O-Detune User Guide - Ouaricon Audio

Getting Started

Quick Start

Download the installer from the O-Detune product page
Run the installer — it installs both VST3 and AU formats automatically
Open your DAW and scan for new plugins
Insert O-Detune on a track
Enter your license key (OUA-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX) when prompted
Use the Blend slider to mix between Wobble and Unison engines

Tip: O-Detune is free — complete checkout with your email to receive your license key.

System Requirements

Platform	Details
macOS	macOS 11+ (Intel and Apple Silicon native)
Windows	Windows 10+ (64-bit)
RAM	4 GB minimum, 8 GB recommended
Formats	VST3, AU
DAW	Any VST3/AU-compatible host

Installation Paths

macOS:

VST3: ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/O-Detune.vst3
AU: ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/O-Detune.component

Windows:

VST3: C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\O-Detune.vst3

Interface Overview

O-Detune features a dual-engine design with a central Blend control. The interface is divided into distinct sections:

Left Panel: Wobble Engine controls (Era, Rate, Depth, Shape, Sync)
Center: Blend slider (crossfade between Wobble and Unison)
Right Panel: Unison Engine controls (Voices, Detune, Distribution, Spread)
Bottom: Output section (Width, Mix, Focus Low, Focus High, Mono-Safe) and Advanced controls (Pre-Delay, Feedback, Randomization)
Top: Preset browser with navigation arrows, LOAD and SAVE buttons

The panel opacity responds to the Blend position — the active engine's panel appears fully opaque while the other fades, giving clear visual feedback of your current blend.

Tip: Double-click any knob to reset it to its default value.

Wobble Engine

The Wobble engine creates tape-style pitch modulation — the kind of wow and flutter you hear from vintage tape machines. It uses a variable delay line driven by an LFO to create smooth pitch variation.

Parameter	Range	Default	Description
Era	60s / 70s / 80s	70s	Tape character preset. 60s = Ampex (warm, smooth), 70s = Teac (classic reel-to-reel), 80s = Cassette (lo-fi, degraded).
Rate	0.1–10.0 Hz	2.0 Hz	Modulation speed. Low values produce slow wow; high values create fast flutter. When Sync is ON, displays musical divisions.
Depth	0–100 cents	25 cents	Pitch deviation amount. 100 cents = 1 semitone. Subtle amounts add warmth; higher values create obvious pitch wobble.
Shape	Sine / Triangle / Random	Sine	LFO waveform. Sine = smooth and organic, Triangle = more linear movement, Random = non-repeating and unpredictable.
Sync	OFF / ON	OFF	Locks the Rate to your DAW's tempo. When enabled, the Rate displays musical divisions (1/4, 1/8, 1/16, etc.).

Era Selector

The Era control changes the overall character of the wobble effect:

60s (Ampex): Warm, smooth pitch variation with gentle frequency roll-off — the sound of large-format studio tape machines
70s (Teac): Classic reel-to-reel character, balanced between warmth and clarity — the default and most versatile option
80s (Cassette): Lo-fi degradation with more pronounced pitch instability — great for nostalgic, worn-tape effects

Unison Engine

The Unison engine creates multi-voice detuning — the same principle behind classic supersaw synthesizer patches. Multiple copies of the input are pitch-shifted by small amounts and spread across the stereo field for thickness and width.

Parameter	Range	Default	Description
Voices	2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 7	3	Number of parallel detuned voices. More voices = thicker sound but higher CPU usage.
Detune	0–50 cents	15 cents	Total pitch spread across all voices. Small values (5–10) for subtle thickening; larger values (20–50) for dramatic detuning.
Distribution	Linear / Exp / Random	Linear	How voices are spaced in frequency. Linear = evenly spaced, Exp = clustered near center, Random = unpredictable spacing.
Spread	0–100%	75%	Stereo panning width. Controls how far apart the voices are placed in the stereo field. 0% = all centered, 100% = full stereo spread.

Tip: For vocal thickening, try 3 voices with 8–15 cents detune. For synth widening, use 5–7 voices with 20–50 cents detune and high Spread.

