PanMan — Free Download
PanMan is a creative auto-pan effect that turns simple left-right movement into rhythmic, dynamic, and analog-styled motion. It recreates classic hardware features and adds modern modulation tools for unique panning patterns that follow your music.
Reimagining Classic Auto-Pan
PanMan draws inspiration from vintage hardware panners like the Spanner and PanScan. A standout is the trigger divider, originally from PanScan, which lets you set how many trigger events advance to a new pan position—so panning can sweep across in three hits, for example. You can trigger by mouse click, host automation, or an audio threshold.
For greater responsiveness, the trigger can be filtered to react only to low or high frequencies. Soundtoys then adds its own touch with seven analog modes that introduce saturation and warmth when pushed hard. This combination delivers classic movement with extra creative control.
Rhythmic and Shaped Panning
PanMan includes two rhythm modes for crafting signature effects. Step mode assigns a new pan position on each beat, syncable to your host tempo. Shape mode offers a library of custom panning shapes, or you can draw your own waveshapes for personalized motion.
The Tweak panel reveals extra options, letting you adjust parameters like width, speed, and offset. Whether you want steady oscillations, stepped patterns, or random movement, these tools help you lock the effect to the musical feel and create movement that stands out in a mix.
Dynamics-Driven Movement
PanMan can follow your track’s dynamics. Set the threshold control, and the effect responds to incoming audio. For instance, you can make panning sweep whenever a snare hits, or change the speed, offset, and width based on the loudness of a vocal. This allows for expressive, performance-linked effects.
You can also feed filtered audio to the trigger, making it sensitive only to low-end thumps or high-frequency accents. By tying panning to the music’s energy, PanMan moves beyond static autopanners, adding movement that feels alive and intentional.
Practical Applications
Use PanMan to widen instruments in a mix, create rhythmic interest on synths or guitars, or animate pad swells. The trigger divider is ideal for call-and-response panning effects in verses. Dynamics mode shines on drums, ducking the panning to the groove, or on vocals to mirror phrasing.
Step and shape modes are perfect for EDM or pop productions needing precise, tempo-synced movement. Analog modes can add tone as well as motion, making PanMan a versatile tool for sound design and mixing alike.
Key features
- Six panning modes including LFO, step, and random
- Trigger divider recreates vintage PanScan behavior
- Design custom rhythmic patterns and waveshapes
- Dynamics-controlled threshold adjusts speed, offset, and width
- Seven analog emulation modes add saturation
- Trigger filtering for frequency-specific response
- Host-syncable step mode for tempo-locked movement
Best for
Best for producers and mixers who want expressive, rhythmic auto-pan effects that respond to a track’s dynamics, or who seek vintage hardware-style movement with modern modulation flexibility. Ideal for adding movement to synths, guitars, vocals, and drum processing.
