BruceJames.studio
MARCO
Spatial placement and depth processor
- 01Overview and the core idea02
- 02How it works03
- 03Installation and authorization04
- 04Interface tour05
- 05Parameter reference06
- 06The XY pad and profiles in depth08
- 07Workflows09
- 08FAQ and troubleshooting10
- 09License and contact11
01 · Overview
Depth and placement, without the reverb wash
Marco moves a sound to a believable position and distance in the stereo field. Instead of drenching the signal in reverb, it convolves it with short captured reflections, so an element settles back into the mix while keeping the tail essentially non-existent.
You drive it from a single XY pad. The horizontal axis sets position and the balance between two tonal profiles; the vertical axis sets depth and perceived proximity. Four knobs and a handful of toggles shape what happens inside that movement.
In one line
Place a part in space with short reflections, steer it on the XY pad, and choose how clean or how hazy that placement sounds.
Three ideas explain almost everything Marco does: reflections instead of reverb, two tonal profiles, and the XY pad that steers between them.
01Reflections, not reverb
Marco convolves the signal with short impulse responses captured from real and modeled spaces. Because the captures are short, there is no audible reverb tail to build up or wash over the mix. What you hear instead is the sense of air and distance that comes from early reflections, which is what pushes an element back without smearing it.
02Two tonal profiles, clean to dirty
The captures come in two characters. The clean end is focused and controlled, either a model of how an ideal room should sound or a measurement-style capture with the harsh reflections removed. The dirty end is fuzzier and less focused, the sound of a dark ribbon microphone, including one pointed away from the source, so it reads as more distant and hazy. The Profile knob crossfades between these two ends, and the two color toggles choose exactly which capture sits at each end.
03The XY pad steers the placement
The pad is the main control surface. Moving the cursor left and right sets the profile balance and how the result is panned across the stereo field. Moving it up and down sets depth and intensity: the further north the cursor, the more distant and intense the placement; lower brings the element forward and closer. Small movements tend to be more musical than extreme ones.
Profile · pan ←
→ Profile · pan
Back · distant
Forward · close
cursor
Schematic. Horizontal position blends the two profiles and sets panning behavior; vertical position sets depth and intensity. The puck is the cursor you drag.
Is it reverb?
Technically the dirty profiles are reflections, so a small amount of reverberant energy is present. The difference is that Marco's tail is essentially non-existent next to a normal reverb, so you get placement and depth rather than a wash.
03 · Setup
Installation and authorization
03
Marco runs on macOS and Windows in VST3, AU, and CLAP hosts. Installation places the plugin in the standard system folders that compatible DAWs scan automatically.
Install
- Close your DAW before installing so it rescans plugins on the next launch.
- Run the installer and accept the license agreement. On Windows the VST3 build installs to C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3 and the CLAP build alongside it; on macOS the AU build installs to /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components and VST3 to /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3.
- Launch your DAW and let it rescan. If Marco does not appear, trigger a manual rescan or add the folders above to your plugin paths.
- Insert Marco on a stereo channel or bus. It is designed to place individual elements, so it usually lives on a track rather than the master.
Authorization
Enter the license key from your purchase confirmation when prompted. Once accepted, the key is stored and applies to every instance on that machine. If you rebuild or replace a system drive, software activations are not part of a normal file backup, so you will need to reactivate; this is expected and not a fault in the plugin.
Demo mode
Before authorization Marco runs in demo mode. It processes audio normally but introduces periodic brief silences, which lets you evaluate tone and spatial behavior fully before purchase without committing the sound to a render.
Updates
Marco checks for new versions against brucejames.studio/version.txt. When a newer build is available, an indicator appears in the top right of the window. Updates install over the existing version; your saved presets and project state are preserved.
04 · Reference
Interface tour
04
A header strip with metering, the XY pad in the center, and a row of four knobs with their toggles along the bottom.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
1Title and statusPlugin name, preset display, and demo or licensed state.
2Pan StyleToggles how the stereo image is handled.
3IN / OUT metersInput and output level for gain-matching by eye.
4XY padProfile balance and pan on X, depth and intensity on Y.
5CrossoverBlends dry signal back in below the shown frequency.
6Pan-Link (low)Links the below-crossover signal to the cursor pan.
7Match EnergyCompensates perceived loudness through the processing.
8Clean profile toggleSelects the capture at the clean end of Profile.
9Profile (Focus)Crossfades from least to most affected character.
10Dirty profile toggleSelects the capture at the dirty end of Profile.
11MixDry and processed blend.
12Pan-Link (dry)Links the dry signal to the cursor pan.
05 · Reference
Parameter reference
05
Every control, grouped as it appears in the plugin.
Center · XY pad
| Axis | Direction | Behavior |
|---|
| Horizontal | left · right | Sets the balance between the two tonal profiles and the panning behavior of the placement across the stereo field. |
| Vertical | up · down | Sets depth and perceived proximity. The further up, the more distant and intense the placement; down brings the element forward and closer. |
Bottom · Knobs
| Control | Range | Behavior |
|---|
| Crossover | ~20 Hz to 20 kHz | Blends the dry signal back in below the shown frequency, so low end can stay forward and anchored while the rest of the signal is placed. The readout shows the current crossover frequency. |
| Match Energy | 0 to max | Reduces the perceived loudness change between input and processed output, so you judge placement on its spatial merits rather than a level jump. |
| Profile (Focus) | Blue ↔ Red | Crossfades the tonal character. Left is the least affected, most focused profile; right is the most affected, most distant profile. Click to swap which color mode is active. |
| Mix | 0 to 100% | Blends dry and processed signal. 100% is fully processed. Values in the lower half of the range, and around 50% in particular, blend the two paths most evenly and can introduce audible phase interaction. |
Tip
Match Energy is best left engaged while you audition placements. Without it, a louder or quieter processed path can make a setting feel better or worse than it really is.
