« Audio spreader »

Stereo spreaders are great, assuming you use them for the right kind of music and use them sparingly. Explaining exactly how the plugin works is pretty difficult, but it basically turns something mono into a stereo effect. It's not quite the same as a true stereo sound that was recorded twice, but it gets a similar effect. The plugin laid out great and isn't too terribly hard to use. It has the following features: gain adjustment, width, shuffle, frequency, input mode selection, left/right phase, input channel swap, bass trim, asymmetry, rotation, output mode adjustment, output meter and more. To use this plugin, simply enable it on whatever buss you want to have that stereo effect on and start tuning it. The plugin is simple enough to where you shouldn't need to read the manual, but Waves manuals are very helpful if you do decide to read it.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

Waves plugins have always been some of the most stable plugins I've experienced. They're cross platform compatible, so they'll work with both PCs and Macs. As a Mac user, that's a huge advantage for someone like me. They run in 32 bit mode, but Logic uses a wrapper-like application that runs so you don't interfere with your 64 bit interface. I've tried this on various different buses, and it seems to work on anything with ease. It even works nicely on MIDI, which I found a bit surprising. There are no performance issues at all, and that's a huge plus when working in a DAW filled with all kinds of synths and tracks running tons of plugins. These plugins came with my Mercury package, and I've had that for a few months now.

OVERALL OPINION

In the past, I used to really abuse these stereo imaging plugins, and it would always add this very bizarre high end to a mix. I've since calmed down on that, but I still use it from time to time for a certain effect. I know some people really like it on drums and vocals. I recommend not using something like this for guitar or bass, but if you mess with it just right, it might work...