is a bold claim — and we don’t make bold claims lightly.

Producers love this EQ because it blends:

• Surgical precision

• Organic musicality

• Analog warmth when you want it

• Ultra-clean transparency when you need it

• Lightning-fast workflow

• Modern features that go way beyond traditional EQing

Most EQs excel in one category:
They’re either clean, or analog-style, or tech-heavy, or simple, or creative.
But rarely all at once.

This EQ does something special — it merges the best of every EQ category into one powerful tool.

This is exactly why so many pros say:

“Once I switched to this EQ, I touched my older plugins far less.”

Precision Meets Musicality: The Best of Both Worlds

Some EQs are extremely clinical — perfect for removing resonances and fixing issues, but not so great when it comes to adding character.

Others are vibey and beautiful, but they’re not ideal for microsurgery.

This EQ achieves something producers dream of:

It gives you the ability to make transparent and character-rich decisions within the same interface.

You can clean up a vocal with surgical accuracy…
…then add analog-flavored air without ever reaching for a second EQ.

You can cut harshness from a synth lead…
…then add presence shaping that feels natural, smooth, and musical.

You can remove low-end mud from a mix bus…
…then sweeten it with warmth that feels subtle and controlled.

It’s the rare kind of EQ that adapts to your style rather than the other way around.

Workflow: Fast, Intuitive, and Built for Modern Producers

A lot of plugins sound good, but slow down your creativity.
This one does the opposite.

Everything has been designed to speed up your workflow, including:

• Smart parameter controls that respond naturally

• A clean, responsive interface

• Advanced visual feedback so you hear and see what you’re doing

• Context-aware features that help you make decisions faster

• Effortless gain compensation to avoid “louder sounds better” bias

• Real-time frequency tracking for complex sources

• Drag-and-drop filter creation

• A/B comparison tools for fast decision-making

This is the kind of workflow modern producers dream of — one where you stay in the creative zone without stopping every 10 seconds to tweak technical settings.

The Standout Features Everyone Talks About

Producers love this EQ because of a handful of features that truly separate it from the pack. Here are the highlights:

1. Ultra-Clean Digital Mode

Perfect for mastering engineers, mix engineers, and producers who need absolute transparency.
Ideal for:

• Vocal tuning

• Master bus clean-ups

• Removing harshness

• Fixing resonances without artifacts

• Sound design where phase accuracy matters

The clarity is unbelievable — it feels like lifting a blanket off your sound.

2. Analog Emulation Mode

When you want warmth, character, saturation, or vintage flavor, switching modes gives you instant analog behavior.

Producers use this mode for:

• Adding sparkle to vocals

• Bringing warmth to drums

• Adding presence to guitars

• Thickening pads and synths

• Enhancing reverb tails

It replicates analog EQ curves without adding noise or unwanted distortion — just pure, controlled musicality.

3. Dynamic EQ (Sidechain Capable)

This feature alone could replace a handful of separate plugins.

Dynamic EQ lets you:

• Tame harshness only when it appears

• Control boxiness in vocals as the singer’s tone shifts

• Tighten kick-bass interplay with sidechain EQ

• Reduce muddiness in busy mixes

• Control resonant peaks in real time

For modern genres like house, tech house, trap, drill, afrobeat, and EDM, this is a game changer.

4. Mid/Side Processing

Mastering engineers call this feature “essential,” and for good reason.

With Mid/Side EQ, you can:

• Add stereo width without touching the center

• Tighten your low-end while expanding your highs

• Enhance reverb in the sides

• Separate vocals from stereo instruments

• Clean up muddy side information

It gives you far more control over your stereo field — which can make your mix instantly sound more professional.

5. Spectrum Analyzer + Real-Time Feedback

Watching how your sound behaves visually helps speed up decisions — especially when dealing with resonances or complex textures.

The real-time analyzer in this EQ is:

• Accurate

• Clear

• Responsive

• Easy to read

• Not overly technical

You see exactly where problems are happening, and fixing them becomes intuitive.

6. Minimal CPU Load

This plugin punches well above its weight in terms of features — and yet uses surprisingly little CPU.

You can easily stack multiple instances on:

• Mix buses

• Individual tracks

• Sound design chains

• Master channels

Even producers using older laptops can enjoy smooth performance without worrying about freezing tracks.

Why Producers End Up Using This EQ for Almost Everything

When one EQ does:

• Clean digital precision

• Analog color

• Surgical cuts

• Musical boosts

• Dynamic processing

• Mid/Side shaping

• Real-time visualization

• Mastering-grade accuracy

• Mix-bus polish

• Sound design sculpting

…it becomes your default tool.

It removes the need to switch between:

• A clean EQ

• A vintage/emulated EQ

• A dynamic EQ

• A resonance suppressor

• A stereo field EQ

You simply load this one and get the job done.

That’s why many producers say:

“If I had to keep only one EQ plugin, it would be this.”

A Massive Value — Especially with 25% Off

Most plugins with this level of capability are extremely expensive.
Some EQs in this category cost:

• €150

• €250

• Even €300+

But right now, on Sounds Space, this EQ is:

25% OFF for a limited time.

