Plugin Lab
Audio plugins built by an engineer, for engineers
V Control Room is a free monitoring and referencing plugin for macOS and Windows, available as VST3, Audio Units and a standalone app. It brings reference-track comparison, mono and sub checks, headphone crosstalk and proper metering into any DAW — the things a hardware control room gives you, wherever you actually work. Built by a working mastering engineer who needed it.
The tools
V Control Room
One plugin, free, for everyone. It does the checking — not the processing — so nothing it does ends up on your render.
V Control Room
FreeReference, monitor checks and metering — in any DAW
What it does: Puts a control room on the monitor path of whatever DAW you use. A/B against up to three reference tracks, check mono and sub, simulate headphone crosstalk, and read mix, reference and output meters side by side — then print a mix that none of it touched.
- Version
- 1.0.29
- Price
- Free
- macOS
- VST3 · AU · Standalone
- Windows
- VST3 · Standalone
Reference against your own tracks
Load up to three reference tracks and switch between them and your mix instantly, at matched level, without leaving the session.
See the difference, not just the levels
Spectrum views for your mix and your reference, plus a difference display that shows exactly where the two diverge.
The monitor checks you actually use
Mono fold-down, sub check with an adjustable crossover, and headphone crosstalk — the checks a control room gives you, in any DAW.
Four insert slots
Host your own VST3 plugins on the monitor path, with per-slot bypass, so your checks never touch the printed mix.
Metering that matches the job
Mix, reference and output meters with peak/RMS switching and correlation, so referencing decisions are made on numbers as well as ears.
Metronome on the monitor path
A click with its own level and subdivision, audible to you and absent from the render.
Download
Get V Control Room free
No account, no licence key, no activation. Leave an email and the installers unlock on this page.
Plugin FAQ
- What is V Control Room?
- V Control Room is a monitoring and referencing plugin. It gives you the things a hardware control room provides — instant A/B against reference tracks, mono and sub checks, headphone crosstalk, and proper metering — inside whatever DAW you already use.
- How much does it cost?
- Nothing. V Control Room is free. Leave an email on this page and the download unlocks immediately.
- What formats are supported?
- On macOS: VST3, Audio Units, and a standalone app. On Windows: VST3 and a standalone app. AAX for Pro Tools is built but not yet PACE-signed, so it is not included in the installers.
- Does it work on Apple Silicon and Windows 11?
- Yes. The macOS build runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs and is validated with Apple's auval tool. The Windows build runs on Windows 10 and 11.
- Why does my computer warn me when I install it?
- The installers are not code-signed yet, so macOS Gatekeeper and Windows SmartScreen both flag them. On macOS, let the install fail once, then go to System Settings, Privacy & Security, and choose Open Anyway. On Windows, choose More info, then Run anyway. Code signing is planned.
- Where do I put it, and why can't my DAW see it?
- The installer places the plugin in the standard system folders, so you only need to rescan plugins in your DAW. If it still does not appear on macOS, the cause is almost always the unsigned installer — see the question above, since an unopened quarantined plugin is skipped silently by the host.