Phil Speiser is a musician, producer, and developer who embodies the term one-man-band. Now, The_Spice, his all-in-one sonic enhancement plugin, is free for a limited time.
Everything on his website (including the website design), from music to sounds and plugins, is 100% Phil.
I’m sure we’ve all worked on songs or projects that change in some form from start to finish. The change is often a good thing, as we naturally develop ideas over time.
Other times, even if the final outcome sounds good, it’s not quite what we imagined because we couldn’t find a way or the tools to get there.
In an attempt to minimize the gap between an idea and a finished product, Phil learned to program his own audio tools that helped him stay true to his original vision, and he has been releasing user-friendly plugins ever since.

The_Spice is a simple but highly impactful plugin that adds depth, energy, presence, and clarity with little fuss.
Like the Waves IDX Intelligent Dynamics plugin (Black Friday 2024), the developer encourages use on multiple individual tracks and the master bus.
The_Spice plugin uses adaptive multi-band processing to enhance the elements you want to shine, polish any problem areas, and craft the perfect space for each sound/instrument in your mix.
Also, like Waves IDX, the adaptive processing intelligently responds to the input for optimal results.
There are only a few controls to get through, starting with the main Intensity dial. Turning the Intensity dial reduces muddiness around clashing frequencies and highlights dynamics that breathe more life into each track.
Intensity delivers subtle polish to more prominent enhancements.

If you want something more transformative, you can use the XTRM knob to introduce an OTT-like effect with saturation, which is great on synth sounds or drums (especially when used in parallel by bringing the Mix knob down some way to avoid becoming too aggressive).
The Spark module is a high-frequency enhancer inspired by analog design. Spark is an easy way to add clarity and brightness to melodic elements without harshness.
Again, the results depend on the input, and as good as it is, even the nicest melodic line or percussive pitch can become obnoxious if too bright, so it’s not needed everywhere.
The_Spice has some nice touches, like a lowcut switch to remove low rumble under 100Hz. Another nice touch is the input level markers on the Output meter, so you can always see exactly how your levels compare/change.
I’m unsure how long The_Spice will be available for free, but I’d grab it while you can.
The Spice is available in AU, VST3, and AAX formats for macOS and Windows.
Download: The_Spice (FREE for a limited time)
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22 Comments
Phil
onThe license process is sketchy. Feels like a spy software and marketing tool all in one. Not sure i like that.
Paramita
onWas smooth and easy for me. The plugin does great on drums! Not so much on bass for me.
But worth a try
Ron ronron
onchill out on the speed
kalqlate
onIt’s an increasing trend for plugin manufacturers that have a relatively large catalog of products to require a plugin manager. Like any app, of course, they have access to your system, as do plugins, as they are not operating in any kind of sandbox. The best you can do for protection is to install a high-rated anti-virus app.
Currently, I have 46 plugin managers installed from the likes of 8DIO, Acustica Audio, Arturia, and that’s just getting through the A’s of the alphabet. I started acquiring plugins back in 2022, many from companies that utilize a plugin manager, and I’ve had no issues… well, except for that one where I had to pay ransom to restore my system. … Just kidding. No issues.
It’s highly probable that some to many are spyware as you suggest, but they are very much of the benign kind that serve a useful function, but might also check to see what other kinds of plugins you are using to help them better target product offerings via email. That’s pure speculation, but I’m fairly confident that’s the extent of it.
PureFire
onThanks James, BPB & Phil S, i used this plugin on an old breakbeat, it added clarity & removed mud which was exactly what it needed, love it.
Much appreciated 🙂🙏
Jay
onCapsule Audio Nova Strum
Free with Code: NOVASTRUM2025
Rox Roll
onNice,but where to use it.
Mori Frik
onYou should login to the capsule official site and then there is a button “Ŗegistrer a new product” after logging in. Click on it and then enter this promocode.
Jay
onNeed a at Capsule Audio in your myaccount enter the code in the white box down the page,
Gery Zenz
onThank you Jay!
f0kxi
onPhil Speiser is a true G! Thank you so much, the compressor that you made is awesome as well, really powerful
Daniel
onImmediately hit the spot on a rattly thing I was working on.
HL
onControl Center?
Not installing that, dear random guy on the internet.
Make yourself a name and then MAYBE.
alex
onYou don’t have to install the Control Center. Separate installer is also available to download.
Mk
onSorry it may be a nice little plugin but I don’t do extra bits of software just to run one. It’s getting beyond a joke now.
peanutismyrealname
onYes, as others have said in the user area you can download it without the separate control center
anony
onScroll down a bit you will find the standalone installer! Boom. Ers.
Adam Pinch
onThis installs a control center on windows that can’t be uninstalled. Phil is not responding to email on how to remove this. I’m sure I can go into the registry to get rid of it but this is NOT COOL. The plug-in isn’t great and I’m overall tired of developers insisting on “control” apps rather than making individual installers available. But at least most can be uninstalled after running installation.
This is NOT COOL Phil. Stay away from this.
Adam
on!
grant
oni will definitely support his developer if the smoother does what it says. been looking for an affordable tracking resonant suppressor for yonks.
Peterson
onI’ve had pretty good results adding 3-4 more Speisers to my master chain every month. Shocks the listeners into awe. The free command centre is a nifty bonus.
james
onI don’t do ‘exe’ but thanks.