Sottovoce DSP has released Sotto Spindown, a free plugin that emulates the classic vinyl spindown effect with a customizable pitch curve. It’s available now for Windows and macOS, with no signup required.
If you’re into transitions, glitchy effects, or just enjoy adding movement to your sound design, you’ll want to check this one out.
Sotto Spindown aims to replicate the slowing pitch of a record coming to a halt, also known as the turntable-style effect. However, the cool thing is that it can be used for more pitch automation effects.
I’ve always loved pitch automation tools because they’re simple but incredibly flexible. You can go subtle and add a slight pitch movement to your pads and leads. Or, you can use more extreme settings for more obvious effects.
There are countless other scenarios for pitch automation, from adding subtle modulation to vocals, creating cinematic drops, to spicing up modern synth leads with unexpected pitch movement.
Despite being pitched as a one-trick pony, I quickly realized that Sotto Spindown is rather versatile. The well-made interface plays a huge role in that.
It’s got a clean, early Cableguys-style look, with a large curve editor front and center. Drawing in your own pitch curve is quick and intuitive, and it’s fun to experiment with different shapes and timings.
You can set the spindown to last up to ten seconds and trigger it via automation. A fadeout option is available if you want the audio volume to dip along with the pitch, or you can disable it for a dry pitch-only drop.
The plugin also includes a preset system, so you can save your favorite curve shapes and quickly flip through different spindown styles. You can’t change presets during a spindown, but otherwise, the workflow is smooth and straightforward.
Sottovoce DSP has built a nice collection of pitch-focused plugins (some paid), so if you like Sotto Spindown and want more pitch control tools, their other releases are worth exploring.
Sotto Spindown is available for free download directly from the developer’s website. Requires free checkout with a valid email address. It runs on macOS and Windows and supports VST3 and AU plugin formats.
Download: Sotto Spindown
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Last Updated on August 27, 2025 by Tomislav Zlatic.
