SideMinder 2

Dynamic Stereo Width Maximizer

Big, wide stereo mixes can sound great, but they can become problematic when played in mono on a single speaker. This issue arises when the left and right channels have out-of-phase signals that cancel each other out in mono. Many stereo enhancers can make this problem worse by pushing the channels even further out of phase, causing negative correlation on meters. If your stereo mix registers in the negative range on a correlation meter, it means that parts of the signal will cancel in mono, which is not good.

SideMinder 2 is designed to address this stereo imaging problem. It's the second generation of the dynamic stereo width enhancer plugin, capable of expanding the stereo width without risking polarity inversion. SideMinder 2 'listens' to the stereo material using correlation detectors and dynamically narrows the stereo image when negative correlation occurs, ensuring mono compatibility.

This effect can't be achieved with typical 'mid/side' compression techniques, and SideMinder doesn't alter the overall signal dynamics (it's a 'differential limiter,' not a dynamic range limiter). By visualizing and hearing what SideMinder is doing to the signal, you can make better mixing and mastering choices for the best sound on any system.

SideMinder 2's width enhancer section also includes a 'Bass Mono' control that narrows the stereo image below a chosen frequency, which is crucial when mastering for vinyl. Even when SideMinder 2's processing is bypassed, the Output Correlation meter provides a visual indication of the plugin's effect on the signal before and after processing.