> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://soundforgepro.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Ozone Imager 2: The Free Stereo Widener, Mono-Safe Settings and Limits - URL: https://soundforgepro.com/ozone-imager/ - Published: 2026-10-20T22:30:39.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-22T01:53:46.000Z - Description: iZotope's free Ozone Imager 2 gives you one Width control, Stereoize for mono sources and a correlation meter. Here is how to set it without hurting mono, what the four-band Imager in Ozone 12 adds, and how to install the plugin today. - Author: Erick Finn - Tags: Free Plugins, Ozone **Ozone Imager 2 is iZotope's free stereo-width plugin: one Width control, a Stereoize switch with two modes for widening mono sources, and three vectorscope views with a correlation meter.** It is listed at $0.00 on [iZotope's Ozone Imager page](https://www.izotope.com/products/ozone-imager), the current build is 2.3.0 from May 20, 2025, and it ships as AU, AAX, VST2 and VST3, all 64-bit. What it lacks is bands. It moves the whole signal at once; the multiband Imager with Recover Sides lives inside Ozone 12 Standard and Advanced. My rule is simple. For width on one track or one bus, the free plugin is enough, and I would start every widening job in Mode II. When a finished mix needs the low end held mono while the top opens up, that is a multiband job: use the Imager module in Ozone 12 Standard, or split the bands in your host. Either way, the free version earns its slot in the [free plugins and trials hub](https://soundforgepro.com/free-plugins/), because it pairs a clean width control with a proper correlation meter at no cost. ## What Ozone Imager does (and what it doesn't) Ozone Imager widens or narrows a stereo signal and shows you the result on a vectorscope. That is the whole job, and it does it on the full frequency range with a single Width slider. iZotope itself describes the plugin as a sampling of what Ozone offers and points to Ozone Standard and Advanced for the deeper tools. The plugin has a short, traceable history: - **2017:** the original Ozone Imager appears as a free plugin. - **December 2019:** Ozone Imager 2 arrives, built from the Ozone 9 Imager technology. As [Bedroom Producers Blog's launch coverage of Imager 2](https://bedroomproducersblog.com/2019/12/12/izotope-ozone-imager-v2/) reported, it added the second Stereoize mode and a resizable window. - **August 2023 (2.2.0):** native Apple silicon installation and native arm64 AAX for Pro Tools 2023.3 and later. - **May 20, 2025 (2.3.0):** Windows HiDPI support and updated host and macOS support, per the [Ozone Imager release notes](https://www.izotope.com/pages/release-notes/ozone-imager). This is still the current version. One correction saves confusion. Some older Ozone manual pages and a few reviews describe band sliders and crossover points. Those belong to the paid Imager module inside Ozone. The free plugin has one Width control and no crossovers, in version 2.3.0 as in 2.0. Ozone Imager is one of a handful of genuinely free iZotope tools; the others, and what each one is good for, are in the [free iZotope plugins roundup](https://soundforgepro.com/free-izotope-plugins/). ## Controls: Width, Stereoize, Mode I/II and the meters The window splits into a meter on the left and four controls on the right. Width does the main work; Stereoize, its time slider and the Mode switch only matter when the source has little or no stereo content. ![Ozone Imager 2 window with a polar level meter on the left and the Width slider, Stereoize button, time slider and Mode I/II switch marked 1 to 4](https://storage.ghost.io/c/af/4b/af4b05d4-2e0b-4edc-8378-1e2a62fecc70/content/images/2026/10/ozone-imager-controls.webp) Turn Stereoize on only for mono sources; Width alone changes nothing when left and right are identical. | Control | Where it sits | What it does | | ------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Width | Main slider, right side | Balances mid against side. From 0 to −100% the side channel fades from unity to silence (mono); from 0 to +100% it rises to +6 dB. | | Stereoize | Power button, top right | Creates new side content from the mid channel so a mono source has something to widen. | | Time slider | Under Stereoize, in milliseconds | Sets the Stereoize time; the right value depends on the source. | | Mode I / II | Bottom right | Mode I uses Haas-delay principles and sounds colored, close to phasing. Mode II uses Velvet Noise decorrelation and convolution