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Utility

Utility
Utility by Venn Audio is a Virtual Effect Audio Plugin for macOS and Windows. It functions as a VST Plugin and an Audio Units Plugin.
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Utility is a free, lightweight, universal general purpose all in one digital channel strip plugin offering precise controls over various aspects of an audio signal, from mid/side processing to soft clipping.

Features include:

  1. input routing with separate pans for the left and right channels, or alternatively a pre mono balance control to decide how the left and right channels are blended for conversion into mono.
  2. gain, and individual left and right channel gains, mutes.
  3. pan and phase inversion of either channel.
  4. width control, along with separate mid and side gain sliders and mutes.
  5. maximally flat minimal phase high and low pass 12db/octave filtering.
  6. optional hard and soft clipping at 0db.
  7. everything is fully automatable with sensible parameter ranges/scaling.

{See video at top of page}

Latest User Reviews

Average user rating of 4.33 from 3 reviews
Utility

Reviewed By RobertSchulz [all]
August 10th, 2022
Version reviewed: 0.9.2 on Windows

There are several free Utility plugins available, and any one of those has its own advantages and disadvantages.

What makes Venn Audios's Utility plugin unique are the features of not only pan and gain stage each stereo channel individually, but also have volume controls for the mid and side. A huge thing if you're mixing a lot.

Another special ones are the clipping options (due to Venn Audio is known for its soft and hard clipping plugins - Check out FreeClip), the HP and LP Filters, the PAD button and for me the "Dual Mono" option in which you have the ability to adjust the exact point of the stereo signal to be converted to mono by using the "Pre mono balance" knob.

Now it also has some disadvantages.

1. The gain controls for stereo as well as left and right channels go only down to -35db. Of course, I could use the stereo knob and the left and right sliders in conjunction or use the PAD button to completely get rid of the signal but that is however bad if I'm using it by automation and f.e. need a continous fade out of the signal. Why not just letting it go to -infinity or at least -60db like the mid and side volume sliders?

2. No control for the PAN law after which the PAN algorithm is working (just like in every DAW's own mixer). I prefer MUtility by MeldaProduction for offering this.

3. Values can not be typed in. The parameters can be used only by click & drag or automation.

Another thing annoying me much is not providing enough information about the inner working and any explanation about the parameter. No manual, no tips, nothing. Yes, most of the parameters are self-explanatory but do some of them work in conjunction with each other, if yes which and in which order does the signal pass through the plugin's sections?

But great plugin nonetheless, really worth using it frequently.

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Utility

Reviewed By Boy Wonder [all]
April 13th, 2022
Version reviewed: 0.9.2 on Windows

I love me some Cubase but there's been one annoying little issue they still haven't fixed even in 12.0, and that is the ability to easily increase or decrease the volume of the individual left/right audio waveforms. You really shouldn't have to jump through hoops such as exporting the waveform, adjusting it in an external audio program like SoundForge or Soundop, then importing it back in, or splitting the waveform in two within Cubase by rendering it in place as two separate files.

Venn's Utility does just what it claims - and it does it with ease. No muss, no fuss. Because it's such a lightweight plugin, you can just leave it live on a track to make future adjustments if you wish. It works well, has its own metering, and is free. Thanks, Venn, for providing this VST.

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Utility

Reviewed By onerob [all]
August 7th, 2017
Version reviewed: 0.9.1 on Mac

A nifty track helper that gives you absolute panning control and m/s tweakability. The clipping and filter controls make this particularly usable.

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