OpenSpatialDelay

Every echo, in its place.

A free 12-tap delay where each tap can be independently positioned in 3D around the listener. Binaural on headphones or multichannel for film, VR, and live spatial productions.

Download OSD
Hear it in 3D
  • VST3 + AU
  • macOS + Windows
  • GPL-3.0 · Free
12
Delay Taps
6
Binaural Profiles
13
Trajectories
7
Spatialization Algorithms
70
Factory Presets
02 · What it does

A delay built for space.

Six capabilities that separate OpenSpatialDelay from a stereo delay with a pan knob. Built for producers who mix on headphones and engineers who deliver for film, VR, and live spatial work.

  • 01

    12 taps in 3D space

    Each echo gets its own position in 3D space, and the algorithm renders to your speakers/headphones, not just a stereo spread.

    OpenSpatialDelay spatial map — 12 taps distributed in 3D space
  • 02

    6 binaural profiles

    Five measured HRTFs plus a CPU-Lite Simple render. Pick the head shape closest to yours; elevation and azimuth come from real measurements, not generic pan laws.

    ProfileSource
    Simple (Low CPU)
    Woodworth model
    Immersive
    SADIE II D2 KU100
    Natural
    CIPIC Subject003
    Precise
    HUTUBS PP2
    Spatial
    Bernschütz KU100
    Studio Reference
    MIT KEMAR
  • 03

    13 trajectories

    Built-in animation shapes like orbits, spirals, figure-eights, hearts, and more. Any tap can run any trajectory independently with doppler applied.

    Bounce trajectoryCircle trajectoryCross trajectoryFigure-8 trajectoryHeart trajectoryHelix trajectoryInfinity trajectoryLine trajectoryOrbit trajectoryRandom trajectorySpiral trajectorySquare trajectoryTriangle trajectory
  • 04

    7 spatialization algorithms

    Ambisonics, ConstantPower, DBAP, KNN, MDAP, VBAP, VBIP. Pick the algorithm of your choice and the output that matches your deliverable without leaving the plugin.

    AlgorithmFull name
    Ambisonics
    Higher-Order (FOA–6OA)
    Constant Power
    Pairwise panning
    DBAP
    Distance-Based Amplitude Panning
    KNN
    K-Nearest-Neighbor
    MDAP
    Multi-Direction Amplitude Panning
    VBAP
    Vector-Base Amplitude Panning
    VBIP
    Vector-Base Intensity Panning
  • 05

    70 factory presets

    Factory presets spanning classic echo, spatial ambience, binaural motion, and film-ready cues. Recall-ready starting points; every parameter stays fully editable.

    Atmos 7.1.4 presetCinquillo presetDome Ring presetFrozen Cascade presetGrain Cloud presetHemisphere Spread presetKaleidoscope presetMerry-Go-Round presetMicro Delay presetMulti-Tap Cascade presetOffbeat Pong presetRandom Walk presetShimmer presetSpiral Descent presetTape Wow presetWest African Bell preset
  • 06

    Free & open-source

    GPL-3.0. Source on GitHub under Spatial Media Lab. The DSP kernel here is the foundation for every future Spatial Media Library tool.

    Spatial Media Lab logomark
03 · Demo

See it, hear it.

Pop on headphones to hear the spatial mix in binaural.

OpenSpatialDelay plugin settings for Arp demo
0:00 / 0:00

Synth arp with 4 taps playing in 1/4 triplets. Starts at 0% wet to 100% and back to 0%.

04 · Screenshots

A look around the plugin

05 · The pipeline

The Spatial Media Library

Most spatial audio tools are closed and pricey. So we’re building a new toolset: The Spatial Media Library is a set of free, open-source plugins for immersive audio. OpenSpatialDelay is just the beginning.

The Spatial Media Lab is a Berlin-based nonprofit co-founded in 2017 by Andrew Rahman and Timo Bittner. We run sound for immersive concerts, organize meetups, keep an open knowledge base, and build the Spatial Media Library.

You like the vision? You want in? Join! We’re a member-run nonprofit, where collaborating on projects earns you free studio time.
Learn more at spatialmedialab.org.

Spatial Media Lab logomark
06 · Me
Andrew Rahman

Hi, I’m Andrew.

Engineer, producer, composer, and co-founder based in Berlin.

I’ve been making things since I was a kid. As a teen I coded a website so hardcore bands would put me on their guest lists and let me interview them (it worked embarrassingly often), ran a recording studio, and eventually made it to UC Berkeley, where a research project on ambisonic impulse responses accidentally turned into the rest of my life. In 2017 I co-founded Spatial Media Lab, a nonprofit, so other people could fall in love with three-dimensional sound the way I did.

I like working at the seam between the deeply technical and the broadly strategic, which sounds good on a CV and translates in practice to caring about small details at an intensity I consider perfectly appropriate and most people find slightly alarming. That intensity has been producing tutorials, documentation, and templates for years. Now, with AI in the toolkit, this is predictably the part of the story where I start making plugins. OpenSpatialDelay is the first plugin I’ve put out publicly. More are on the way. If this sounds like your kind of thing, my inbox is open.

  • Production
  • Sound Design
  • 3D Audio
  • Scoring
  • Mixing
  • Agentic AI

Get in touch — andrew@spatialmedialab.org

07 · System

System requirements

macOS11+ (Apple Silicon)
Windows10 / 11 (x64)
FormatsVST3 + AU
RAM4 GB recommended
LicenseGPL-3.0
PriceFree
08 · Download

Download it. Keep it.
Forever free.

Drop your email below and you’ll get the installer plus occasional, hand-written updates on new Spatial Media Library tools. No spam. Unsubscribe in one click.

Source on GitHub

GPL-3.0 · Zero telemetry · No phone-home

Fund the pipeline:
Free & open-source.
Forever.

OpenSpatialDelay is free because of Patreon supporters. Most spatial audio plugins cost around 200€; for the price of a coffee a month, you keep these ones free and supported for everyone. Tiers start at 3€.

Support on Patreon →

https://www.patreon.com/c/AndrewRahman