Crave Stereo Enhancer, psychoacoustic stereo widener plugin

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Crave Stereo Enhancer 2.0.27 - Download for Windows and macOS

Download for Windows (64 bit) Download for Windows (32 bit) Download for macOS

Supported audio plugin formats: VST, VST3, Audio Unit and AAX. Available for Windows 7+ and macOS 10.13+.

Fully functioning trial. Buying a license prevents the audio fading out periodically in the trial version.

Walkthrough Video

Professional Stereo Enhancer Plugin for Mixing and Mastering

Crave Stereo Enhancer is a four-band stereo widener engineered for precision control, transparent sound, and adjustable mono compatibility for both mono and stereo sources.

Precision Stereo Widening

Built around a carefully designed parametric stereo synthesis model, two independent parameters give you precise control over the synthetic stereo content generated, helping you avoid the unwanted artifacts often introduced by traditional wideners:

  • Width - sets the amount of synthetic side information added per band.
  • Diffusion - shapes the density and character of the added stereo information.

By tailoring diffusion differently across the spectrum and combining it with controlled width adjustments, you can create a wide, natural stereo image that suits any material.

Transient Integrity and Control

Featuring dedicated transient processing, you can widen the body of the sound without softening its impact:

  • Transient separation - removes transients from the widening stage, preserving attack and articulation.
  • Multiband transient enhancer - each band includes independent transient level control for further refinement.

Mid and Side Balance

Each band provides independent control of:

  • Mid level - adjusts the center component of the signal.
  • Side level - adjusts the stereo difference component.

The mid and side channels in each band are phase aligned using a crossover network, allowing their balance to be adjusted without introducing phase issues in the left and right channels.

Mono Compatibility

Per-band Mono-Safe control manages how the processed signal translates between stereo and mono. It applies spectral weighting between center, left, and right components rather than acting as a fixed mono safeguard.

  • 100% - preserves center spectral balance when summed to mono.
  • 0% - preserves left and right spectral balance.
  • Intermediate values - blend center and stereo weighting proportionally.

While it may seem intuitive that 100% Mono-Safe would always be the safest option, this is not necessarily the case. Preserving the center channel perfectly can allow greater tonal deviation in the left and right channels, which may influence balance decisions during mixing and reduce how naturally the sound translates once summed to mono. Conversely, prioritizing the left and right channels entirely can cause the center to sum with a different tonal balance than expected.

By allowing you to choose where this balance lies, Mono-Safe turns mono compatibility into a controlled, intentional decision rather than a fixed rule, giving you greater confidence when pushing stereo width in real-world mix scenarios. In practice, we've found that landing somewhere in the middle produces the most consistent results, a balance that most stereo wideners simply don't let you dial in.

Interface and Workflow

  • Preset management
  • A/B comparison
  • Undo/redo
  • High-resolution graphics with user-adjustable scaling for up to 8K displays
  • Frequency-dependent stereo visualizer and peak metering
  • Parameter linking
  • Band solo and center channel solo for mono checking
  • Mix control and output gain
  • Smooth, velocity-sensitive knobs and faders
  • Optional high-contrast color mode

Audio Examples

Manuals

macOS: Crave Stereo Enhancer 2 Manual (macOS)

Windows: Crave Stereo Enhancer 2 Manual (Windows)

Useful Links

Release History | Version Archive