By making your headphones behave a bit more like loudspeakers, the CanOpener Studio crossfeed algorithm allows you to recreate, on headphones, the rich sonic experience of listening to high-end speakers in a finely tuned room. Combined with a gorgeous equalizer and serious monitoring controls, CanOpener Studio is great for tracking — allowing performers to get the perfect headphone mix, and it’s also equally useful on the master output — to help correct or enhance your monitoring environment.
Interface Preview
Here’s a screenshot of CanOpener Studio in action. Click anywhere on the interface to jump to a control’s definition below.
Advanced Controls
Background
“Crossfeed” is a generic term for a process that “feeds” or blends the left and right channels of a stereo audio signal in some way. Because sound is pretty good at bouncing and bending around things, every sound you’ve ever heard in a natural acoustic environment reaches both ears, at least in part. This is true for loudspeakers too: a sound fed from the right loudspeaker not only reaches your right ear, but a portion of the sound also reaches your left, far ear as well. The inverse is true of the left speaker: sounds emitted reach the left ear first, while a portion also reaches the right ear. So you could say that loudspeakers have a type of natural crossfeed: the left channel is “crossfed” to the right ear and vice versa.
For headphones, however, this is not true: sounds fed from the left channel of a pair of headphones only reach the left ear and have no natural crossfeed. CanOpener Studio’s crossfeed algorithm was designed to bring back the crossfeed that gets lost on headphones, making for a better, less fatiguing monitoring environment where judgements about space, depth, and panning are quicker and easier.
Visualization
Stereo Spectroscope
CanOpener Studio features our unique stereo spectroscope: a new type of stereo metering that lets you inspect the stereo balance & width of each part of the frequency spectrum.
The CanOpener Studio Stereoscope
What does it represent?
The x-axis (horizontal), represents the left/right stereo field, and the y-axis (vertical) represents the frequency spectrum (low to high, bottom to top).
The location of each circle corresponds to its left/right balance and associated frequency band. The size and brightness of the circle corresponds to the loudness of that particular band.
In addition to the circles, a broad outline shape is drawn, showing the stereo width for all frequency bands.
What should I use it for?
The stereo spectroscope can help determine how much crossfeed should be applied to the signal to imitate listening on monitors. If the scope shows a wide, dispersed stereo field (especially in the low end), then you might want to increase the crossfeed amount. If the scope is showing a narrow, straight-lined stereo field (especially in the low end), then less crossfeed is probably appropriate.
Goniometer
CanOpener Studio includes a real-time stereo display called a goniometer (or vectorscope). By interpreting the goniometer, it’s possible to quickly deduce many characteristics about the stereo field and the precise relationship between left & right channels.
Here are some examples of how simple stereo signals appear in the goniometer:
L/R Goniometer
M/S Goniometer
Controls
Primary Controls
Crossfeed
Amount
Varies the amount of crossfeed.
100% is generally a good starting point, though 150% is the truest to real-life loudspeaker listening. At 0%, the signal is totally unaffected.
Min0%
Max150%
Default100%
Angle
Controls the width of the crossfeed soundstage.
Smaller speaker angles (less than 30°) place the sound more “in front” of the listener. Larger speaker angles (more than 45°) are more immersive and surrounding. This control affects the crossfeed only — not the entire soundstage.
Min0°
Max75°
Default60°
Equalization
The Equalization section borrows a portion of our esteemed Baxandall shelving filters from Tone Control to give you smooth, mastering-quality tone-shaping within CanOpener Studio.
Bass Gain
Amount of bass boost/cut.
To alter the center frequency of the bass shelf, see Bass Freq.
Min-15.0dB
Max15.0dB
Default0.0dB
Treble Gain
Amount of treble boost/cut.
To alter the center frequency of the treble shelf, see Treble Freq.
Min-15.0dB
Max15.0dB
Default0.0dB
Monitoring
L/R Balance
Controls the relative balance of the left and right channels.
