Speakers

AudioThing's Speakers is a convolution-based plugin that models the frequency response and harmonic character of vintage microphones and loudspeaker systems. The library spans 50 speaker emulations - from classic guitar amplifier cabinets to telephone handsets and radios - paired with 32 microphone models including ribbon condensers and dynamic units. This combination allows engineers to imprint the sonic signature of a particular transducer onto any source material.

The plugin's real strength lies in its modular signal chain architecture. Users can freely reorder compression, distortion, and filtering stages before or after the speaker and microphone convolutions, enabling creative parallel processing paths. The 18 distortion algorithms extend beyond simple saturation, including carbon microphone coloration and GSM codec artifacts that authentically degrade sources without sounding generic. The inclusion of 42 background noise profiles - ranging from room ambience to electrical hum - provides contextual character that transforms processed tracks from clinical to naturalistic.

The five-band parametric EQ on both the microphone and speaker modules adds necessary flexibility for fine-tuning frequency response, though this feels somewhat fundamental compared to the novelty of the core convolution library. The zero-latency processing makes Speakers suitable for both mixing and real-time tracking applications.

Speakers distinguishes itself through specificity rather than breadth. Where competitors often use generic speaker impulse responses, AudioThing's carefully selected collection targets actual vintage hardware with character that translates across genres. It's most valuable for engineers seeking authentic lo-fi coloration, film sound design, or restoring presence to otherwise sterile digital recordings.