Wide Awake Rainbow
by Dada Life · Imaging · Extreme stereo widener
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Wide Awake Rainbow is a stereo widener from Dada Life that takes sounds from mono to a very wide stereo image.
The duo calls it "a drastic effect" that is not built for mono compatibility; it is part of the $39 Secret Sauce bundle.
Best for: Keys & Synths, Sound Design. Genres: Electronic & EDM.
Keywords: wide, sound design, extreme, synths, creative, flanger, huge, minimal controls, mono, pads, subtle.
What it does
Wide Awake Rainbow (called simply Wide Awake in some coverage) is Dada Life's extreme stereo widener, taking a sound from mono "all the way to full rainbow." Dada Life calls it a drastic effect and says plainly it is not mono compatible.
- Two knobs: a frequency selector and an Amount knob.
- Frequency targeting: widen the lows, the highs or the full spectrum, for subtle or dramatic results.
- Mono to stereo: turns mono sounds into wide, atmospheric soundscapes.
- Drastic by design: it trades mono safety for width; MusicRadar quotes Dada Life saying it smears the sound out.
- Uses: static sound design as well as transitional elements.
- Bundle: part of the Secret Sauce bundle with Space In-Your-Face (reverb) and Eternal Return (riser).
The bundle came out in February 2024. KVR lists versions 1.0 and 1.0.10, and files it under stereo widener, reverb and flanger. One purchase covers all three Secret Sauce plugins. The sources do not mention a demo.
Source: Dada Life product page
When to use it
Wide Awake Rainbow is for when width is the effect itself. Compared with Ozone Imager and Polyverse Wider, which are built to stay mono compatible, it deliberately ignores mono and goes much further. With only a frequency selector and an Amount knob, it is quicker to set than bx_stereomaker or StageOne 2. Its frequency selector also lets you widen only the highs and leave the low end alone. Even so, it is a special effect for synths and transitions rather than a mix or mastering tool.
- Best for: making synths, pads and effects sound huge in EDM, and widening mono sources for sound design.
- Genres: EDM and dance music.
- Look elsewhere if: your mix must hold up in mono or on club systems that sum to mono; Wider or Ozone Imager are safer choices.
Where to buy
- Dada Life: $39 (Sold in Dada Life's Secret Sauce bundle with Space In-Your-Face, Eternal Return and Wide Awake Rainbow, $39 for all three (per KVR))
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