and is the subtle one. | | Meter selector | Top left of the meter | Switches between Polar Level, Polar Sample and Lissajous views. | | Correlation and balance meters | Vertical bar right of the vectorscope; balance line along its bottom edge | Correlation runs from +1 (identical channels) to −1 (out of phase); the balance meter shows left-right lean. | The Width numbers come straight from [iZotope's six tips for using Imager](https://www.izotope.com/community/blog/6-tips-for-using-imager-in-ozone-9), and they explain the most common complaint: Width "doesn't work" on a mono file. It only rescales the side channel. A mono source, or a stereo file with identical channels, has no side signal to rescale, so you need Stereoize first. The same article gives the order: power on Stereoize at the top right, pick Mode I or II at the bottom right, raise Width, then adjust the time slider. Both Stereoize modes generate pure side-channel content, which is why iZotope says they leave the mono compatibility of the source intact. The mono sum simply ignores what they add. Reading the meter takes three rules, all spelled out in the [Ozone 12 Imager user guide](https://docs.izotope.com/ozone12/en/imager.html) for the same three display modes: - In the Polar views, energy inside the 45-degree safe lines is in phase. - On the Lissajous view, a vertical pattern means the channels are similar; a horizontal spread warns of mono trouble. - Most recordings sit between 0 and +1 on the correlation meter, and widening pulls the reading down. Keep it in the positive half. For a second reading on a bounced file, the online [phase correlation meter](https://soundforgepro.com/phase-correlation-meter/) uses the same +1 to −1 scale. ## Mono-safe settings that actually work Start from iZotope's own numbers, then let the mono fold decide. The mono sum never contains the side channel, so anything you push there disappears on a mono speaker. iZotope warns that widened elements are more likely to lose level when the mix collapses to mono, and that is the trade you are managing every time you raise Width. ![Decision path for Ozone Imager settings: mono source leads to Stereoize on in Mode II, Width 50 to 60 percent and a time adjustment; bass or kick stays narrow; a full mix gets Stereoize off and small Width; every branch ends at a mono and correlation check](https://storage.ghost.io/c/af/4b/af4b05d4-2e0b-4edc-8378-1e2a62fecc70/content/images/2026/10/mono-safe-width-path.webp) Start from iZotope's suggested settings, then let the mono fold and correlation meter decide. ### Mono instrument or vocal double iZotope's starting point is Stereoize on, Width around 50–60%, then a slow sweep of the time slider until the part opens without smearing. Its author prefers Mode II as the more natural-sounding option, and I would start there too. Mode I is the right call only when you want an audible, slightly phasey effect. ### Full mix or master bus Keep Stereoize off and move Width in small steps. iZotope's own demonstration used 25% on a mix and called even that exaggerated, so "less is more" is the official advice, not just caution. On a master, width is one small move in a longer chain; the rest of that chain is covered in [how to master a track in Sound Forge Pro](https://soundforgepro.com/how-to-master-a-track-in-sound-forge-pro/). ### Bass, kick and anything low Leave them narrow. The plugin's own tip, quoted in a [Steinberg forum thread on the free Imager](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/free-izotope-ozone-imager-vst/97427), reads "Bass content can cause mono compatibility problems if too wide. Try narrowing." One user in the same thread made the fair counterpoint that "narrowing is not a quick fix for phase issues": it cannot remove phase problems already recorded into a track. If a bass DI and mic disagree, align them before the Imager, not after. Because the free plugin is single-band, holding the lows mono on a full mix means splitting the signal first. The answer given in [KVR's Ozone Imager v2 thread](https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=601011) is a frequency splitter: divide the signal into bands, widen only the upper ones and leave the lows alone. The paid module does the same split internally. ### Check every move Fold the result to mono and compare levels. In Sound Forge, a true fold-down runs through the Channel Converter with equal left and right amounts, as the [mono compatibility and phase correlation guide](https://soundforgepro.com/mono-compatibility-phase-correlation/) shows. A