Expanse 3D

Name: Expanse 3D
Price: 86 USD
Author: United Plugins

by United Plugins · Imaging · Psychoacoustic 3D enhancer

Not rated yet

A space enhancer by JMG Sound for United Plugins with three controls: Width (spectral phase processing), Depth (short delay networks) and Height (added harmonics that extend the lows and highs).

It is used to make tracks, buses and masters sound wider, deeper and bigger while keeping the bass tight and the result mono-compatible.

Best for: Drums, Bass, Keys & Synths, Mix Bus, Mastering. Genres: Electronic & EDM, Pop, Hip-Hop & Trap, Rock & Indie.

Keywords: spacious, bass, wide, enhancement, minimal controls, tight, bus processing, drums, mix bus, mono-compatible, spectral, full mix, analog-sounding, auto-gain, mastering, mixing, organic, oversampling, pads.

What it does

Expanse 3D, developed by JMG Sound for United Plugins, uses psychoacoustic processing to make sounds deeper, wider and bigger with just three knobs.

Width: a spectral phase processor widens the sound while keeping it mono-compatible and the bass tight; four modes (normal or alternate, normal or inverted).
Depth: delay networks with channel and phase processing add a sense of distance without a reverb wash.
Height: generates harmonics to extend the bass and treble instead of boosting them with EQ, with analogue-modelled saturation.
Quality: zero-phase-shift filters, up to 8x oversampling, 64-bit processing and auto gain.

It is sold by United Plugins, with a 15-day unlimited trial.

Source: United Plugins product page

When to use it

Expanse 3D is the most 'effect-like' enhancer in the rated list. Unlike S1 or Ozone Imager it also adds harmonics and depth, so it changes tone as well as width, closer in spirit to SPL BiG than to a clean imager.

Best for: drums, bass, pads and plucks, and adding size to a mix bus or master.
Genres: electronic, pop, hip-hop and rock.
Look elsewhere if: you need a transparent width change with no added colour (Stereoizer, Ozone Imager) or detailed per-band control (StageOne 2).

What producers say

Reviewers are enthusiastic about how much the three knobs do.

HomeStudioToday gave it five stars, saying it is way more than the sum of its parts; it liked the tight bass and the Height control's harmonics.
Integraudio placed it third in its paid list, describing the widening as organic.
Plugin Review Lab highlighted its three-axis (width, depth, height) approach.
Plugin Boutique buyers rate it 4.7/5 from about 600 ratings.

Where to buy

Tutorials and reviews

Expanse 3D by JMG Sound - Introduction (United Plugins)
United Plugins Expanse 3D Plugin - Best Stereo Widener EVER? Plus Some Free VST Plugins! (palebluedot studios)
Make your audio mix BIGGER in 3 dimensions with JMGSound Expanse 3D - United Plugins (Audio Toolshed)
United Plugins Expanse 3D Review
United Plugins Expanse 3D - Tutorial Revisión en Español

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