Additionally A1StereoControl brings you the possibility to place your stereo signal inside the stereo field in a very intuitive way. The expert mode features different pan laws (0db, -3db, -6db), different pan curves (linear, logarithmic, sin/cos) as well as classic balance mode or dual panning. Expand or limit stereo wideness (from 0% to 200%). Waves Audio’s S1 Stereo Imager can do pretty much everything that you’d expect from a basic stereo imaging plugin. However, S1 Stereo Imager’s focus seems to be on widening and narrowing rather than dealing with phase issues. Nonetheless, it is a dependable plugin for most stereo imaging purposes. Where to apply the S1 Imager. Where the「S1 Imager」is applied is crucial. For example, placing it after a「Reverb」allows you to control the reverb space. By placing it before the「Reverb」, the reverb effect itself wont be effected by the「S1 Imager」. Find which works better for your sound, and try out different placements.
Last Updated on December 15, 2020.
When it comes to producinghigh-quality music, knowing how to deal with the stereo image of your song isessential.
I found a couple stereo imaging/expanderplugins which are awesome, and some of them are even free!
Let’s get started…
Best Commercial Stereo Imaging plugins
Here are four stereo enhancerplugins which I think are awesome, plus they are very affordable as well.
S1 Stereo Imager by Waves ($39.99)
Waves is probably the best-known company when it comes tohigh-quality plugins.
One of their more useful -and yet overlooked- plugins is theS1 Stereo Imager which is excellent for widening or narrowing the stereo image ofyour mixes, as well as correcting or enhancing stereo, or even a mid-sideimage.
Features
- Enhances stereo spatial effect.
- Remixing and rebalancing existing stereo mixesfor remastering.
- Retains mono compatibility.
- Avoids phasiness effects.
- No alterations of tonal quality; no unwantedadded effects.
- Simply brings out what is already there in thestereo mix.
You can find out more about the S1 Stereo Imager here.
Pro Q by FabFilter ($160)
Despite being an EQ plugin, thePRO Q also has a stereo imaging function which you can access by changing thechannel mode to mid-side.
This will allow you to EQ in a stereo fashion; If you putthe PRO Q on your output you can then, and in most cases should, cut the lowend on the side channel.
This will give you an increased perception of the low-end inthe mid channel, which is where the bass, and other instruments that live inthat low-end, should be.
Stereo Imager Plugin
It’s also very useful for creating room for other elementsof the mix that are in the middle and need to stand out more.
Simply cut the frequencies of that element on the side channelto make it pop out more in the middle.
This is seriously one of the best ways to give your mixes asense of space and making room for the important elements.
You can find out more about Pro Q here.
Doubler by Waves ($29)
Doubler is a simple yet powerful double-tracking plugin that allows you to add additional voicing to any track.
Additionally, you can control the placement of said tracksin a 90-degree stereo field.
This means that you can have individual control over thestereo placement, modulation, tuning, and gain of each single track, giving youloads of possibilities over the sound of them.
It can even work as a tremolo or chorus effect, depending onhow much or how little modulation and tuning you apply.
Features
- Double-tracking / chorus plugin
- Add shimmer and presence
- Create the ‘80s harmonizer and pitch detuneeffects
- Double vocal parts automatically
- Add flam-like effects to drums
Find out more about Doubler here.
Panpot by Goodhertz ($49)
This plugin was founded on the principles of how humansperceive different sound sources; that is, to identify the size, location, anddistance of a sound in space.
They manage to mimic these conditions by introducing threenew types of panning;
Delay, Spectral, and Phase.
Now, we all know how traditional panning works; we turn theknob left or right and it pans the source to either of the sides.
Panpot allows us to do much more “realistic” panning, if wewant to, or even create something completely “unrealistic”.
If you truly want to be able to take your panning skills toa new level, then Panpot is an absolute must.
Find out more about Panpot here.
Free Stereo Imaging Plugins
Despite being free, all of these plugins are excellent, andI mean excellent!
Make sure to check them out!
Ozone Imager 2 by iZotope
Like all other iZotope plugins, the Ozone Imager is a veryvisual plugin since it features a vectorscope which meters your stereo widthand allows you to literally see if the left and right channels are lining upproperly.
It also comes with the “Steorize” function which allows youto turn mono into stereo, with no need for reverb or doubling.
It can be used as a subtle enhancement or for creating afull blown-out phasing effect.
Lastly, you can control how wide or narrow every element ofthe mix is; Do you want to spread out a narrow-sounding synth? Ozone Imager cando that.
You can download it here.
Wider by Polyverse Music (Free)
This is a simple free plugin that widens your stereo signal…
The added benefit of Wider is that it does this withoutcausing phase issues when you listen to the mix in mono because any widenedsignal will always remain in phase.
It’s extremely easy to use because you can only control oneparameter; the width.
And that’s it!
It creates a much wider stereo feel and it doesn’t mess withthe phase at all!
Excellent plugin that I absolutely recommend!
You can download it here.
A1Stereo Control by Alex Hilton (Free)
Often times you’d want to give your mixes a wider andexpansive sound…
This is where A1Stereo Control comes in.
One issue does normally arise when doing this using otherplugins which is “widening the bass end”, since the bass should always be inthe center.
However, this plugin comes with the “Safe Bass” algorithmwhich centers everything below a user-configurable value.
This gives your tracks the solidity and definition you wantwhile preserving maximum transparency and sharpness.
Simply turn on “Safe Bass” and adjust the frequency ifneeded and that’s it… It’s really that simple.
Stereo Imager Free
You can download it here.
Conclusion
This is one of those cases where the premium plugins aren’t necessarilythat much better than the free ones.
I think most people will be more than happy with any of thefree stereo wideners I listed.
The only premium plugin I would absolutely recommend overall the others is Panpot.
I hope this information was useful.
Have a wonderful day!
Psycho-acoustic spatial imaging processor, ideal for stereo tracks as well as full mixes, the S-1 is a unique and powerful set of tools that uses psycho-acoustic spatial imaging techniques to enhance and alter stereo separation.
Ideal for stereo tracks as well as full mixes, the S1 is a unique and powerful set of tools that uses psycho-acoustic spatial imaging techniques to enhance and alter stereo separation.
- Shuffler, Imager, and MS Matrix components
PC
- Windows 10 (64 bit)
- Intel Core i5 / i7 / i9 / Xeon / AMD Quad-Core
- 8 GB Ram
- Host Programm required: VST, AAX native, 64-bit, or SoundGrid System
- Please check for details and latest information HERE !!!
S1 Stereo Imager Vst Free
Mac
- Mac OS Sierra 10.13.6, 10.14.6, 10.15.7
- Intel Core i5 / i7 / i9 / Xeon
- 8 GB Ram
- Host Programm required: Audiosuite, VST, AAX native, 64-bit, or SoundGrid System
- Please check for details and latest information HERE !!!
Demo version
7 days demo licenses are available HERE (registration and activation required!)
Bundle / Product Content
All Plug-Ins, Collections and Bundles include the identical content/version as described on www.waves.com. As the content/version might be extended by the supplier from time to time, our descriptions might not be up to date in rare cases.
Product activation:
An internet connection is required to authorize / activate the product.