Waves S1 lists at $129. RysUpImager is $9.99. If you are looking for a Waves S1 Stereo Imager alternative, the core job is the same: width, rotation, center and bass width. The difference is everything RysUpImager adds on top. RysUpImager puts width, rotation, center, bass width, four bands, mono safe Spread and a live vectorscope in one window. Here is what each one actually gives you.
Disclosure: Rys Up Audio makes RysUpImager and RysUpSuite. Competitor facts come from each vendor's own product page, checked October 13, 2026. This is a workflow, feature and price comparison. We did not run a blind listening test, so nothing here names a sound quality winner.
What S1 does
Waves sells S1 as a suite of three plugins. S1 Imager handles width, asymmetry and rotation, so you can tilt a lopsided image and then position it. S1 Shuffler also widens bass while Waves says it keeps full mono compatibility. MS Matrix is a mid side encoder and decoder utility.
The interface is the classic one: a Width fader from 0 to 3.0, Asymmetry from minus 90 to 90, Rotation from minus 45 to 45, an L/R or M/S input switch and output meters. It runs on macOS and Windows and is included in Waves' Essential and Ultimate subscriptions.
The $119 question
On October 13, 2026 the S1 product page showed a full price of $129 and a timed sale price of $39.99 with a countdown. Waves sales move constantly, so treat the sale as a snapshot.
Even on sale it is four times the price of RysUpImager, and the full price is $119.01 more.
RysUpImager is $9.99 to own. It is also included in RysUpSuite, $9.99 a month billed yearly, alongside every other current and future paid Rys Up plugin.
What you get in RysUpImager
The core is built on the same proven mid side width, rotation and shuffling math that classic studio imagers use. Then it keeps going.
- Width from 0 to 300% on one big knob, with a level compensated width law so wide settings do not just get louder.
- Rotation and Center. Rotation turns the whole image up to 45 degrees either way and Center tilts it up to 90 degrees, so a mix that leans can be straightened before you widen it.
- Bass Width from 1 to 3 times, with its corner set anywhere from 350 to 1400 Hz.
- 1 or 4 bands. Drag the crossovers in the band lane, click a band and set its own width. Narrow the low mids, open the top.
- Spread, a Diffuse decorrelation that never changes the mono sum. Mono sources get width, and mono playback gets the same signal back.
- Mono Below keeps everything under the frequency you pick in mono.
- Glass vectorscope with Polar and Lissajous views, plus correlation and balance meters, so you see what the knob did.
- Routing panel: Mono check, L/R or M/S input, Swap L/R, Invert L, Invert R and Bass Trim.
- Output from minus 24 to plus 12 dB, zero latency, 32 factory presets, Copy and Paste settings.
- Sculpted Graphite design in light and dark. Mac AU, VST3 and AAX, Windows VST3 and AAX, installed through RysUpHub. No iLok.
You give up the separate MS Matrix utility. You get width, rotation, center and bass width plus four bands, Spread, Mono Below and a live vectorscope for $9.99.
Side by side
| Feature | Waves S1 Stereo Imager | RysUpImager |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $129 full price ($39.99 timed sale on Oct 13, 2026), or Waves subscriptions | $9.99 own forever, or included in RysUpSuite |
| Main controls | Width fader 0 to 3.0, Asymmetry, Rotation | Width 0 to 300%, Rotation, Center, Spread |
| Bands | Full band | 1 or 4 bands with draggable crossovers and per band width |
| Low end | S1 Shuffler bass width | Bass Width 1 to 3x at 350 to 1400 Hz, Mono Below, Bass Trim |
| Metering | Stereo display and output meters | Polar and Lissajous vectorscope, correlation and balance meters |
| Routing | L/R or M/S input, MS Matrix utility | Mono check, L/R or M/S input, Swap, Invert L, Invert R |
| Formats | macOS and Windows | Mac AU, VST3, AAX. Windows VST3, AAX |
| Activation | Waves account and Waves Central | RysUpHub, no iLok |
S1's edge is reach: Waves includes it in the Essential and Ultimate subscriptions and in the Silver, Gold, Platinum, Horizon and Mercury bundles, so plenty of studios already have it. RysUpImager's edge is the same core controls plus four bands, Spread, Mono Below, a live vectorscope and routing in one window for $9.99.
Other S1 alternatives to consider
iZotope Ozone Imager is free, with width, Stereoize and three vectorscope views. The full module sits inside Ozone 12 at $219 or $499. See Ozone Imager alternatives.
Polyverse Wider is free: one width control up to 200%, Low Bypass and a Mono check. See Polyverse Wider alternatives.
Leapwing StageOne 2 is $249 with 3 band width, depth and mono spread. See StageOne 2 alternatives.
The full list, including NUGEN Audio Stereoizer and Brainworx bx_stereomaker, is in the stereo imager plugin roundup.
Widen a mix bus in RysUpImager
A starting point for a wide but mono safe mix bus. Adjust by ear.
- Put RysUpImager on the stereo bus or track you want to open up. Start from the Default preset.
- Open Routing and switch on Mono check for a second. Listen to the source summed to mono, then switch it back off.
- If the image leans, fix it first with Center and Rotation while you watch the balance meter come back toward the middle.
- Click Bands and pick 4. Drag the crossovers to where the mix splits, then select the low mid band and pull its width under 100% so the body stays focused.
- Select the top band and push its width past 100% for air. Keep an eye on the correlation meter so it stays on the positive side.
- Set Mono Below around 120 Hz so the kick and bass stay centered, or raise Bass if the low end feels too narrow.
- Add Spread on sources that started out mono. It decorrelates the sides without changing the mono sum.
- Recheck Mono in Routing, then match the level with OUT.
Working on vocals instead? Read how to make vocals wider without losing the lead.
Questions producers ask
Does RysUpImager have rotation and asymmetry like S1? Yes. Rotation runs from minus 45 to 45 degrees and Center from minus 90 to 90 degrees, so you can straighten a mix that leans before you widen it.
Will widening wreck my mix in mono? Spread never changes the mono sum, Mono Below keeps the lows centered, and the Mono check in Routing lets you hear the summed result any time. Width past 100% still raises the sides, so check mono before you print.
Does it add latency? No. RysUpImager runs at zero latency, so it is safe on tracking and live monitoring chains.
Does it need an iLok? No. RysUpHub installs and activates it on Mac and Windows.
Keep the money, keep the control
Waves S1 Stereo Imager lists at $129. RysUpImager is $9.99 with width, rotation, center, bass width, four bands, Spread, Mono Below and a live vectorscope. Or get it inside RysUpSuite with the rest of the Rys Up lineup.
RysUpImager is a one time $9.99 purchase you own forever. It is also included in RysUpSuite, which bills $119.88 a year and covers every current and future paid Rys Up plugin while it stays active. Prefer no commitment? Suite is $14.99 month to month. Compare everything on the RysUpSuite page.
Keep comparing: Ozone Imager alternatives, Wider alternatives, StageOne 2 alternatives, the full stereo imager roundup and the side by side comparison page. For vocal width without an imager, see the vocal doubler roundup and our MicroShift alternative guide. The whole catalog lives on the Rys Up plugin lineup.
Sources. Prices and features were read from official vendor pages on October 13, 2026: Waves S1 Stereo Imager, iZotope Ozone Imager, Polyverse Wider, Leapwing StageOne 2. Sale prices move often, so treat every competitor price here as a dated snapshot. Taxes and regional pricing can differ at checkout.