Stagecraft Software’s RingMod plugin previously cost $30, but the Chicago-based developer has decided to make it available for free.
To grab RingMod for free, head to the product page, and there you can download the installer directly.
The plugin is available in AU, VST3, and AAX formats for macOS and Windows.
As the developer notes, ring modulation is responsible for the unmistakable voice of the Daleks from Dr Who.
But a few years before the Daleks hit our screens, Louis and Bebe Barron’s otherworldly score from the 1956 sci-fi classic Forbidden Planet brought ring modulation into the mainstream for audio production and sound design.
It’s been a mainstay in many types of music ever since, often highlighted by guitarists and keyboardists. A great example is Jon Lord’s Hammond sound on Deep Purple’s Space Truckin’.
RingMod offers something a little different from the standard ring modulator, with various syncing options, including quantising the sync frequency to pitch rather than BPM.
Another interesting element of RingMod is that you aren’t limited to the Sine waveform. The use of additional waveforms enables you to transform the sound at its core.
Whether it’s psychedelic movement and distortion or retro-futuristic robot voices, the ring modulation effect is often stereotyped as being quite aggressive or obvious.
But it’s really lovely on a simple sound, like a Rhodes piano, if used for very subtle movement, then letting it loose a little to accent the end of melodic phrases before pulling it back in.
RingMod allows full automation of all parameters, and this is great if you’re using the plugin to design evolving and textural soundscapes.
RingMod comes with a bunch of factory presets, covering leads, pads, and more.
Last Updated on August 9, 2026 by Tomislav Zlatic.
