Stereo widener like izotope

[Kinh]

Need a stereo widener for hi hats that pushes the image up rather than to sides like the izotope one. Izotope plugins are virtuality unusable for me. They kill my cpu like nothing else can.

[teilo]

Fielder Stage or dearVR Music. Both at Plugin Alliance.

[heavymetalmixer]

Need a stereo widener for hi hats that pushes the image up rather than to sides like the izotope one. Izotope plugins are virtuality unusable for me. They kill my cpu like nothing else can.

If it is for widening or narrowing certain frequency ranges, basically any EQ with Mid/Side processing can do it: While working on the Sides boosting makes that frequency range wider, cutting makes itr narrower. While working on the Mid it's the opposite, boosting makes the frequency range narrower and cutting makes it wider.

There are many EQs that can process Mid/Side and there's even 3 free ones I like: TDR NOVA, Melda MEqualizer and Lkjb QRange (make sure to use QRange's Latency on None and Low Distortion in Process Mode).

[808lab]

Try SPL vitalizer,is life

[Daimonicon]

the first sign of an amateur is....stereo widening. Pro mixers will tell anyone to not use a stereo widener plugin. Except maybe for a special effect. If you want something to sound bigger, make something else smaller.

[Daimonicon]

Need a stereo widener for hi hats that pushes the image up rather than to sides like the izotope one. Izotope plugins are virtuality unusable for me. They kill my cpu like nothing else can.

If it is for widening or narrowing certain frequency ranges, basically any EQ with Mid/Side processing can do it: While working on the Sides boosting makes that frequency range wider, cutting makes itr narrower. While working on the Mid it's the opposite, boosting makes the frequency range narrower and cutting makes it wider.

There are many EQs that can process Mid/Side and there's even 3 free ones I like: TDR NOVA, Melda MEqualizer and Lkjb QRange (make sure to use QRange's Latency on None and Low Distortion in Process Mode).

Mid/side, leave it for the mastring. Using m/s is another sure way to ruin a mix.

[Kinh]

the first sign of an amateur is....stereo widening. Pro mixers will tell anyone to not use a stereo widener plugin. Except maybe for a special effect. If you want something to sound bigger, make something else smaller.

hahaha..I got a good laugh out of this so thanks.

btw, April fools is still a few weeks away.

[TIMT]

Need a stereo widener for hi hats that pushes the image up rather than to sides like the izotope one. Izotope plugins are virtuality unusable for me. They kill my cpu like nothing else can.

If it is for widening or narrowing certain frequency ranges, basically any EQ with Mid/Side processing can do it: While working on the Sides boosting makes that frequency range wider, cutting makes itr narrower. While working on the Mid it's the opposite, boosting makes the frequency range narrower and cutting makes it wider.

There are many EQs that can process Mid/Side and there's even 3 free ones I like: TDR NOVA, Melda MEqualizer and Lkjb QRange (make sure to use QRange's Latency on None and Low Distortion in Process Mode).

That's not how the Ozone Imager works though. It's basically the Haas effect but the delay kernel/tap is non-linear in terms of frequency .you could probably get something similar with an allpass filter split into bands, with a sample delay with unlinked left and right like PHA-979 for instance on each band add an MSED to each band and you can boost the difference more if you so wish. I guess that's not exactly the quick and accessible solution that Ozone Imager is though

About 80% of the mixes i get these days that are completely f**ked are mostly cause of stereo difference abuse though.

[Ploki]

Melda MStereoProcessor is the most similar to iZotope.
For stereoizing, LeapWing StageOne (Or CenterOne), NUGEN Stereoizer, Voxengo Spatifier. Or just get creative with a non-modulated phaser.

That's not how the Ozone Imager works though. It's basically the Haas effect but the delay kernel/tap is non-linear in terms of frequency .you could probably get something similar with an allpass filter split into bands, with a sample delay with unlinked left and right like PHA-979 for instance on each band add an MSED to each band and you can boost the difference more if you so wish. I guess that's not exactly the quick and accessible solution that Ozone Imager is though

About 80% of the mixes i get these days that are completely f**ked are mostly cause of stereo difference abuse though.

iZotope Ozone Imager has two stereoizing algorithms.

Also yes, f**ked stereo image is shit. Heard a local pro use broadband Haas on the master bus

[jochicago]

stereo widener [] that pushes the image up rather than to sides

You are not asking for a stereo widener. Pushing to the sides is the point. If that's not what you want you need something else.

A stereo widener is putting effects on the side info to make it more rich so it stands out more. It's typically time-based effects, but they might also add saturation and such. Ultimately, you are just overcooking the sides with effects to make the whole thing feel like there was more side info than was really there, so it feels wider.

Alternatively, lifting a true stereo track with a M/S processor means you lift what is really there even if it's a bit weak. It won't sound as powerful/rich as a widener but can sound cleaner and natural.

It can get tricky to do all of this and keep it sounding natural and not mess something else up. The v1 of Izotope Widener was criticized for smearing the lows. Izotope tried to address that criticism with the new algo in V2 (also free). The pro version that comes with Ozone reveals the bands so you can decide how much to apply to each band and you can remove it altogether form the lows if that's your thing. But the way it comes in Imager 2 (free) is already their best all-purpose recipe for easy 1-slider widening. You are not going to get anything much better than that, maybe something different or with more control, but not better.

Having said all of that, my 2 preferred wideners are:
- When going for time effects: Izotope Imager 2 (the free one, even though I own the paid one)
https://www.izotope.com/en/products/ozone-imager.html

- when going for M/S treatment: PA BX Saturator 2
https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/prod ... or_v2.html

The PA plugin keeps things cleaner, but you can still get good thickness from the saturation options. And the built-in mono-maker means no concern for messing up the lows. It looks complicated on first inspection but it's fairly simple. You are splitting the stereo track into 5 parts: the mono at the bottom, then 2 bands each for side and mid. This way, you can decide how you want the track to feel by placing those 5 parts and deciding how much to saturate each.

[ricowave202]

the first sign of an amateur is....stereo widening. Pro mixers will tell anyone to not use a stereo widener plugin. Except maybe for a special effect. If you want something to sound bigger, make something else smaller.

I've seen extremely accomplished pros use Ozone Imager for widening on individual tracks.

[dionenoid]

Polyverse Widener. Free but widely used

And if you have Cubase 11 : The new multiband Imager is very good.

[pixel85]

Heard a local pro use broadband Haas on the master bus

Im seriously impressed
Probably learned that from another YouTube pro music broducer who also use 96dB HPF on every channel by default

[pixel85]

I'm not sure if any stereo widener / m/s can do what you want.
The simplest way to push something forward is to add more high frequencies and turn up the volume. Also turning reverb down.

Majority of stereo wideners, due to it's nature (m/s balance), can't do much to hihats which are mono and if hihats are stereo then most likely reverb will be pushed forward.

Different kind of a beast are pseudo-stereo effects which are very dangerous and better to avoid them qt all costs.