PhaseLock vs. Auto-Align 2

PhaseLock and Sound Radix Auto-Align 2 solve the same basic problem: several microphones have recorded the same performance, and they are not adding up the way they should. Auto-Align 2 is a very good tool. PhaseLock does three things differently. It keeps your original mic timing by default, it lets you choose what each track aligns to, and its Phase Coherence correction adds zero latency as a normal insert in any host. It also costs $100 less.

The biggest difference is what happens to the timing of those microphones.

Auto-Align 2 automatically detects groups of related microphones and optimizes the time and phase relationships across all the tracks in each group. A Performance Time Track can set where the resulting group sits in time.

PhaseLock leaves your recorded timing alone by default. It corrects polarity and applies all-pass filters with the original arrival times intact. Time Alignment is a separate switch, and when you turn it on you choose what each track aligns to: the group reference, another track, or nothing.

What both plugins do

Both plugins analyze related microphone tracks, check polarity, and use frequency-dependent correction. A polarity flip fixes a simple inversion. A delay can move one mic closer to another in time. Frequency-dependent correction handles the part that neither of those tools can: phase differences that change across the frequency spectrum.

The frequency-dependent part is super important, because a kick mic and an overhead might look aligned in time, but still have cancellation in the low end. Time alignment does not equal phase coherence.

PhaseLock gives you a timing choice

We prefer the sound of drums with the original overhead and room timing intact. To our ears, moving overheads to arrive with the close mics can make a kit feel smaller. PhaseLock preserves that timing by default and lets you choose when to change it.

PhaseLock keeps Phase Coherence and Time Alignment separate. Analyze the group with Phase Coherence on and original timing intact. PhaseLock applies the polarity and all-pass correction automatically, with zero added latency as a normal insert in any host. Then turn on Time Alignment for a close-mic pair when you want a tighter arrival relationship.

This is the workflow we prefer for drums. Keep the room and overhead timing that makes the kit feel like a kit. Fix the phase relationship first. Move the close mics only when the song benefits from it.

What engineers heard

Many engineers on our reviews page say PhaseLock sounded better than Auto-Align 2 in their own sessions, describing fuller low end and less mushy transients.

“When comparing it against Auto-Align 2, it outperformed it—the transients felt less mushy, and the low end was much more present.”

Those are their listening impressions. The best test is your own tracks.

Price and licensing

PhaseLock is $99 for a perpetual license on two machines, or $6.99 a month if you would rather not pay upfront. It uses its own license key and does not require iLok. Auto-Align 2 costs $199 and uses iLok.

Which one should you buy?

Our pick for most buyers is PhaseLock: original timing preserved by default, control over what each track aligns to, and zero added latency with Phase Coherence as a normal insert in any host. It’s $99 perpetual or $6.99 a month, with no iLok. Read the engineer reviews, then try it on your own tracks.

Choose Auto-Align 2 if your priority is automatic grouping, one-click alignment, ARA2 support, or compatibility with an older Mac.