Unlike a panner, L/R Balance acts as a stereo balancer (i.e. no gain is ever added to the left or right signal). At 100% (to the right), the left channel signal is silenced. At -100% (to the left), the right channel signal is silenced.
Min-100%
Max100%
Default0%
Mono
Sums the left/right channels to mono.
Options:Off, On
DefaultOff
Flip L/R
Swaps the left and right channels.
Options:Off, On
DefaultOff
Polarity
Inverts the phase of the right channel.
Options:Off, On
Use Polarity + Mono at the same time to monitor the sides of a stereo signal: all the information that differs between left and right channels.
DefaultOff
Dim
Turns down the output signal by the amount specified by Dim Level.
Options:Off, On
DefaultOff
Output Gain
Varies the output gain, post-crossfeed.
Output Gain includes a level meter embedded in the slider. This meter shows the peak level of the output signal after CanOpener Studio’s processing.
If the signal peak exceeds or equals 0.0dB the meter color turns red, indicating that clipping could occur. CanOpener Studio will never clip internally, due to its double-precision floating-point processing, but the signal might be clipped at a later stage (by the host/DAW or DAC).
Min-36.0dB
Max12.0dB
Default0.0dB
Compensation
Controls the amount of frequency compensation applied as Output Gain is changed.
Human perception of loudness varies depending on frequency and sound pressure levels, as described by equal-loudness contours, often called “Fletcher-Munson” curves.
In other words, as listeners we are more sensitive to the midrange than to low and high frequencies. This phenomenon is also further accentuated as the signal gets quieter, requiring more compensation to reach equal loudness. Using CanOpener’s Compensation can allow you to work at lower mixing/listening volumes while still maintaining a flat frequency response.
Setting the compensation at 100% will provide an optimal perceived loudness across the frequency range for all Output Gain settings.
At 0%, no compensation is applied, keeping the frequency response flat regardless of the Output Gain.
Anywhere above or below 100% will respectively exaggerate or attenuate the compensation applied.
Compensation is inactive when Output Gain is set to 0.0dB.
Min0%
Max200%
Default100%
Master On/Off
Bypasses CanOpener Studio’s processing.
We recommend using the Master On/Off instead of your DAW’s plugin bypass to avoid digital artifacts.
DefaultOn
Advanced Controls
The Advanced section offers more precise control and fine adjustment options.
To access CanOpener Studio’s advanced controls, click the ••• icon in the sidebar.
Crossfeed Realism
Controls the degree of realism in the idealized speaker model.
Option
Discussion
Hyperrealistic
Advanced delay and spectral modeling (recommended for most situations)
Realistic
Simplified delay modeling
Standard
The classic crossfeed algorithm. No delay
Though less realistic, “Standard” crossfeed realism has the advantage of a perfect, constant spatial frequency response.
DefaultHyperrealistic
Bass Freq
Center frequency of the equalizer’s bass shelf.
Min20Hz
Max1.00kHz
Default250Hz
Treble Freq
Center frequency of the equalizer’s treble shelf.
Min1.00kHz
Max20.0kHz
Default2.00kHz
Soft Start Time
Controls the Soft Start fade-in time.
Soft Start gently ramps up the volume when playback begins. This helps avoid loud transients that occur when starting playback in the middle of a phrase and minimizes listener fatigue (particularly important in long tracking, editing, or mixing sessions).
Min0ms
Max1.000s
Default250ms
Dim Level
Sets the gain that is applied when the Dim is activated.
Min-36.0dB
Max0.0dB
Default-20.0dB
Safe Gain
Lowers the output volume to a “safe” level, to guarantee that clipping will not occur in the output signal.
Options:Off, On
DefaultOff
Dither
Applies dithering to the output signal in order to reduce quantization distortion.
Options:Off, On
DefaultOff
HQ Mode
HQ Mode is our no-holds-barred processing mode where super high quality audio is given priority over CPU usage.
When HQ Mode is turned On, CanOpener Studio uses a higher precision algorithm, providing better spectral resolution at the expense of some added latency (~50 ms) and higher CPU usage.
