MSW2

After the soaring success of our MSW1 single band mono maker and stereo expander, SoundSpot decided it was time to give this hugely popular plugin a new lease of life. With that in mind, they started the development of the MSW2.

The new MSW2 is a complete overhaul in terms of code, interface & creativity, it can be used both subtly for better mixes, or pushed to the extreme to achieve a host of creative possibilities in the stereo field.

Below are the new features of this versatile, lightweight and creative update found in the MSW2!

Features

• Intuitive, easy to navigate user interface.
• Designed to work flawlessly with touch controllers such as the Raven by Slate Media.
• Advanced Fourier Transform Stereo Analysis
• 2 Band Stereo Enhancement
• 2 Band Mono Collapse
• 2 Band Variable Slope Crossover network  (12dB, 24dB, 48dB and 96dB per octave)
• 2 Band Creative LFO

Stereo Width Display

The stereo width graph shows you the real-time stereo width of your track, over a frequency range of 20Hz to 20kHz. It uses a short-time fourier transform to continuously analyze and compare the amount of mid and side information in your track, plotting the stereo width independent of your track’s volume. 

Because the fourier transform has much less resolution in the low end than in the high end, the graph gets more accurate as you move up along the frequency spectrum, just like other fourier based graphs like the spectrum analyzer of an EQ, or the spectrogram of a restoration plug-in. 

Getting a visual representation of how the stereo information in your track is distributed over the frequency spectrum, allows you to identify any frequency ranges or mix elements that need their stereo image adjusted, and gives you more control over your mix as a whole.

Dual Band Stereo Enhancer & Mono Maker

The MSW2 has received a complete overhaul in our stereo enhancer and mono maker algorithm, and now includes 2 independent bands which allow you to alter the stereo information based on frequency crossover.

This allows you greater control of the stereo field, resulting in tighter mixes.

2 Band Variable Slope Crossover Network

The MSW2 features a variable slope control ranging from 12dB to 96dB per octave, that allows you to specify how quickly one band transitions into the other, and can be set by dragging the handles on the main frequency crossover with the crossover graphic changing to reflect you new setting.

As this feature uses a total of 32 filters, it is best to set and forget this parameter, as automation may result in a clicking effect. It was possible for us to smooth the clicks, however, the increase in CPU usage proved too great to warrant including smoothing the crossover network's slope and frequency in the final product.

2 Band Creative LFO

Whilst developing the MSW2, we found that great effects could be achieved by altering the stereo width over time. With this discovery, we decided that the plugin should feature a synced LFO control, allowing you to achieve these effects without the need to write automation lanes in your DAW.

The LFO itself has 2 bands, one for upper frequencies and one for lower. Once an LFO is activated, an orange arrow is enabled on the Imaging panel, which allows you to set the start position of the LFO.

System Requirements

macOS:

• 10.12 – 10.15 (older OS versions may work but are not tested)

Plugin Formats:

• VST
• VST3
• AU
• AAX (Pro Tools 11.0.2 or higher)

Windows

• Windows 7, 8 or 10 (32 & 64-bit)

Plugin Formats: 

• VST
• VST3
• AAX (Pro Tools 11.0.2 or higher)

Specification Requirements:

• RAM: 8 GB RAM or more is recommended. Plus at least 8 GB hard disk space for installation.
• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo, AMD Athlon 64 X2 or newer.
• Formats: In theory any 32 or 64-bit VST, VST3, AU, or AAX compatible host application should work.
• Licensing: Internet access for activating licence key. Please ensure any outgoing connection blockers are deactivated.
• Sample Rates: Supported sample rates: 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4 and 192 kHz, in both mono and stereo.