Austrian Audio’s PolarDesigner open-source plug-in is a post-production dream come true. Optimised for use with our OC818 large-diaphragm condenser microphone working in dual-output mode, PolarDesigner gives engineers and producers more creative freedom and control than they’ve ever had before. And—it’s free!
Ultimate Polar Pattern Control
Simply pull up PolarDesigner in your DAW to manipulate your recorded audio, changing and recombining polar patterns (omni, cardioid, hypercardioid, figure-eight, etc.) across up to five frequency bands. So hours, days, or even years after the musicians have all packed up and gone home, you can reshape the sonic characteristics of the microphones that captured their performances.
Creativity and Problem-Solving
PolarDesigner offers limitless creative possibilities as well as the chance to solve problems that you may not have noticed on the recording day. Here are just a few examples of the kind of impact PolarDesigner can have on your projects:
- Does your kick drum recording lack low-end punch? Try swapping in an omni polar pattern for that track’s low frequencies.
- Need more bite on the lead guitar? Experiment with changing polar patterns on the mid/high frequencies and see what happens.
- Did you record something too close, resulting in an unwanted proximity effect? Simply roll it back, using PolarDesigner’s “proximity control.”
- Are you running a too-busy session? Focus on capturing performances now and worry about fine-tuning microphone characteristics at mixing stage.
In addition to its ultra-flexible polar-pattern manipulation, our plug-in also offers specialized tools for shaping EQ, aiding with spill reduction (or boosting selected frequencies or instruments), saving and sharing presets, and more. Check out the video to see PolarDesigner in action. Get your free copy of PolarDesigner here.