KVR poster also suggests confirming with a second tool; any correlation meter from the list of [free metering plugins](https://soundforgepro.com/free-metering-plugins/) will do. ## Free Ozone Imager vs the Imager module in Ozone 12 The free plugin is one Width control over the whole signal. The Ozone 12 module is a four-band imager with its own Stereoize amount, Recover Sides and two extra analysis views. The table lists every difference that changes a decision. | Feature | Ozone Imager 2 (free) | Ozone 12 Imager module | | --------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Bands | One, full range | Up to four, set in the Crossover Spectrum view (add, solo, disable, drag or type crossovers) | | Width | One slider, −100% to +100% | Per band; −100 makes a band effectively mono; a header Amount scales all bands; Link Bands moves them together | | Stereoize | Power button, Mode I/II, time slider in ms | Power button, Amount slider, Mode I/II; applies to all bands and needs at least one band widened; Mode II helps preserve transients at higher settings | | Recover Sides | Not available | Available when at least one band is narrowed; power, gain and solo | | Views | Polar Level, Polar Sample, Lissajous, correlation and balance meters | Vectorscope plus Correlation Trace and Stereo Width Spectrum | | Delta listening | Bypass only | Delta button, as in every module of Standard and Advanced | | Formats | AU, AAX, VST2, VST3 | AU, AAX, VST3 (VST2 dropped) | | How you get it | Free | Ozone 12 Standard or Advanced; not in Elements | The band and Stereoize details come from the [Ozone 12 Imager documentation](https://docs.izotope.com/ozone12/en/imager.html); the edition split and Delta from [iZotope's Ozone 12 edition comparison](https://www.izotope.com/products/ozone-advanced?tab=compare). Recover Sides is the one feature people expect in the free plugin and never find. iZotope lists it as "Imager: Side Recovery" and dates it to Ozone 10 Standard, which came after the free plugin was built from Ozone 9 code. The free version never received it. ![Two signal-flow rows: Ozone Imager 2 sends the full-range signal through one Width block, while the Ozone 12 Imager module splits it at a crossover into Band 1 to Band 4, each with its own Width, with Band 1 at minus 100 for mono, followed by Stereoize and Recover Sides](https://storage.ghost.io/c/af/4b/af4b05d4-2e0b-4edc-8378-1e2a62fecc70/content/images/2026/10/imager-one-band-vs-four-bands.webp) One Width control moves the whole signal; the Ozone 12 module can hold the low band mono while widening the top. Format support runs the other way. The [Ozone 12 Standard page](https://www.izotope.com/products/ozone-standard) lists AAX, AU and VST3 only, while the free Imager still lists VST2\. If an older VST2-only host is the reason you use the free plugin, the paid module will not load there. The other modules in the suite are mapped in the [iZotope Ozone hub](https://soundforgepro.com/izotope-ozone/). ## If you outgrow it: which Ozone edition has Imager Standard is the first Ozone 12 edition with the Imager module. Elements does not have it, and only Advanced lets you load Imager on its own. | Edition | Imager module | Imager as its own plugin | | --------------------- | ---------------------------- | -------------------------- | | Ozone Imager 2 (free) | No, single-band plugin | Yes, it is the plugin | | Ozone 12 Elements | No | No | | Ozone 12 Standard | Yes, inside the Ozone plugin | No | | Ozone 12 Advanced | Yes | Yes, as a component plugin | Elements is the trap. Its Master Assistant can match a reference track's width, as the [Ozone 12 Elements page](https://www.izotope.com/products/ozone-elements) describes, but there is no Imager module to adjust afterwards. If you own Elements, keep the free Imager in your chain for manual width moves. Standard runs Imager inside the Ozone plugin. Advanced adds component plugins, so Imager can sit on a single track like any other insert, and the [Ozone 12 Advanced page](https://www.izotope.com/products/ozone-advanced) offers a free 10-day trial. iZotope also sells Ozone 12 Advanced inside its [iZotope Pro subscription](https://www.izotope.com/collections/ozone), listed at $25 per month with more than 100 plugins on the US store on October 20, 2026. Questions about "Ozone Imager price" have a short answer: the plugin is free, and the module costs whatever the edition around it costs. Current edition prices and the full split are in the [Ozone 12 Elements vs Standard