Stereo widening plugin

[Davide]

I've been experimenting with the Nugen Stereoizer plugin on my listening system for a few days.
Sometimes I happen to switch Dirac Live off and although the frequency response gets worse, as does the definition, the soundstage is always bigger and more exciting maybe.
So I wanted to try to apply a plugin to widen the stereo width, and found Stereoizer as the best in terms of quality and tweaking.
After several attempts I found a correct level of application, and the soundstage has now gone from being limited to the two speakers to a bigger and diffuse area.
Much more enjoyable to listen to now.
What do you think of this trick?
Is there anyone else who applies it?

 

[jsrtheta]

I've been experimenting with the Nugen Stereoizer plugin on my listening system for a few days.
Sometimes I happen to switch Dirac Live off and although the frequency response gets worse, as does the definition, the soundstage is always bigger and more exciting maybe.
So I wanted to try to apply a plugin to widen the stereo width, and found Stereoizer as the best in terms of quality and tweaking.
After several attempts I found a correct level of application, and the soundstage has now gone from being limited to the two speakers to a bigger and diffuse area.
Much more enjoyable to listen to now.
What do you think of this trick?
Is there anyone else who applies it?

Sounds like the old crosstalk cancellation scheme.

 

[tifune]

Sounds like the old crosstalk cancellation scheme.

Was just about to reply similarly. I don't know the state of stereo widening tech these days, or if it has progressed at all in recent years, but uBACCH is some of the best $ I've ever spent in this hobby. If I had the time, I'd switch my setup to Mac for the full BACCH4MAC experience

 

[DJNX]

You should use a multiband stereo imager, in order to leave the lower frequencies untouched and only widen the mid and high frequencies.
Personally, I think upmixing is a vastly better solution.

 

[DVDdoug]

I don't know anything about this particular effect, but you can often get side-effects with this kind of thing. Occasionally "widening" is used in audio production but in that situation it can be "tweaked" for the particular track, and it might be a single instrument in a multitrack recording.

I think it's a "gimmick" but I like to use a "Hall" or "Theater" when playing regular stereo on my surround system and that's a bit of a gimmick too.

...You can get a "widening" effect by reversing the polarity of the connections to one speaker, making it out-of-phase with the other. But then the bass cancels and you get a weird "spacey" effect so it's just something "fun to play with" if you've never tried it before. (You can also invert one channel in Audacity or other audio editor.)

 

[jsrtheta]

Was just about to reply similarly. I don't know the state of stereo widening tech these days, or if it has progressed at all in recent years, but uBACCH is some of the best $ I've ever spent in this hobby. If I had the time, I'd switch my setup to Mac for the full BACCH4MAC experience

Stereo Review used to advertise the machine I know. I bought one for about $75, IIRC.

Sounded amazing, but the thrill wore off quickly. Then it just sounded gimmicky.

 

[dasdoing]

try this free clone of Katz's plugin: http://dallashodgson.info/articles/OpenAmbienceProject/

it might be a little harder to set up, but you have a lot of control and no weird phasing which often happens with stereo widners.
In general with these: less is more

 

[jsrtheta]

try this free clone of Katz's plugin: http://dallashodgson.info/articles/OpenAmbienceProject/

it might be a little harder to set up, but you have a lot of control and no weird phasing which often happens with stereo widners.
In general with these: less is more

Thanks for the link. My computer and my stereo, however, are discrete systems. Ne'er the twain shall meet.

 

[Speedskater]

Or you could use a "mid-side matrix" circuit or editing function.

 

[Philbo King]

You should use a multiband stereo imager, in order to leave the lower frequencies untouched and only widen the mid and high frequencies.
Personally, I think upmixing is a vastly better solution.

I have one of these, though I don't use it. I thought it might prove useful for specialized mastering work, but I decided to stick with a more 'sound purity' approach. They don't make them any more, but can be found on ebay. It allows adjustable widening of the mids & highs and adjustable subharmonic generation for the lows. A weird gizmo.

Kosmos® V2 - Peavey Electronics Corporation

Second generation sub harmonic and stereo enhancement system drastically improves the listening experience in any space-with any sound system. Replace lost atmosphere and stereo separation as well as that kick in the gut bass that gets lost in the normal system chain.

peavey.com

 

[Davide]

Thanks for your answers.
I'm asking myself, why would the Dirac correction reduce the stereo effect? Shouldn't it be the other way around?

 

[LTig]

I've been experimenting with the Nugen Stereoizer plugin on my listening system for a few days.
Sometimes I happen to switch Dirac Live off and although the frequency response gets worse, as does the definition, the soundstage is always bigger and more exciting maybe.
So I wanted to try to apply a plugin to widen the stereo width, and found Stereoizer as the best in terms of quality and tweaking.
After several attempts I found a correct level of application, and the soundstage has now gone from being limited to the two speakers to a bigger and diffuse area.
Much more enjoyable to listen to now.
What do you think of this trick?
Is there anyone else who applies it?

Sometimes I use the stereo widener (analog) in an old Behringer Ultrafex Pro if a recording has a small soundstage.

 

[dasdoing]

Thanks for your answers.
I'm asking myself, why would the Dirac correction reduce the stereo effect? Shouldn't it be the other way around?

Some perceive phase correction as a reduction in wideness. This is not really happening though. What really is happening is that there is more clarity in the phantom center; it becomes less smeared. The sides are not becoming narrower.
You should be able to train your ears to focus on the "ambiance" to perceive wideness and also perceive the clarity in the center. That should correct your perception that wideness was reduced.

 

[RosalieTheDog]

Thanks for your answers.
I'm asking myself, why would the Dirac correction reduce the stereo effect? Shouldn't it be the other way around?

I have the same experience. Switching Dirac on the left and right are blended much more precisely in a stereo image between the speakers (which in my case happens to coïncide with the rectangle that is the TV). However the sound can still seem to come from outside of that box, as is evident with audio cues in film that occur "off-screen": a character walks of the scene to the left, and his footsteps are heard "beyond" the left speaker, etc.

 

[dasdoing]

I created this once to check the center clarity:

read the description. the minuscule panning at the end should be much clearer after a phase correction.
I should have used pink noise though