Adam Szabo has released an updated version of Phazor, bringing this fantastic freeware phaser effect in VST and AU plugin formats to 32-bit & 64-bit digital audio workstations on Windows and Mac.
Phazor was first released back in January 2012, as a freeware VST plugin for Windows. That particular version of the plugin was made with SynthMaker, meaning that it would only work in 32-bit host applications on Windows. Even so, it quickly became the favorite freeware phaser for many users, mainly for its amazing sound which is closely modeled after the phaser effect that is included in the Access Virus hardware synthesizer.
And now, more than four years after the initial release, we’re finally getting a brand new version of Phazor that will work on 64-bit hosts on Windows, as well as on Mac OS based systems. This is an essential upgrade for this great little effect, since more and more users are switching to 64-bit systems nowadays. And of course, Mac users now finally have the chance to take advantage of this awesome free effect in their DAW of choice.
Feature-wise, nothing has changed compared to the initial version of the plugin. The user interface looks exactly the same as before, the CPU hit is still very low and the sound of the effect is still spot-on. Phazor is a 6-stage phaser with frequency, feedback and stereo spread controls, along with depth and rate controls for the LFO. A mix knob is also included for adjusting the balance of the dry and processed audio signal on the output. The plugin is very easy to use and it can produce a wide variety of phasing effects, from subtle phase shifting to some really dramatic and almost fully distorted sounds.
Phazor still gets a 10/10 from us, however it could to with a few more tweaks in order to get that much closer to perfection (perfection being 11/10 since nothing in this world is, you know, perfect). The first thing that could be improved is the size of the GUI. The user interface is the same size as it was back in 2012, which is very small by today’s standards and almost too tiny for comfortable use on an HD screen. In addition (and some users probably won’t agree with this request), it would be great to have the sync to host option available, as the plugin currently only works in free frequency mode. Other than that, Phazor is a pure joy to use for mixing and sound design. It is easily the best freeware phaser plugin at the moment.
Video Demo
Check out the Phazor demo video:
Download
Phazor is available for free download via Adam Szabo’s website (4.64 MB download size, ZIP archive, 32-bit & 64-bit VST/AU plugin formats for Windows & Mac OS).
Last Updated on February 18, 2016 by Tomislav Zlatic.
