Continuing the bpb Freeware Studio series after a bit of pause, here’s a list of the best freeware VST/AU plugins designed for stereo enhancement purposes. There are plenty of useful free stereo expander tools available both for Windows and Mac which is great, but please be careful – tools like these can either make or seriously break your mix!

The AradazMaximizer VST plugin by Arie Ardiansyah is a loudness maximizer with auto release and manual input gain control. The VST plugin features 64 bit internal processing, 44.1-192 kHz sample rate, normal or fast mode, and a VU-meter.
8-Bit Shaper (VST) for Windows v1.05 freeware Download: InstallXferDimensionExpander.dmg Dimension Expander (VST and AU) for Mac OSX v1.01 freeware Download: DimExpVSTPC.zip Dimension Expander VST FX for Windows v1.0 freeware Download: OP1DrumUtilityOSX103.zip.

Free multiband compressors are hard to come by regardless of quality, compatibility and visual style. Somehow, Tokyo Dawn Labs have managed to excel in all these areas, providing a spectacular free EQ plugin that deserves a place in anyone’s collection.

Follow the links for screenshots & download info:

bx_solo by Brainworx(Mac, Windows)
DualPanner by Sleepy-Time DSP(Windows)
Haa5 by Apex Audio Technologies(Mac, Windows)
MStereoExpander by MeldaProduction(Mac, Windows)
Rescue by Variety Of Sound(Windows)
Stereo Tool by Flux(Mac, Windows)
Stereo Touch by Voxengo(Mac, Windows)
Stereoizer Free by Hbasm(Windows)
UpStereo by QuikQuak(Mac, Windows)
WideBug by Betabugs Audio(Windows)

My go-to plugin for this sort of stuff is Stereoizer Free. Simple interface and handy controls for preventing phasing issues make it a perfect tool for quick and easy stereo enhancement tasks.

For those careful and subtle tweaks on full mixes, Rescue by Variety Of Sound is the way to go. This plugin will help brush up the stereo image slightly, without messing it up like a stereo tsunami. The PRO version has a additional filter controls, useful for keeping the focus in the bass frequencies.

RescueAE by Variety Of Sound.

Those are my two favorites, but make sure you check out the other plugins on the list too, especially Stereo Tool, bx_solo and MStereoExpander which are often praised on audio forums.

And that’s all for today. Did you like the article? Have I missed any good freeware stereo expander plugins? Leave your replies in the comments section below!

Also, please support BPB by spreading the word on your favorite forums and social networks! Thanks for reading everyone, and happy mixing!

Multiband compressor plugins are about as prized as they are misunderstood.

Those that know them, love ’em. Those that don’t know much about how they work, believe they have magical powers (and hence would be as useful as you’d feel it might be to the uninitiated… depending on whether or not you believe in magic or snake oil marketing).

However, the best multiband compressor plugin is not magic, my friend, they are extremely useful if you plan on doing your own mastering, or tightening up your vocals, guitars, or other tracks in your mixes.

Quick answer: iZotope Neutron and the FabFilter Pro-MB are two of the best options out there now n the realm of multiband compression.

If you want something that’s not as expensive, take a look at Waves Linear Phase Multiband Compressor.

Let’s take a closer look 🙂

Table of Contents

Multiband Compressor Plugin Buying Guide

Find more great guides here:

Multiband Compressor Plugin Buying Guide

What is a Multiband Compressor?

A multiband compressor is simply an advanced compressor that gives you the ability to compress different parts of the audio frequency spectrum…

Think of it like a cross between your typical equalizer and compressor, where instead of attenuating or amplified different frequency bands in your audio signal, you’re applying and adjusting compression settings instead.

(See this Wiki article on multiband compression for more info.)

Moving forward, this gives you more control over the different aspects of the sound than standard compressors.

For example, in mastering a mix, you may want to reduce the attack transient of a guitar track which occupies a certain portion of the frequency spectrum, while letting the punch of a kick drum get through in another part of the spectrum.

When it comes to mixing, one of the many applications of multiband compressor is in vocals. You can use it for smoothing out the vocal performance of a singer with a wide frequency range. This way you don’t lose any of the “information” from completely cutting out lower end.

You can also read on the typical compression settings used for vocals.

Features to Look for in a Multiband Compressor Plug-in

There are only a few essential features you will need to pay attention to…

I am using ableton live lite which on the website shows it supports vst plugins. I have set up custom folders and pointed ableton to them and re scanned multiple times, i have re installed plugins multiple times to different locations to try to fix the problem nothing worked. Vst plugins not showing up in ableton recording. The only plugins that show up are plugins that have a.vst3 extension any.dll plugins whether it is 32 or 64 bit will not show up in ableton no matter what i try, i have tried the articles on the help website and tried all the steps i have wiped my entire system and did a clean install and tried the steps above to see if it was an external process that was interfering but i still have the same problem no.dll plugin will load no matter where i put it no matter where i install no matter what i do it does not show up in ableton, i have no idea what to do. The website only provides support for intro, standard and suite so i am out of luck.If any one has any idea on how to solve this i would be grateful.

At the very least you want a multiband compressor that lets you compress four different bands. This gives you a good range of frequencies to work with, which should be suitable for vocal processing and other tasks.

A ‘solo’ function is helpful for pinpointing problem areas, as well as for hearing what the compressor is doing to a specific frequency range. What solo will do is allow you to listen in on a specific frequency band alone, to the exclusion of everything else.

The ability to solo individual bands will also help you hear how the transients are affected by the attack and release settings.

Choosing a Multiband Compressor Plug-in

The ability to target specific frequency ranges is a good thing to have in your mixing or mastering chain…

… and a good multiband compressor will certainly supply that.

Most designs limit you to certain frequency bands, which might be sufficient for most basic tasks. In order to hone in on problem areas however, the ability to pinpoint exact frequency ranges is essential.

For vocal processing, you don’t necessarily want the ‘pumping’ or ‘breathing’ that many compressor circuits typically provide. For this specific task, you want a compressor that can be as transparent as possible.

Finally, choose a multiband compressor that gives you control over as many parameters as possible. Even if you don’t know how to use them all right now…

…the added control will come in handy as you gain familiarity with multiband compressors.

With that said, let’s look in the top multiband compressors you can consider.

Best Multiband Compressors – Plugin Overview

iZotope Neutron 2

Free Multiband Expander Vst