Stereo Imaging Plugins: Larger Than Life
We look at some of the best stereo imaging plugins for music production, mixing, sound design, and mastering in your DAW-based workflow.
Key Facts about Stereo Imaging Plugins:
- Stereo imaging processors can alter the perceived stereo width of audio signals or the spatial placement within a mix. They can enhance the width and depth of a mix, making it more engaging for the listener without affecting the volume balance.
- Stereo imaging plugins use a range of methods, such as mid-side processing, phase modification, and frequency-based widening, to target different areas of the stereo field.
- Overuse of stereo widening can lead to phase and mono compatibility issues, so always check your results in mono within the context of the mix you’re working on.
- Stereo enhancement can be used on elements such as backing vocals, synths, reverb buses, and other stereo effects returns, while the low frequencies contained within the kick and bass are kept more central to preserve the impact.
In this Article:
Stereo enhancement processors are essential in today’s music production landscape, allowing producers and engineers to reshape the width and depth of a mix and exaggerate its spatial characteristics. We can use these plugins subtly for separation and clarity or more drastically to make elements jump out of the mix intentionally.
Stereo Imaging Plugins: iZotope Ozone Imager
The iZotope Ozone Imager comes in a free version with a basic feature set designed to give you a taste of the more advanced version that comes with Ozone Standard and Ozone Advanced. The free version has three different visualization modes, two stereoizer modes, and controls for the width and stereoization amount.
Even if you don’t plan on upgrading to the full version of Ozone, this free imager plugin has all the basic controls to get you started, and it uses the same high-quality processing algorithms as the full version. Of course, Ozone is one of the most widely used plugin suites for mixing and mastering, so it’s been tried and tested by professionals.
In the full version, the features are expanded with multiband processing. This gives you four adjustable bands that can be linked or independently controlled to target specific areas of the frequency spectrum. What’s more, the Recover Sides control lets you preserve stereo information when you’re trying to narrow down a particular area. Get Ozone at Thomann.*
Stereo Imaging Plugins: Plugin Alliance SPL BiG
The SPL BiG is a popular hardware processor that is available in both 500-series and 19-inch rackmount formats, which Plugin Boutique has cleverly recreated as a plugin. The BiG uses three primary controls for stereo image processing, which are relatively intuitive and easy to use once you get your head around them.
With the Range control, you can adjust the filter and set the frequency range you’d like to process. Meanwhile, the Stage control affects the slope and bandwidth of the filter, which and push elements further forward or pull them back in the mix. The BiGness control is unique to SPL, and it blends the wet and dry signals to achieve the desired processing amount.
In addition, there is a mono maker filter, which you find on many Brainworx plugins, as well as a Bass switch that works in a similar way to the SPL IRON compressor’s AirBass enhancer circuit. Overall, the BiG plugin offers both precision and an interface that is simple enough for anyone to understand stereo image processing. Get it at Thomann.*
The SPL BiG plugin is currently on sale until 31 May!
Stereo Imaging Plugins: Universal Audio Precision K-Stereo Ambience Recovery
The Precision K-Stereo Ambience Recovery plugin is a software version of Bob Katz’s stereo processing system. This plugin has been created exclusively for the UAD platform, which means you’ll need Apollo or Satellite DSP hardware to run it. Designed by the famous mastering engineer, Bob Katz, and Universal Audio, the Ambience Recovery plugin has been created for mixing and mastering applications.
The plugin uses principles of the Haas effect and other psychoacoustic fundamentals to do stereo enhancement that is both transparent and phase accurate. Rather than colouring the sound, this accentuates the early reflections and ambience within a recording, adding depth and width without affecting the mid-side ratio.
The Recovery control determines the amount of processing, and you can use the Deep and Wide functions to enhance different aspects of the sound. Meanwhile, you can also sculpt the effect with the filter section and use the mid-side controls for balance. Overall, the Ambience Recovery plugin is especially effective for enhancing acoustic recordings. Get it at Thomann.*
Stereo Imaging Plugins: NUGEN Audio Stereoizer
NUGEN Audio has a range of stereo processing tools, including the Stereoizer stereo enhancer and the Stereoplacer for frequency-based stereo placement, and both of these have simplified Elements versions that provide basic feature sets at more affordable prices. The idea behind the Stereoizer is to be able to enhance and widen the stereo without losing any mono compatibility.
The Stereoizer processing algorithms are adaptive and use the sonic characteristics of the input signal and the human ear’s natural width perception for enhancement. These processes, such as the IID (Interaural Intensity Difference), ITD (Interaural Time Difference), and Linear Width, have separate controls, so you have more flexibility.
Stereoizer works in a phase-coherent way, without adding chorusing or artificial reverb, and you always have the option to check the sound in mono whenever required. Overall, Stereoizer is ideal for mixing, post-production, and sound design applications, whether you want to widen stereo sounds or convert mono signals into stereo naturally. Get it at Thomann.*
Stereo Imaging Plugins: Leapwing StageOne
StageOne is a top-of-the-line stereo imaging processor from Leapwing Audio that provides detailed control over the width and depth of the stereo field. The plugin divides the processing across three bands with two adjustable crossover points to target the processing precisely for specific types of material.
With this kind of flexibility, it makes it possible to use StageOne in music production, mixing, sound design, or mastering. Each of the processing stages can be bypassed, which makes it easy to hear how the processing is working, as well as see it visually. This includes width and depth controls, which can be used to enhance or lessen these respective aspects.
In addition, there is phase correction per band, mono spread, and a gravity center panning module for shifting the body of a signal between the left and right channels. Overall, StageOne is a high-precision processor with a feature set that makes it suitable for a wide range of applications. Get it at Thomann.*
FAQs:
1. What do stereo imaging plugins do?
Stereo imaging plugins control the perceived stereo width of sounds and their placement within the stereo field, for creating wider mixes with more depth.
2. Can stereo imaging plugins improve mix clarity?
Yes. With optimized stereo placement and enhancement, we can create separation between the elements in a mix. This also reduces frequency masking and improves the overall depth.
3. Do stereo imaging plugins cause phase issues?
This can happen through excessive processing. Too much stereo widening can cause issues with phase and mono compatibility, which can be avoided by diligently checking the sound in mono.
4. Which sounds benefit most from stereo imaging?
Elements like synth pads, backing vocals, and ambient effects can benefit from stereo enhancement, while low-end elements are often kept more central.
5. Are stereo imaging plugins useful during mastering?
Yes. Mastering engineers use stereo widening subtly to increase perceived width and add a finishing touch, although practiced restraint is often necessary to preserve the overall balance and mono compatibility.
More about Stereo Imaging Plugins:
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