Stereoid
A stereo upmixer, imager, and enhancer for wider, richer, fully mono-compatible tracks
Overview
Stereoid Light puts your stereo on steroids, distilling the core Stereoid processing into a streamlined upmixer, imager, and enhancer with a minimal interface.
It can transform a mono source into a wider, fuller stereo image and enhance existing stereo tracks without compromising mono compatibility. A carefully tuned combination of decorrelation, microtonal detuning, and delay adds width and depth to vocals, lead instruments, and full mixes.
Stereoid Light belongs to the SMARTLINE range: focused plugins that combine powerful DSP with direct, intuitive controls.
SPECIFICATIONS
- stereo upmixer, imager, and enhancer
- creates wider, fuller mono and stereo tracks
- psychoacoustic stereo processing
- preserves mono compatibility
- 64-bit internal precision
- highly optimized DSP code
- ultra-clean, transparent processing
- factory presets via DAW preset menu
- direct parameter value entry
- fully automatable
- mono or stereo in / stereo out
- HiDPI display support
- no hardware license dongle required
REQUIREMENTS
macOS 10.15 – macOS 26
Intel or Apple Silicon Mac
Compatible VST3 or AU host
Compatible VST3 or AU host
Windows 7 – Windows 11
64-bit OS
Compatible VST3 host
Compatible VST3 host
PLUG-IN FORMATS
VST3, AU
All plug-in formats are 64-bit only
MORE DETAILS
Stereoid Light draws on psychoacoustic principles—the mechanisms through which we perceive sound—to create a wide and enveloping stereo image. Its processing combines temporal decorrelation, the Haas effect, and microtonal detuning.
Temporal decorrelation reduces the similarity between signals over time. Starting from a mono source, it generates related signals that retain the character of the original while exhibiting different perceptual properties.
The Stereoid Light decorrelator is designed to remain spectrally transparent, preserving the tonal balance of the original source. This makes it suitable for both mixing and mastering applications.
When a signal and a slightly delayed version of it reach the listener within a short time interval, they are perceived as a single, wider sound rather than as two distinct events. This psychoacoustic phenomenon is commonly associated with the Haas effect.
However, conventional delay-based stereo widening can introduce phase cancellation and mono-compatibility problems. The Stereoid Light algorithm is specifically designed to avoid these issues while preserving full mono compatibility.
NEED MORE?
Its bigger brother, Stereoid, provides additional control over the decorrelator’s frequency response, low-frequency balance, and amount of micro-pitch shifting. It also includes tube-style saturation.
SMARTLINE
SMARTLINE plugins combine advanced DSP algorithms with intuitive, user-centered interfaces. Each plugin provides clear controls, immediate visual feedback, and a streamlined workflow, making sophisticated processing easy to access and use.
