Published by PitchChanger · How these guides are made
Hear the difference
Use stereo headphones to compare a centered source with two movement settings. Reverb is disabled in both examples so you can hear panning by itself.
Pause your workspace preview before comparing these clips.
Original synthesized phrase made for PitchChanger, with processed versions exported from our tools. This is not a recording of a performer. Download the original to try the same settings in the corresponding tool.
How to use this workflow
Choose a local file and stereo headphones
Download Original phrase from the listening examples or use audio you have permission to edit. Open 8D Audio and choose the file. Keep the listening level comfortable.
Compare Gentle and Classic without reverb
Select Gentle, uncheck Enable reverb, then play the effect. Repeat with Classic and uncheck Enable reverb again: selecting a preset enables reverb. Keep Volume at 0 dB for these examples.
Generate and check the stereo export
Select Generate 8D audio after choosing your settings. Download WAV, or prepare and download MP3. Check the saved file on headphones and then on a speaker before sharing.
Reproduce the two movement examples
Gentle uses 0.15 Hz rotation with 60% depth. Classic uses 0.25 Hz with 100% depth. Both downloadable examples have reverb disabled and Volume at 0 dB, so the difference comes from movement rather than a room tail.
Cycle time is 1 divided by rotation frequency: about 6.67 seconds for Gentle and 4 seconds for Classic. A cycle is the complete repeated pan pattern, not a separate revolution measured around your head.
Swipe or scroll sideways to read all columns.
| What you want | Change | Check |
|---|---|---|
| Slower movement | Lower Rotation rate | One full pattern takes longer |
| Less travel between ears | Lower Spatial depth | The sound stays closer to the center |
| A longer sound after each note | Enable reverb, then adjust mix and decay | Movement remains clear rather than blurred |
Add reverb only after the movement feels right
Try enabling reverb at a low mix and compare again. Keep the same rotation and depth while judging the room effect. Long decay can overlap the next phrase and obscure the movement you just set.
If you find the effect uncomfortable, stop playback. For a gentler version, reduce depth or rotation rate and try a short preview. There is no single setting that suits every listener or recording.
Check what changed in the stereo image
The tool first makes a mono reference, then pans it into two output channels. A stereo recording therefore loses its original instrument placement before this movement is added. Use a copy rather than replacing your source.
On headphones, the left and right levels should change through the phrase. On a mono speaker the movement largely disappears. This workflow creates a stereo effect; it does not create eight discrete channels, head tracking or a surround master.
Use the supplied phrase to compare movement at known times
Download the Original phrase above and use its eight-second duration to compare the two supplied movement settings. With reverb disabled, Classic at 0.25 Hz completes two pan cycles in eight seconds. Gentle at 0.15 Hz completes 1.2 cycles. These counts follow duration multiplied by frequency; they do not describe eight channels or a measured position around your head.
For Classic at full depth, the calculated pan pattern starts centered, reaches the right side at one second, returns to center at two, reaches the left side at three and returns to center at four. The pattern repeats. Use those timestamps as listening cues when opening the supplied Classic WAV. If all cues sound equally centered, check stereo headphones, channel routing and any enabled mono playback setting before changing the rotation rate.
Compare Gentle next at the same listening level and keep reverb off so room sound does not obscure the timing comparison. Reduce depth if the movement is too pronounced; lowering depth narrows the travel while rotation rate sets the repetition speed. Generate again after changing settings and reopen the saved stereo file. If the effect is uncomfortable, stop playback. This cue map is derived from the implemented sine-pan pattern and existing example settings; it is not a new listening experiment or a promise about how every listener perceives space.
Swipe or scroll sideways to read all columns.
| Classic cue time | Calculated pan position |
|---|---|
| 0 s | Center |
| 1 s | Right |
| 2 s | Center |
| 3 s | Left |
| 4 s | Center; next cycle begins |
Common questions
Why did reverb come back when I changed presets?
The Gentle, Classic, Intense and Dreamy presets enable reverb along with their movement settings. Uncheck Enable reverb again when comparing panning alone.
Can I keep the original stereo placement?
Not in this effect. It pans a mono reference into a new stereo image. Keep the original file if its stereo arrangement matters.
Why does it sound centered on my phone speaker?
A mono speaker cannot reproduce separate left and right signals in the same way as headphones. Check with stereo headphones, and consider the intended playback device before sharing.