Spread

Name: Spread
Price: 29 USD
Author: Swivel Audio

by Swivel Audio · Imaging · Multiband stereo imager

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Spread is a three-band stereo imager from Swivel Audio, the plugin company of Grammy-winning mixer DJ Swivel, built around a single width knob.

It adds a side filter to keep the low end mono, a tilt control for stereo balance and per-band solo and mute; it is $39 at Plugin Alliance or $29 on sale from Swivel Audio.

Best for: Mix Bus, Mastering, Keys & Synths, Vocals, Guitars. Genres: all genres.

Keywords: wide, multi-band, mono-compatible, single knob, live performance, mastering, mixing, simple, vocals, electric guitar, full mix, synths, backing vocals, beginner-friendly, bus processing, CPU-light, mid/side, minimal controls, mix bus, pads, subscription.

What it does

Spread is a multiband stereo imager from Swivel Audio, the company of producer DJ Swivel. Everything centres on "a simple one knob design": one main control sets the width, with two spread algorithms to choose from and three bands for finer work.

One-knob width: a single main control widens the signal, aimed at both mixing and mastering.
Two algorithms: two different spread algorithms give different widening characters.
Three bands: a three-band crossover with user-set crossover points, so lows, mids and highs can be widened by different amounts.
Band controls: mute, solo and a frequency offset for each band.
Side Filter: a mid/side high-pass on the side signal that cleans up phase problems and muddiness in the low end, with an Audition button to hear what it removes.
Tilt: shifts the left/right balance of the stereo image.
Mono-safe and light: designed to widen while staying mono compatible, with low CPU use.

Version 1.3.0 came out with the Plugin Alliance release in August 2025. It works at 44.1 to 192 kHz. Plugin Alliance offers a 14-day trial and includes it in its CORE and PRO subscriptions; the developer's site also has a demo.

Source: Swivel Audio product page

When to use it

Spread is the better pick when you want quick, mono-safe widening across bands without a lot of setup. Like Polyverse Wider it works from one main knob, but it adds three bands, two algorithms and a side high-pass to keep the low end centred. It is simpler than iZotope Ozone Imager, which pairs its band controls with more detailed stereo metering. Compared with Waves S1 Stereo Imager, it covers multiband work and low-end cleanup in one window rather than a single-band width and rotation tool.

Best for: widening synths, pads, guitars, backing vocals and mix buses while keeping the low end mono.
Genres: pop, hip-hop, EDM and any style that needs a wide but solid mix.
Look elsewhere if: you want a free basic widener (Wider), detailed correlation and vectorscope metering (Ozone Imager), or ambience recovery on recordings (Precision K-Stereo).

Where to buy

Swivel Audio: $29 (regular $39)
Plugin Alliance: $39
PluginFox: $39

Tutorials and reviews

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