This discount makes it accessible to:

• Beginner producers who want to level up quickly

• Intermediate producers looking to streamline their workflow

• Professional engineers needing a modern, versatile EQ

• Content creators, podcast editors, and sound designers

• Musicians doing their own mixing and mastering

Getting such a powerful tool at this price is rare — and a smart long-term investment if you’re building your essential plugin library.

How This EQ Elevates Your Mixes Immediately

Here are real-world examples of what changes when you start using this EQ:

Vocals

• Remove harsh peaks

• Add breathy air without sounding brittle

• Clean mud without thinning the tone

• Control sibilance dynamically

• Boost presence that cuts through the mix naturally

Drums

• Tighten kick thump

• Add snap to snares

• Remove boxiness

• Glue overheads

• Add analog character to toms

Bass

• Sculpt low-end weight

• Reduce boominess

• Add clarity around harmonics

• Use dynamic sidechain EQ to create space for the kick

Synths & Instruments

• Carve space between layers

• Add analog warmth and sparkle

• Remove conflicting harmonics

• Shape stereo width with Mid/Side

Mastering

• Transparent shaping

• Subtle stereo enhancement

• Dynamic tonal control

• Clean low-end adjustments

• More balanced, professional loudness

You begin to notice improved clarity, separation, punch, warmth, and cohesion throughout your entire mix.

Conclusion: A Must-Have EQ — And the Best Time to Get It

It’s rare for a plugin to become a go-to tool for so many different producers across so many genres.
This EQ achieves that because it’s:

• Versatile

• Modern

• Precision-ready

• Character-ready

• CPU-friendly

• Easy to use

• Loaded with advanced features

• Reliable in both mixing and mastering

When we say “almost the only EQ you’ll ever need,” it’s because this one really can fill the roles of multiple expensive plugins — all in one elegant, powerful interface.

And with 25% OFF right now on Sounds Space, it’s the perfect moment to add this powerhouse to your toolkit.

If your goal is cleaner mixes, faster workflow, better control, richer musicality, and a truly professional sound…

This EQ is the upgrade you’ve been waiting for.

ZL Splitter — The Swiss Army Knife of Signal Splitting (and yes, you can grab it on Sounds Space) 🎛️

If you’ve ever wished you could treat parts of a sound differently — process the transients separately from the sustain, hit the low end with a different chain than the highs, or flip between stereo and mid/side processing without a messy routing setup — then ZL Splitter by ZL Audio is the kind of tool that makes audio production feel less like a battle and more like editing with fine-cut scissors. In this post I’ll walk you through what ZL Splitter is, why it’s useful, how to use it in your sessions, creative workflows and tips, and where to get it (spoiler: it’s available for download on our Sounds Space marketplace). Let’s go, brother.

What is ZL Splitter?

ZL Splitter is a multi-mode signal-splitting plugin that gives you the power to divide an incoming audio signal into two complementary paths that you can process independently and then recombine. That may sound simple, but this opens up a huge number of creative and corrective possibilities: imagine compressing only the sustain of a kick, adding saturation only to the transient snap of a snare, or sending the mid and side components of a stereo bus to different reverbs. ZL Splitter is free, open-source, and available in multiple plugin formats for macOS, Windows, and Linux. 

Key modes & splitting methods

ZL Splitter isn’t a one-trick pony — it supports several different splitting modes so you can choose the right tool for the job:

• Left / Right — split stereo into the two physical channels for independent processing.

• Mid / Side — split into mid (mono-compatible center information) and side (stereo width info) so you can treat width and center elements differently.

• Low / High (crossover) — classic frequency-based split to isolate bass vs. the rest of the spectrum.

• Transient / Steady (transient-sustain) — separate the fast attack components from the sustained body of a sound — brilliant for drum shaping and transient design.

• Peak / Steady — isolate peak energy for targeted saturation or clipping while leaving the rest untouched.

These modes are what make the plugin so flexible — whether you’re mixing, sound-designing, or performing surgical repairs, you can isolate the element that matters and send it down its own chain. 

Why does this matter in real sessions?

Most DAWs can route signals into multiple buses, but that often requires extra tracks, more CPU, and a less tidy session. ZL Splitter condenses that flexibility into a single plugin slot — you split, tweak, and recombine in one place. Here are concrete wins:

• Cleaner automation: Want to automate only the transient portion of a loop? Do it inside the splitter without adding aux tracks.

• CPU efficiency: Process only what needs processing (e.g., only the low band), saving plugin instances elsewhere.

• Creative effects: Apply wildly different chains to the split parts — fuzz on the transients, lush reverb on the sustain — and glue them back together.

• Mix rescue: Pull apart the mid and side content to tame a harsh stereo reverb or to surgically boost vocal presence without wrecking width.

Those practical advantages are what make a splitter plugin a staple for modern mixing and sound design. 

Formats, compatibility & licensing

ZL Splitter ships as VST3, AudioUnit (AU), and LV2 builds, and it supports macOS, Windows, and Linux — including ARM builds for modern Apple Silicon and ARM Windows where offered. It’s distributed under an open-source license (AGPLv3), and the project is hosted on GitHub where you can find source, releases, and documentation. That means it’s free to use, but do pay attention to the license terms if you plan to redistribute modified versions. 

