Distance Simulator by 194dB Audio is FREE for a limited time

Developer 194dB Audio has made its Distance Simulator plugin for macOS and Windows free for a limited time.

Distance Simulator is an easy-to-use plugin that does exactly what the name suggests; it simulates distance.

More specifically, it recreates the tonal balance of a faraway sound more realistically than simply turning the volume down.

Distance Simulator typically costs $29, but you can download it for free until September 30, 2026.

The plugin is available in AU, VST3, and AAX formats for macOS (11 or later) or Windows (10 or later).

Once the offer ends, Distance Simulator will return to its regular price.

We’ve seen similar plugins pop up for free before, like Air – Music Edition by Sound Particles.

Although both plugins make it easy to simulate distance and depth, Sound Particles talks more about letting instruments breathe in a mix. At the same time, 194dB Audio focuses on placing elements in the background of a real-world score, and I like that.

I’m sure there are crossover use cases for both plugins, but I like the idea of a quick-and-easy tool for placing diegetic sounds in a score, whether that’s typical foley (footsteps, ambient street noise, etc.) or music.

The plugin has a main Distance control, Input Gain, Reflections, and an HPF/LPF slider.

Speaking of ambient street noise, the Reflection control adds the presence, space, and natural reflections of a quiet street to dry sounds.

I think this is a very useful element if you have great field recordings or studio samples with the right sound but need help blending them into a new cinematic environment.

The HPF/LPF slider is also useful for shaping and positioning the sound, and an additional Direct Stereo Width switch draws distant sources toward the centre.

If you’re adding diegetic background music to a scene, you can use the filter slider to create a more convincing old-radio character.

Alternatively, you can mess around with all of the above parameters for experimental sound design, whether you’re scoring a scene or producing a new song.

Distance Simulator is a cool little plugin that makes the often tedious task of ensuring sounds have the desired impact in a scene without being too intrusive. It can also randomly produce the sound you didn’t know you were looking for.

Grab it while it’s free.

194dB Audio has a few more freebies that you might want to check out, including VoxRelief Lite and Frequency Trainer.