Known limitation · Mix phase
In the lower half of the Mix range, and most noticeably at 50%, the dry and processed paths can interact and introduce phase coloration. Favor Mix at or near 100% when you need the cleanest result. This behavior is being addressed in a future update.
06 · Deep dive
The XY pad and profiles in depth
06
The pad and the Profile knob are the same idea seen from two angles. Understanding how they interact makes the rest of the plugin intuitive.
Reading the two axes
Treat the pad as a map of the space behind your speakers. The vertical position is distance: high on the pad sends the element back and dials up the intensity of the effect, low on the pad keeps it close and present. The horizontal position does two things at once, it pans the placement and it shifts the balance between the clean and dirty profiles, so moving sideways changes both where the element sits and how focused it sounds.
Clean versus dirty, and why the toggles matter
The clean end is for placements that should stay defined: a vocal that moves back a step but keeps its edges, a guitar that sits behind the lead without going soft. Its toggle picks between a modeled ideal room and a flatter measurement capture.
The dirty end is for distance and haze: a part that should read as far away, dark, and slightly out of focus. Its toggle picks between a flatter option and a sparse ribbon capture that is intentionally fuzzy and unfocused.
Keeping the low end in place
Spatial processing on a full-range source can thin out the low end. The Crossover control blends the dry signal back below its frequency, so the kick and bass weight stay forward and centered while the body of the sound is placed. If you would rather the low band travel with the placement, enable Pan-Link so it follows the cursor instead of holding center.
When to reach for it
Raise the Crossover on bass-heavy sources, drum buses, and anything where moving the lows back makes the mix feel smaller than you intended.
Watching the meters
Spatial moves change perceived level, which makes A/B judgments unreliable. Keep Match Energy engaged and watch the IN and OUT meters so a placement is chosen because it sounds right in the mix, not because it happens to be a little louder.
Starting points, not rules. Adjust to the material and trust your ears.
01Push a part back in the mix
Set Mix to 100% while you design the tone, pick a profile, and drag the cursor up and slightly to one side. Engage Match Energy so the level does not fool you, then blend Mix back if you want some of the dry element to remain up front.
Mix 100% then blendCursor up / backMatch Energy on
02Natural placement that holds in mono
Choose Pan Style Red so a reduced, low-passed opposite side is preserved. This keeps the image believable and mono-compatible rather than hard-panned, which suits backing vocals and ambient layers.
Pan Style RedProfile clean sideCursor gentle
03Far and hazy
Run the Profile toward Red and set the dirty toggle to its sparse ribbon capture. Drag the cursor high for distance. The result is dark and out of focus, useful for parts that should sit clearly behind everything else.
Profile toward RedDirty toggle sparseCursor high
04Keep the low end anchored
On bass-heavy sources, raise the Crossover so the low band passes dry and stays centered while the rest is placed. If the lows should travel with the move, turn on Pan-Link for that band.
Crossover upPan-Link optionalMix to taste
05Let small moves do the work
Extreme cursor positions can sound effortful. Make small XY movements and short Profile sweeps; the placement tends to read as more musical and sits in a busy mix more easily.
XY small movesProfile short sweeps
08 · Support
FAQ and troubleshooting
08
Marco does not appear in my DAW.
Confirm the DAW has rescanned plugins after installation, and that the VST3, AU, and CLAP system folders are in its scan paths. Some hosts require a manual rescan or a restart.
It sounds like reverb. I thought it was not reverb.
The dirty profiles are built from reflections, so a small reverberant character is part of the effect. The tail is essentially non-existent compared with a normal reverb, so if a setting feels washy, move the cursor up and forward, lower Mix, or sweep Profile toward the clean end.
The processed signal jumps in level.
Engage Match Energy. It compensates the perceived loudness change between input and output so you can judge placement without a level bias. Use the IN and OUT meters to confirm.
The low end thins out when I place a part.
Raise the Crossover so the signal below that frequency passes dry and stays anchored. Leave Pan-Link off if you want the low band to hold center.
Something sounds phasey at in-between Mix settings.
Blending the dry and processed paths can introduce phase interaction, most noticeably in the lower half of the Mix range and around 50%. Favor Mix at or near 100%, or automate from dry to wet rather than parking at a midpoint, and keep Match Energy engaged. This is a known limitation that is being addressed in a future update.
Marco asks for activation in old projects after a system rebuild.
After replacing or reinstalling a drive you will need to reactivate, since activations are not part of a normal file backup. Most instances reactivate normally. In rare cases an older saved instance keeps prompting; recreating that project, or copying its content into a fresh project, resolves it. New instances are unaffected. If it persists, contact support with your DAW and version.
How do I know when there is an update.
Marco checks brucejames.studio/version.txt and shows an indicator in the top right of the window when a newer build is available. Updates install over the current version and preserve presets and project state.
What is the difference between the two color toggles and the Profile knob.
The Profile knob crossfades between a clean end and a dirty end. Each toggle chooses which specific capture sits at its end of that sweep, so the knob sets the balance and the toggles set the ingredients.
09 · Legal
License and contact
09
License
Use of Marco is governed by the end user license agreement included with the distribution as license.txt. Please refer to that file for the full terms. Your purchase authorizes installation under the conditions described there.
Included files
The distribution archive contains the installer along with readme.txt for installation notes, changelog.txt for version history, and license.txt for the agreement. The readme is the canonical source for installation details.
Before you write in
Including your DAW, its version, your Windows version, and the plugin format you are running helps support resolve issues faster.
MARCO
Spatial placement and depth processor · macOS and Windows · VST3, AU, and CLAP