Wave Mastering LTD WIDENER

THE ART OF WIDENING, ENGINEERED FOR MASTERING WIDENER is a next‑generation stereo enhancement module designed for engineers who demand musical widening without compromise. Built on a mastering‑grade Mid/Sides architecture, it delivers width that stays stable, phase‑safe, and translation‑proof across every playback system - from club rigs to earbuds. Whether you’re shaping subtle spatial lift or bold modern width, WIDENER gives you total control with a clean, minimal interface and deeply considered DSP under the hood. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ WHO DESIGNED IT? Designed by Andy De Rosa, owner and Senior Mastering Engineer at Wave Mastering LTD, WIDENER is a plugin created to resolve real-world problems in mixing/post-production when someone wants a wider stereo. WIDENER solves the issues that plague most stereo‑widening tools. Many wideners introduce phase smear, transient wash, or unstable low‑end imaging, making mixes sound wider but less reliable across playback systems. Others rely on heavy‑handed modulation or aggressive side boosting that collapses in mono or distorts the original intent of the mix. WIDENER was built to avoid all of that - delivering width that is clean, stable, and translation‑safe, using a controlled mid–side architecture and phase‑safe decorrelation that preserves punch, clarity, and mono compatibility. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ WHY WIDENER EXISTS Most widening tools chase “big” at the expense of clarity, mono compatibility, and low‑end stability. WIDENER takes a different approach: it widens by reinforcing what’s already there, not inventing artificial stereo. The result is width that feels: Natural - no fake delays or phase tricks Stable - centre image stays locked Controlled - low‑end remains tight and punchy Mastering‑grade - predictable, repeatable, safe ______________________________________________________________________________________________ AT A GLANCE - CORE FEATURES Width Macro A single, intelligent macro that increases Sides relative to Mid with a carefully tuned curve. Designed for broad musicality, not gimmicks. Mid/Sides Metering Real‑time Mid/Sides metering shows exactly how your stereo field behaves. Perfect for mastering engineers who rely on visual confirmation. Mono Compatibility Mode Switch the main dial to Mono to hear a true collapse of your stereo image. The Sides are fully removed, giving you a reliable preview of how your widening translates on radio, club rigs, and streaming services. Saturation Non-linear saturation that adds Drive, Gain and Dry/Mix balance. Use this optional setting (bypassable) in conjunction with Oversampling. Note: This optional module lets you add harmonic saturation to your mix without altering stereo width. Simply leave the main control at its default “ORIGINAL” position and adjust Drive, Gain, and Dry/Mix to taste. In this mode, WIDENER behaves like a dedicated, tasteful saturation plugin, with none of the width‑related algorithms engaged. You can also disable the HPF and LPF filters to ensure that no processing is applied to the Sides signal. Oversampling Allows you to use oversampling capabilities together with non-linear processing (Saturation module). Apply oversampling all the way up to x32. Use only when necessary. High‑Pass and Low‑Pass Filters (Side‑Only Processing) The Widener’s filtering stage is designed specifically for mastering‑grade stereo control by shaping only the Side channel, leaving the Mid (centre) information completely untouched. The High‑Pass Filter removes low‑frequency content from the Side signal, tightening the stereo image below the cutoff and preventing wide, unstable bass. With a controllable Resonance parameter, you can adjust how sharp or smooth the transition is around the cutoff point, allowing anything from gentle low‑end narrowing to a more pronounced “edge” above the selected frequency. The Low‑Pass Filter performs the opposite role, gradually reducing high‑frequency width to maintain focus and avoid excessive stereo spread in the upper bands. Its Resonance control shapes the slope of the roll‑off, giving you a wide, natural taper or a more defined cutoff depending on the material. Output Trim Clean gain staging after widening. Keep your chain predictable and controlled. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ DESIGNED FOR EVERYONE, BUT WITH MASTERING ENGINEERS IN MIND WIDENER is built around the principles you already work with daily: Predictability - No surprises when printing Translation - Works everywhere, not just in headphones Minimalism - Only the controls that matter Clarity - No confusing stereo tricks or pseudo‑width Speed - Dial in width in seconds, not minutes