(officially from iZotope’s website) and spend 10 minutes pushing knobs while watching the correlation meter. Your future self—especially when your track gets played on a mono Bluetooth speaker—will thank you. Rating: ★★★★½ (half-star off only because Stereoize can be dangerous in inexperienced hands) Best for: Any producer, mixer, or mastering engineer who values mono compatibility.
For most producers, Imager 2 strikes the best balance between clarity, safety, and musicality. iZotope Ozone Imager 2 is a rare breed: professional-grade, free, and genuinely useful at every stage of production. Whether you’re a beginner trying to understand stereo or a mastering engineer needing quick mono checks, this plugin belongs in your default template. izotope imager 2
At first glance, it looks minimal: a vector scope, a few knobs, and a "Stereoize" button. But that simplicity hides a powerful, surgical approach to manipulating stereo width. 1. The Stereo Width Slider The core control lets you narrow or expand the stereo field of your entire signal. Turn it down for mono compatibility checks; turn it up to push elements to the edges. (officially from iZotope’s website) and spend 10 minutes