Spanner Free Download

Working with surround sound in Pro Tools can feel clunky. Spanner addresses this by giving you a set of utility plugins that streamline the channel management and panning tasks that slow you down. It’s a free download from The Cargo Cult built specifically to improve your surround workflow inside the box.

You get four dedicated tools: a surround panner, a channel manager, a remapper, and a downmix plugin. Instead of wrestling with Pro Tools’ native routing or using several workaround plugins, this pack consolidates the essential functions for surround work into a single, focused collection.

Core Utility Tools

This pack breaks down into four main components, each handling a specific job in a surround session.

Surround Panner This is a dedicated panner for surround sound configurations. You can position and move audio sources within a multi-channel surround field directly. Channel Manager This plugin lets you manage the assignment and routing of audio channels within a surround setup. You can control which audio goes to which output channel. Remapper Use this to remap input channels to different output channels. It’s for changing the channel order or reassigning signals within a surround bus. Downmix Plugin This tool is for downmixing surround audio to a lower channel count, like creating a stereo mix from a 5.1 source.

Technical Setup

Spanner is an AAX format plugin, so it works natively in AVID Pro Tools. You won’t find VST or AU versions here; it’s made specifically for the Pro Tools environment.

Who Should Grab This?

This is for Pro Tools users who are actively mixing in surround. If your sessions involve 5.1, 7.1, or other multi-channel formats, and you’ve found the stock tools limiting for panning or routing, this pack directly tackles those frustrations. It’s useful for post-production engineers, film composers, or anyone mixing-in-the-box for surround projects who needs more straightforward control over channel management and spatial positioning.

Final Verdict

If you’re doing surround sound work in Pro Tools and want more direct control over panning and channel routing, Spanner solves specific workflow complaints. You get a focused set of tools for panning, managing, remapping, and downmixing channels. Since it’s an AAX-only free download from The Cargo Cult, it’s a no-risk addition that targets a very specific need. Just know it’s exclusively for Pro Tools—if that’s your DAW for surround work, it’s worth getting.