Output Controls

Parameter	Range	Default	Description
Blend	0–100%	50%	Crossfade between Wobble (0%) and Unison (100%). At 50%, both engines contribute equally.
Width	0–200%	100%	Stereo spread. 0% = mono, 100% = normal stereo, 200% = extra-wide. Disabled when Mono-Safe is ON.
Mix	0–100%	50%	Wet/dry blend. 0% = fully dry (bypass), 100% = fully wet (effect only).
Focus Low	20–500 Hz	20 Hz	High-pass filter cutoff. Frequencies below this pass through unprocessed. Raise to keep bass clean.
Focus High	1k–20k Hz	20 kHz	Low-pass filter cutoff. Frequencies above this pass through unprocessed. Lower to keep highs clean.
Mono-Safe	OFF / ON	ON	Guarantees perfect mono compatibility using phase-coherent processing. When ON, the Width control is disabled.

Mono-Safe Mode

When Mono-Safe is enabled, O-Detune uses an all-pass/comb filter array to create stereo width that collapses to mono perfectly — no phase cancellation when summed. This is critical for broadcast, vinyl, and club systems where mono compatibility matters. The Width slider becomes disabled (forced to mono) while Mono-Safe is active.

Focus Filters

The Focus Low and Focus High controls let you apply detuning to a specific frequency range. For example, set Focus Low to 200 Hz and Focus High to 5 kHz to process only the vocal range while leaving bass and treble untouched. This is particularly useful for keeping sub-bass tight while still adding width and movement to mid frequencies.

Advanced Controls

Parameter	Range	Default	Description
Pre-Delay	0–50 ms	0 ms	Adds a timing offset before the effect, creating spatial depth — similar to early reflections in reverb.
Feedback	0–80%	0%	Recirculates the output back through the effect for intensifying, building textures. Use with care at high values.
Randomization	0–100%	15%	Per-voice pitch variation. Only visible when Unison Distribution is set to Random.

Tip: Adding a small amount of Pre-Delay (5–15 ms) can give the detuned signal a more natural, spatial quality — as if the sound exists in a physical space.

Presets

O-Detune includes factory presets covering common use cases. Use the left/right arrows in the preset browser to browse, or click the preset name to open a dropdown.

Preset	Description
Default	Balanced starting point — 50% wobble/unison blend, moderate settings
70s Tape Wobble	Authentic Teac-style pitch variation, wobble-focused with vintage character
Cassette Lo-Fi	Degraded 80s tape character with blended modes for that worn-cassette sound
Hybrid Wobble Unison	Combined wobbling unison voices — creative hybrid texture at 50% blend
Supersaw Synth	Wide 5-voice detuning for synths — pure unison mode with full stereo spread
Thick Vocals	3-voice unison tuned for vocal thickening — clean and transparent

Managing Presets

Use the SAVE button to store your own presets. Use LOAD to browse and import preset files.

Presets are stored at:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/O-Detune/Presets/

Windows: %APPDATA%\O-Detune\Presets\

You can create custom presets and share them by copying preset files to this directory.

Troubleshooting

Plugin Not Appearing in DAW

Rescan your plugin directories in your DAW's preferences
Verify the plugin is installed at the correct path (see Installation Paths above)
On macOS, check that Gatekeeper hasn't blocked the plugin (System Settings → Security & Privacy)
Restart your DAW after installation

No Audible Effect

Check that Mix is above 0%
Verify Depth (Wobble) or Detune (Unison) is above 0
Check the Blend position — if fully left, only Wobble is active; fully right, only Unison
Try the 70s Tape Wobble preset to confirm the effect is working

Mono Compatibility Issues

Enable Mono-Safe mode for guaranteed mono compatibility
When Mono-Safe is ON, Width is automatically disabled
Check your mix in mono to verify there are no phase cancellation artifacts

High CPU Usage

Reduce the number of Unison Voices (fewer voices = less CPU)
Check your DAW's buffer size settings — increase if needed
O-Detune targets <50% single core CPU at 48kHz with all features active

Wobble Rate Not Syncing to Tempo

Ensure the Sync toggle is ON
Verify your DAW's transport is playing (some DAWs don't send tempo when stopped)
Check that your DAW project has a valid tempo set