We recommend using HQ Mode when you need the highest possible quality and don’t mind 2-4x higher CPU usage. An important lead instrument, vocal, or a mastering session is a great place for HQ Mode.
HQ Mode will require more CPU resources and result in a slightly higher processing delay (latency). To ensure proper delay compensation in your host/DAW, automating HQ Mode is not recommended.
DefaultOff
Specs
Supported Channel Configurations
Input Channel #
Output Channel #
2
2
Presets
The presets are a great way to get to know each plugin. The preset drawer can be accessed at the bottom of each plugin by clicking the current preset name.
Goodhertz plugins are made to be workhorse tools that sound amazing. We’ve put a lot of thought and care into the audio quality and plugin usability, and for that reason, we’ve opted for simple and direct controls & interfaces that don’t rely on photorealistic knobs or ornamental screw heads to communicate their meaning.
We’ve also decided to only include meters and graphs when we feel they will directly lead to a better sonic result. Meters/graphs can consume significant CPU resources, and we firmly believe that if it sounds good, it is good.
Our meters can be reset at any time using the “Reset Meters” button (in certain plugins) and manually enabled or disabled via the “Enable Metering” User Preference.
Preset Bar
Button
Action
Undo the last parameter change.
Redo the last parameter change.
Switch to the previous preset.
“Preset Name”
Opens the preset drawer (Option/Alt + Click to reset all plugin settings to preset).
Switch to the next preset.
Selects the A settings state.
This copies the current settings to the opposite A/B state; i.e. if you’re on the A state, clicking the arrow will copy those settings to the B state.
Selects the B settings state.
Toolbar
Introduced in version 3.10, the toolbar at the bottom of the plugin holds a handful of shortcut buttons.
Icon
Action
Opens preferences menu
Shows diagnostic information
Opens plugin manual in your default web browser
Opens a URL representation of the current plugin control state (Command/Ctrl + Click to copy the URL to the clipboard)
Opens language-selection menu
Shrink interface
Enlarge interface
Keyboard Shortcuts
Action
Keyboard Shortcut
Enter New Parameter Value
Once you’ve tapped or double-tapped a control, type in a value, then hit Enter, Return, orTab
Increment Parameter Value
↑or→ arrow keys
Decrement Parameter Value
↓or← arrow keys
Jump to Next Parameter
Tab
Jump to Previous Parameter
Shift + Tabor` (backtick)
Escape Parameter Focus / Close any Open Drawers
Esc
Tap Tempo
t (N.B. For this to work, you must have a BPM control selected.)
Save Preset
n (N.B. For this to work, the preset panel must be open.)
Set Preset as Favorite
f (N.B. For this to work, the preset panel must be open.)
Edit Preset
e (N.B. For this to work, the preset panel must be open.)
Update Preset
u (N.B. For this to work, the preset panel must be open.)
Delete Preset
Delete (N.B. For this to work, the preset panel must be open.)
Right-Click Actions
Action
Instruction
Read about Control in manual
Right-Click & select “Show in Plugin Manual”
Reset Control to Default
Right-Click & select “Reset to Factory Default Value”
Lock Control when switching presets
Right-Click & select “Lock When Switching Presets”
Copy current plugin settings to clipboard
Right-Click & select “Copy as URL to Clipboard”
Paste all plugin settings from clipboard
Right-Click & select “Paste From Clipboard”
Reset all plugin settings to Defaults
Right-Click & select “Reset to Factory Defaults”
Reset all plugin metering
Right-Click & select “Reset Meters” (only available in certain plugins)
Reset all plugin settings to Preset
Right-Click & select “Reset to [preset] Preset”
Update Preset with current plugin settings
Right-Click & select “Update [preset] Preset”
Create new Preset with current plugin settings
Right-Click & select “Create New Preset”
Go to the plugin’s manual page
Right-Click & select “Read [plugin name] Manual”
Right-Click Preferences
Action
Explanation
Language
Switch the display language of text elements in Goodhertz plugins. We currently support the following languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), and Arabic.
