Developer Variety of Sound has released FeenstaubHDR, a free high dynamic range stereo bus processor, available only for Windows.
Very few names in the freeware world inspire confidence in music makers like Variety of Sound. The innovative developer is a favorite among many Windows users and often gives Mac users reason to consider jumping ship.
FeenstaubHDR, like all Variety of Sound plugins, is exclusive to Windows and available in VST and VST3 formats.
This plugin is the latest installment to the already popular Feenstaub series, which includes FeenstaubTX and FeenstaubTC.
The Feenstaub series focuses on color, depth, and dimension.
FeenstaubHDR allows you to adjust and balance audio in three dimensions: timbre, dynamic structure, and its appearance in the stereo field.
The plugin shines on complex full program stereo, but it’s equally at home on single instruments, vocals, or the drum bus.
FeenstaubHDR offers classic tone shaping, rich with harmonic overtones for a warm and always musical character.
It can also be the glue that brings cohesion to your mix, utilizing frequency-dependent compression and saturation to enhance or tame transients while preserving the original sound.
If you’re looking to add depth, FeenstaubHDR does so without losing the punch and energy that the music requires.
FeenstaubHDR has three sections, MID, SIDE, and Dynamic EQ, each with independent on/off switches.
The MID section features two compressors (LF/HF) in split-band configuration, with a control (XOVER) to set the crossover frequency point.
The SIDE section has just a single gain reduction control.
You can control the attack and release phases of the compression stage with a single knob (TIMING). The TIMING parameter has two modes: Glue and Vari.
Glue maintains very fast release times, even with a slower attack.
Vari mode differs with the release time following the attack time proportionally.
The LINK knob allows you to link the compression of all channels, ranging from 0% to 100%.
Both the MID and SIDE sections have a dedicated saturation control.
One of the most interesting elements of FeenstaubHDR features two dynamic equalizers: M-BASS and S-AIR.
M-BASS focuses on the bass range of the MID signal, while S-AIR focuses on the treble range of the SIDE signal. You can use the solo function to preview the EQ and make precision adjustments by fine-tuning the exact center frequency.
Many plugins promise the magic of vintage gear and days gone by, and some deliver excellent results.
In this case, the magic is very much Variety of Sound; while VOS often brings us a classic or vintage character, it’s never a carbon copy of anything else; there’s always a creative and innovative approach.
Download: FeenstaubHDR (FREE)
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Last Updated on October 2, 2025 by Tomislav Zlatic.