Quick start: how to use ZL Splitter

1. Insert ZL Splitter on the track or bus you want to split (e.g., drum bus, synth track, master bus).

2. Choose your split mode from the plugin UI (Mid/Side, Transient/Sustain, Low/High, etc.).

3. Adjust crossover or sensitivity (for transient/steady splits you’ll usually find controls for sensitivity or threshold; for frequency splits you’ll set the crossover frequency).

4. Route each split to its on-plugin chain. Some modes allow you to insert processors directly in each path; in other cases you’ll use send/return or parallel chains after the splitter — check the manual for your DAW-specific routing. 

5. Process independently — EQ, compress, saturate, modulate — do what you need.

6. Blend & recombine — dial the mix of the two paths until the result sits right in the mix. Use soloing of each path to hear what you’re changing.

Tip: start by soloing each path to understand what the splitter is isolating, then bring them back together and make subtle adjustments.

Creative examples & templates

To make the ideas stick, here are hands-on examples you can try right now.

1) Snare with snap + body

• Mode: Transient / Steady

• Route: Add transient-focused saturation and a fast transient designer on the transient path; compress the sustain path lightly and add a short plate reverb. Blend to taste.

2) Punchy kick without muddying the low-end

• Mode: Low / High (crossover)

• Route: Send the low band to a tight, mono sub-bass enhancer and the high band to a short transient shaper and saturation to bring out click. Recombine.

3) Widened chorus that keeps mono compatibility

• Mode: Mid / Side

• Route: Add subtle chorus and reverb to the side path only; keep the mid dry to preserve focus. This gives perceived width without losing the center when folded to mono.

4) Vocal de-esser alternative

• Mode: Peak / Steady or Transient / Steady

• Route: Isolate sibilant peaks and run a light de-esser only on the peak path, preserving natural tone on the steady path.

These workflows show how a split-then-process approach lets you target musical elements with surgical precision.

Tips, gotchas & best practices

• Watch phase and mono-compatibility: When you split and heavily process the side or one channel, always check the result in mono. Some wide processing can collapse badly in mono. Use the plugin’s mid/side monitoring (or your DAW) to verify.

• Use low-latency modes for live performance: If you perform live with effects, choose modes that advertise zero or low latency (ZL Splitter has transient/steady splitting with negligible latency in most cases). Always test in your host. 

• Bypass vs. mix: When auditioning heavy processing, compare with the dry bypass to ensure the split processing is actually improving the sound and not just adding density.

• CPU tradeoffs: Using oversampling or complex per-path processing can increase CPU usage; if you’re CPU-constrained, process only what's necessary on each path.

How ZL Splitter compares to other tools

There are several commercial splitters and multiband processors out there (and built-in routing tricks in DAWs), but ZL Splitter’s strengths are its clean, focused feature set and the fact that it’s free and open source. Commercial tools may ship with polished GUIs, bundled presets, or integrated per-band effects, but ZL Splitter gives you the modular control most engineers crave without the price tag — and because it’s open-source, it’s a good fit for tinkerers who like to understand what’s under the hood. 

Where to get it — downloads & versions

ZL Splitter is officially distributed from ZL Audio’s website and GitHub releases as VST3/AU/LV2 installers for multiple operating systems. Packaging usually includes both x86-64 and ARM builds for modern platforms — check the releases for the latest installer that matches your OS and architecture. If you prefer curated marketplaces, you can also download ZL Splitter from reputable plugin aggregators and, of course, from our very own Sounds Space marketplace — making it easy to find, download, and keep your plugins organized. 

Licensing & why open-source matters

Because ZL Splitter is licensed under AGPLv3, you get transparency and the freedom to inspect and modify the code. That’s excellent for learning, for integrating into custom toolchains, or for building community tools. Just be mindful that AGPL has specific redistribution requirements — if you adapt and redistribute the plugin (especially in networked contexts), check the license text and the project’s GitHub for guidance. 

Final thoughts & who should try ZL Splitter?

• Mix engineers who want surgical control over components of a mix.

• Sound designers who love splitting and reprocessing parts of a sound to create new textures.

• Producers who want creative parallel processing without bloating their session with extra buses.

• Linux and open-source enthusiasts who prefer tools that are available and maintainable across platforms.

If you like hands-on control and modular routing without paying for yet another commercial license, ZL Splitter is absolutely worth a test drive.

Download it below

Ready to try it? Head to ZL Audio’s official releases or GitHub for the installers and manual, or make it super-easy: you can download ZL Splitter directly from the Sounds Space marketplace where we host the plugin alongside curated notes and a quick install guide to get you up and running fast. Grab it, test the modes, and drop a comment or DM if you want a preset pack or custom workflow — I can make some templates for your DAW, brother.

Quick links & resources

• Official ZL Audio plugin page & manual. Zl Audio+1

• GitHub repository and releases (source code, installers). GitHub

• Press writeups and reviews (good reading for user impressions).