Always Open Advanced Pane
By default, this is Off — i.e. when the plugins open, they do not show you the advanced controls available by hitting the ••• button in the sidebar. If you’d like to always see the advanced controls, enable this preference.
Control Granularity
By default, all Goodhertz controls move in small increments when dragged. If you prefer controls to operate with larger increments by default, change this option to Coarse. N.B. This will swap the behavior of the Shift mouse modifier - i.e. Shift-dragging will move a control with standard granularity when set to Coarse.
Dark Mode
Allows you to choose the color palette used for displaying the interface. If you prefer the look of dark colors (or work in a darker environment) enable this option. The Auto option will automatically adjust the color scheme depending on the system preferences of your machine (Mac only).
Enable Hover Markers
By default, this is On — i.e. all controls will show markers on hover. If you find this behavior unnecessary, deselect this option and no markers will be shown.
Enable Metering
By default, this is On — i.e. in normal operation, all audio meters and visualizations available in Goodhertz plugins are enabled and running. If you’d like to turn them off and disable all metering and visualization, deselect this option. And to turn them back on, simply reselect it. N.B. If you’re struggling to use a large number of Goodhertz plugins on an older processor with an integrated GPU, sometimes disabling metering can help.
Enable Scroll Input
By default, all Goodhertz sliders can be scrolled in addition to dragged. If you find this behavior unnecessary, deselect this option and no scrolling events will be used to control Goodhertz sliders.
Enable Tooltips
By default, this is On — i.e. all controls will show a tooltip on hover. If you find this behavior unnecessary, deselect this option and no tooltips will be shown.
GPU Acceleration
By default, this is Enabled — i.e. the GPU will be prioritized whenever possible to improve graphics performance. If your graphics card does not support GPU acceleration, this preference will be automatically set to Reduced. N.B. If you experience graphics issues, disabling this preference may help.
Keyboard Focus
By default, you can get keyboard focus on any Goodhertz control with a single click. Change this option to ensure keyboard focus only occurs on double clicks.
Window Size
Enlarge or shrink the Goodhertz plugin window by selecting an option here. This will save your preference for all instances of this plugin.
Diagnostics
Displays general information about the plugin and the configuration of your system for diagnostic purposes. If you experience any issues with the plugin, it can be helpful to include this information when contacting us. N.B. Clicking this window will copy the contents to the clipboard.
Mouse Modifiers
Action
Combination (Mac)
Combination (Windows)
Reset Parameter to Default Value
Option + Click
Alt + Click
Move Control with Coarse Precision
Shift + Drag
Shift + Drag
Move Control with Fine Precision
Command + Drag
Ctrl + Drag
Move Control with Normal Precision
Drag
Drag
Automation
Unintentional digital clicks and pops are the worst. They happen for lots of reasons and often end up wasting your time with needless revisions or mastering surgery. When they go unnoticed, they can make their way onto commercial albums and releases.
Plugin automation is a common cause of clicks and pops. Sweeping an EQ band, changing a delay setting, and even automating a plugin bypass can cause digital artifacts if poorly handled.
This is not true for Goodhertz plugins. Any parameter in a Goodhertz plugin, even on/off switches, can be automated freely and smoothly without clicks, pops, or zipper noises (unless otherwise noted). You can push them, pull them, LFO them — whatever you do, they’ll handle it gracefully.
Since our Master On/Off controls won’t create artifacts, we recommend that you use them rather than your DAW-supplied plugin bypass if you want to disable plugin processing.
To copy and paste, right click anywhere on the plugin interface and select either the copy or the paste option.
E.g. If you paste “https://goodhertz.com/vulf-comp/3.0.9?cm=0&wf=0&lf=100&lfc=50” into Vulf Compressor it will recall the settings associated with that url. This way you can easily send an exact plugin setting to someone — in an email or even a tweet — without any guesswork or screenshots.”
System Requirements
Mac OS X ≥ 10.13
Audio Unit 64-Bit, VST 64-Bit, VST3 64-Bit, or AAX 64-Bit host
