If you’re looking to jump straight to the answer, for most CENTER by Waves is best option for a stereo imaging plugin!
Being a mixing engineer brings different sets of challenges but one that comes around fairly often is the lack of space in a mix. You can change the panning all day for your tracks without opening up any space and getting the room you need to breathe. That’s where a stereo widener can help out a lot.
There are a couple ways to use these on your tracks both on individual channels as well as final mix busses.
One method I found recently actually included a widener from this list, the Center from Waves. In it they have 2 busses, one with the Center plugin pushing the mix far out and the other holding it in the center. With this you can mix the 2 busses together to get the perfect blend.
Top Stereo Widening Plugins To Consider Adding To Your Daw
- CENTER by Waves
- Sidewinder by JST
- Microshift by Soundtoys
- Ozone Imager by iZotope
- Wider by Polyverse
- Magic Stereo by Singomakers
To check out the video where I learned this and see the more in depth explanations click here.
Best Stereo Widening Plugins
Here in no particular order are our choices for the best stereo widening plugins.
1. CENTER – Waves
As we mentioned before there is a really cool way to implement this into your mix to give it a full sound. Waves made a great choice for engineers everywhere when it comes to bringing out the true width of their mix.
- Who’s it for? All Levels of Experience
- Price: $149
- DAW Support: All popular DAWs supported, good for Ableton
System Requirements:
| Mac | Windows | |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM 8 GB free disk space on the system drive | 8 GB RAM 8 GB free disk space on the system drive |
| Operating System | 10.12.6-10.15 | Windows 10 64 bit |
2. Sidewidener – JST
JST is known for their affinity for rock and metal plugins and have been rising in popularity since their creation. The Sidewinder is one of the less glamorous plugins they make, but without a doubt it is an important one.
- Who’s it for? Rock and Metal producers wanting to control their width
- Price: $49
- DAW Support: All popular DAWs supported, good for Logic
System Requirements:
| Mac | Windows | |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM 8 GB free disk space on the system drive | 8 GB RAM 8 GB free disk space on the system drive |
| Operating System | 10.10 – Latest 32 & 64 bit | Windows 10 32 & 64 bit |
3. Microshift – Soundtoys
Soundtoys likes to reference the past with a twist of modernity. With the Microshift, you can not only give your tracks the spread you need but also incorporate some chorus effects. Soundtoys is great at taking simplicity and making it professional.
- Who’s it for? Producers looking for a natural, almost analog effect
- Price: $129
- DAW Support: All popular DAWs supported, good for Pro Tools
System Requirements:
| Mac | Windows | |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM 8 GB free disk space on the system drive | 8 GB RAM 8 GB free disk space on the system drive |
| Operating System | 10.10 or later | Windows 7 or later |
4. Ozone Imager – iZotope
As always I love to throw iZotope in with their amazing products. With the Ozone Imager, you can adjust the width with an in depth visual representation of what you are working with sonically. Alan Meyerson, who mixed the Dark Knight and Gladiator movies, will use it not only on his mastering chain but individual channels as well.
- Who’s it for? All Skill Levels
- Price: Free
- DAW Support: All popular DAWs supported, good for Cubase
System Requirements:
| Mac | Windows | |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM8 GB free disk space on the system drive | 8 GB RAM8 GB free disk space on the system drive |
| Operating System | 10.11.6-10.15 | Windows 7 – 10 |
5. Wider – Polyverse
Wider is a great tool especially when it comes to electronic music. It has a certain sound that just blends better with electronic sounds over those of analog. It makes sure to keep itself aligned in phase with itself so as not to have any phase cancellation.
- Who’s it for? Beginners and Producers on a budget
- Price: Free
- DAW Support: All popular DAWs supported, good for Reason
System Requirements:
| Mac | Windows | |
| Memory | 4 GB RAM | 4 GB RAM |
| Operating System | 10.12.6-10.15 | Windows 10 64 bit |
6. Magic Stereo – Singomakers
Beyond this plugin having an overall badass looking user interface, the Magic Stereo plugin can improve your mixes immensely. I’ve seen Singomakers put out some fantastic sample packs, but now I see that they can create some awesome plugins as well. And with these presets, Magic Stereo is a breeze to set up.
- Who’s it for? Beginners and Producers looking for a quick fix
- Price: $39.00
- DAW Support: All popular DAWs supported, good for FL Studio
System Requirements:
| Mac | Windows | |
| Memory | 4 GB RAM | 4 GB RAM |
| Operating System | 10.6 and later | Windows 7 and later |
What To Look For When Choosing a Widening Plugin
When we make our lists we try to find plugins that will best match different types of skill sets and styles. Here is a quick look into the aspects that we take into account when we chose the best stereo widening plugins.
Pricing
Pricing is one aspect that is not as big an issue when it comes to widening plugins. You can find some top end choices available for low prices and sometimes even free.
Compatibility – System Requirements
As with any game or program, you want to make sure your computer can run the plugins. You need to look at the specs given on the producer’s website and compare it with your own computer’s abilities.
DAW Compatibility
Very few times will you ever see a plugin that cannot work on every major DAW available. But it can happen occasionally especially with VST’s.
Frequency of Use
You want to know that this will not be a one and done plugin. Widening plugins are the unknown answer to many mixing questions, and I did not even discover them for myself until a few years into working with audio.
Skill Level
Skill level is an important piece to think about. However, with the amount of tutorials and manuals available, you can get one that is out of your skill level and use that opportunity to grow your knowledge.
Expand Your Creativity
When it comes to creating a better mix you have to think outside of the box. It may not be a new idea sometimes, but even just finding old methods of using plugins and techniques can make a huge difference in your final outcomes. Always checkout tutorials because you never know, you could find a better method than just slapping the plugin on the signal chain.
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Jarrett is a hardcore Lover-Jazz Lover-Rock Lover-Blues Lover-just a music lover. He has the hair to match — Jarrett and provides in-depth insight into all things guitar and music engineering.