Blue Cat Audio Re-Head

What Blue Cat Re-Head Is For

Blue Cat Re-Head is a plug-in designed for producers, sound engineers, and musicians who need to work on headphones without losing their usual speaker listening references. It recreates a "mixing room" sensation by simulating the impact of the head and skull on perception (HRTF), while providing stereo and tonal correction tools. This is especially useful in home studios, on the go (laptop + headphones), during takes requiring discreet monitoring, or simply when you cannot push your monitors (late sessions, neighbors, acoustic constraints).

Main Features

A "head response" model for more realistic headphone listening

The core of Re-Head is based on a head response model aimed at making headphone listening less "stuck to the ears." Practically, the plug-in helps regain a balance closer to speaker listening, enabling better decisions on levels, balance, and the overall color of a mix. You can also adjust the amount of correction via a single control or disable the head response to use the other modules independently, including on speakers.

Stereo image control and virtual speaker positioning

Headphones tend to exaggerate extreme panning and create an unnatural stereo field. Re-Head includes stereo processing tools to soften this effect, notably through adjustment of the position and angle between virtual speakers. Version 1.3 also adds a stereo field visualizer to better understand left/right distribution and secure spatialization choices.

IR loader to recreate your room (and adapt your headphones)

With its IR loader, Re-Head can load impulse responses to simulate a familiar listening room or fine-tune the sound according to your gear. This approach helps maintain consistent references across different work environments and improves "speakers vs. headphones" continuity, a crucial point for confidently finalizing a mix.

Analysis tools and quick adjustments

To speed up workflow, the plug-in includes an EQ and a spectrum analyzer directly in the interface. A brightness control helps quickly adapt the perception of the upper spectrum. There is also a handy flip left/right function to check routing or correct channel swaps with one click.

Ergonomics and Blue Cat Audio standards

Re-Head follows the brand's standards: multi-format compatibility, full MIDI control with MIDI Learn, automation support, integrated preset manager, Undo/Redo, copy/paste of plug-in state between instances, zoomable interface with transparency, and smooth bypass for artifact-free activation/deactivation. Processing is disabled during silence for optimal CPU usage.

Technical specifications