Speakerphone 3 by Audio Ease is a speaker and environment simulator plug-in for MacOS and Windows, offering authentic speakers, microphones, rooms, and DSP effects to place audio in realistic or creative acoustic contexts.
Purpose and Core Concept
Speakerphone 3 is a plug-in designed to simulate the sound of audio played through various speakers and captured in different environments. It recreates the character of everything from vintage radios and walkie-talkies to modern smartphones and PA systems, adding the acoustic signature of spaces like streets, stadiums, and vehicles.
The tool is intended for post-production, music production, and sound design, allowing users to transform a clean signal into a believable, location-aware sound source. It includes a convolutional reverb module for rooms and spaces, plus a range of DSP modules to emulate specific transmission effects, from GSM compression to rotary speaker movement.
Key Capabilities
The plug-in offers a large library of impulse responses covering speakers, microphones, covers, and rooms. Users can combine these elements to build a complete signal chain, selecting the source speaker, the microphone used to capture it, the cover or obstruction, and the surrounding acoustic space.
Beyond the convolution-based modules, Speakerphone 3 includes twelve DSP modules that can be chained and automated. These modules emulate effects like telephone line filtering, distortion, feedback, and ambient noise. The presets provide quick starting points, but the interface allows for deep customization of every stage in the signal path.
Workflow and Interface
The redesigned interface is scalable and aims to keep all controls visible on screen. Switching between impulse responses for the speaker, microphone, cover, and room is designed to be clickless and smooth, even when automated, reducing artifacts during playback.
The input level meter now includes a suggested green zone for optimal input gain, replacing the previous auto-level feature. Users should adjust input to sit within this zone to ensure presets sound as intended. The plug-in supports native Apple silicon and Intel Macs, and is available as a VST3, making it compatible with major DAWs.
Practical Applications
In film and video post-production, Speakerphone 3 can place dialogue in a specific scene, such as making a character sound like they are calling from a noisy street or a confined space. It can also create realistic off-screen televisions, radios, or public address systems.
For music production, it can add character to vocals or instruments, mimicking lo-fi recordings or live amp sounds. Sound designers can use the extensive library and modular routing to create entirely new textures. The plug-in is backward compatible with sessions from Speakerphone 2 and 1, ensuring existing projects open with the same settings and automation.
Key features
- Large library of speaker, microphone, cover, and room impulse responses
- Twelve DSP modules for effects like GSM compression, Leslie, and feedback
- Scalable user interface with smooth, clickless impulse response switching
- Native support for Apple silicon and Intel Macs, plus VST3 plugin format
- Input level meter with suggested green zone for optimal gain staging
- Backward compatible with Speakerphone 2 and 1 sessions
- License can be activated on computer or USB iLok (iLok key no longer required)
Best for
Ideal for audio post-production and sound design tasks requiring realistic or stylized speaker and environment simulation. It is best suited for editors, mixers, and designers who need to place dialogue, foley, or music in specific acoustic contexts, from vintage radios to modern outdoor spaces.