I’ve been obsessed with how music sounds on FM radio stations lately and wanted to know what plugins/softwares (that work with Mac) can help me recreate that sound or similar? I know stereo tool exists but I’m on a broke college student budget lol.
Any recommendations (both free and paid) would be greatly appreciated!
Plugins/softwares for recreating that FM radio sound?
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- KVRist
- 259 posts since 3 Apr, 2012
Audiothing Speaker might worth a look if you have a bit of cash to splash. Otherwise, I’d look for a free convolution plugin if you don’t have one already then find a suitable impulse of an old radio or boombox.
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- KVRian
- 826 posts since 26 Aug, 2005 from Oregon, USA
Just improvising, take an FM recording, use match EQ and lots and lots and lots of compression.
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- KVRAF
- 1703 posts since 7 Dec, 2017
I also love that FM radio sound. I have Stereo Tool, I just use the basic version for $39 and it sounds great to me. But I understand $39 can be a lot when you're a broke student. Just wanted to say the basic version does sound like an FM station to me so might be worth it, or not. Says Mac is supported along with Windows
https://www.thimeo.com/stereo-tool/
https://www.thimeo.com/stereo-tool/
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- KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 16 posts since 13 May, 2026
What setting or preset do you use?seangm wrote: Thu May 14, 2026 1:05 am I also love that FM radio sound. I have Stereo Tool, I just use the basic version for $39 and it sounds great to me. But I understand $39 can be a lot when you're a broke student. Just wanted to say the basic version does sound like an FM station to me so might be worth it, or not. Says Mac is supported along with Windows
https://www.thimeo.com/stereo-tool/
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- KVRist
- 106 posts since 18 May, 2011
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- KVRist
- 106 posts since 18 May, 2011
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Winstontaneous Winstontaneous https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=98336
- KVRAF
- 2593 posts since 15 Feb, 2006 from Another Green World
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- KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 16 posts since 13 May, 2026
Any clue on how to get this to work in audacity?
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- KVRist
- 324 posts since 18 Jan, 2014
Free - Stone voices Retro radio https://stone-voices.ru/vst/retro_radio?lang=en
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- KVRist
- 106 posts since 18 May, 2011
You'd need at least the Reason Rack plugin (separate or included with the Reason DAW) which comes in VST3 and Audio Unit versions. Audacity in turn can load VST3 and Audio Unit plugins.
Then you can purchase this Radiation Rack Extension, install and load the Rack plugin in Audacity, and finally load a Radiation instance in the Rack plugin instance. Then you should be able to process audio with Radiation using the Rack plugin.
Note that the Reason Rack comes with a bunch of effects (and instruments) out of the box, which you may or may not find useful.
Granted, there may be easier and cheaper ways to accomplish what you want.
Then you can purchase this Radiation Rack Extension, install and load the Rack plugin in Audacity, and finally load a Radiation instance in the Rack plugin instance. Then you should be able to process audio with Radiation using the Rack plugin.
Note that the Reason Rack comes with a bunch of effects (and instruments) out of the box, which you may or may not find useful.
Granted, there may be easier and cheaper ways to accomplish what you want.
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- Beware the Quoth
- 35448 posts since 4 Sep, 2001 from R'lyeh Oceanic Amusement Park and Funfair
Just to be clear, you're talking about the processing they do for broadcast, or the actual 'artefacts' of FM radio transmission itself?dakotaz wrote: Wed May 13, 2026 11:37 pm Lately, I’ve been obsessed with how music sounds on FM radio stations and would like to know what plugins/softwares (that work with Mac) can help me recreate that sound or similar? I know stereo tool exists but I’m a college student who currently does not have a lot of money like that to purchase a license.
Any recommendations (free and paid) would be greatly appreciated!
FWIW, the cheapest way to do the latter is with an actual FM transmitter and receiver, you can buy them as kits off AliExpress for literally only a couple of bucks each.
An idiot on Set Theory:
"In some cases there is an object called red that contains everything that is red. In much the same way a pot is a plate."
"In some cases there is an object called red that contains everything that is red. In much the same way a pot is a plate."
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- KVRAF
- 6390 posts since 8 Jun, 2009
If it's the former, then this will help: https://www.261.gr/orbanfoti.html
The article's pretty old and radio processing is a moving target, but for the most part, "FM radio sound" historically has mostly come down to phase rotation and lots of it, for which you need something that can do allpass filtering. And Orban is still making audio processors for radio.
The article's pretty old and radio processing is a moving target, but for the most part, "FM radio sound" historically has mostly come down to phase rotation and lots of it, for which you need something that can do allpass filtering. And Orban is still making audio processors for radio.
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- u-he
- 30208 posts since 8 Aug, 2002 from Berlin
Shameless plug: The radio voice is the result of compression with phase rotation, which smears transients/peaks a bit in order to allow for stronger compression rations. Our Presswerk compressor has feature called Dual Phase Rotation ("DPR") that does this exactly for this purpose.
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