vs Advanced comparison](https://soundforgepro.com/ozone-12-elements-vs-standard-vs-advanced/). On upgrades, iZotope's Ozone 12 crossgrades are titled "Crossgrade from any paid iZotope product", so a free Imager license on its own does not match that wording; the [iZotope price and upgrade guide](https://soundforgepro.com/izotope-price-upgrade-guide/) covers which licenses do. ## Formats, hosts and system requirements Ozone Imager 2.3.0 runs on current macOS and Windows 10/11 in four 64-bit formats. The details from iZotope's product page and release notes: | Item | Ozone Imager 2.3.0 | | ------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | macOS | Sonoma 14.7.x, Sequoia 15.7.x, Tahoe 26.1.x; Intel and Apple silicon, native and Rosetta 2 | | Windows | Windows 10 22H2, Windows 11 24H2 | | Formats | AU, AAX, VST2, VST3; 64-bit only | | Apple silicon | Native arm64 install and native AAX for Pro Tools 2023.3+ since 2.2.0; VST2 appears only in hosts running under Rosetta | | Listed hosts | Logic Pro 11, Pro Tools 2024, Ableton Live 12, Cubase 14, Nuendo 14, Studio One 7, Reaper 7, FL Studio 2024, Adobe Audition 2025, Premiere Pro 2025, DaVinci Resolve 19, Reason 13 | | Sound Forge | Not on iZotope's host list; load the VST3 | The Apple silicon VST2 limit comes from a note in the 2.1.0 release notes; the product page still lists VST2 as a format. On an M-series Mac, use AU, VST3 or AAX unless your host is VST2-only. If the format letters blur together, the explainer on [what a VST plugin is](https://soundforgepro.com/what-is-a-vst-plugin/) covers VST2 versus VST3. For Sound Forge, the [Sound Forge editions page](https://www.vegascreativesoftware.com/sound-forge/pricing/) lists support for third-party VST2 and VST3 plug-ins, so the VST3 build is the one to load. Sound Forge is not on iZotope's supported-host list, which means compatibility is not vendor-confirmed. Sound Forge's own plug-in formats and limits are covered in the [Sound Forge plugins guide](https://soundforgepro.com/sound-forge-plugins/). ## How to get Ozone Imager today Get it from iZotope or Native Instruments, nowhere else. Both stores list it for free: 1. Open [iZotope's Ozone Imager product page](https://www.izotope.com/products/ozone-imager) and claim it at $0.00, or add it from the [Native Instruments Ozone Imager page](https://www.native-instruments.com/products/ozone-imager), which lists it as a free download available immediately. 2. Sign in with a Native ID. iZotope accounts now use the same Native ID login as native-instruments.com. 3. Install and authorize through Native Access. It became iZotope's central hub for subscription products on April 30, 2025, and it is now the standard install route for iZotope plugins. Do not start from iZotope's general [product downloads page](https://www.izotope.com/pages/product-downloads). It, and the "Proceed to Download" link in the release notes, lead to a list of trials that does not include Ozone Imager. The product page is the reliable entry point. Any other site offering the installer is a mirror you do not need for a free plugin. ## If it won't install, authorize or show up Most failures come from a mismatch between where the license came from and which installer you use. Work through these in order: 1. **Match the license to the installer.** A Native Instruments community moderator's advice in a [thread on a free Ozone Imager install problem](https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/41500/another-izotope-problem-free-ozone-imager) was direct: a license from native-instruments.com installs through the latest Native Access, while an older license from izotope.com may still go through the iZotope Product Portal. The [iZotope Product Portal and authorization fixes](https://soundforgepro.com/izotope-product-portal-authorization-install-fixes/) cover both routes. 2. **On macOS, grant Full Disk Access.** When Native Access reports "Installation Failed", Native Instruments' [Native Access installation-failed article](https://inmusicsupport.freshdesk.com/en/support/solutions/articles/69000879263-native-access-error-message-installation-failed-) says to enable both Native Access and NTKDaemon under Full Disk Access in the Privacy settings, then restart the Mac and Native Access. 3. **On Apple silicon, check the format.** A VST2 host running natively will not show the plugin. Open the host under Rosetta, or load the AU, VST3 or AAX version. 4. **Rescan and look under iZotope.** Since 2.1.0 the plugin is listed under the manufacturer name "iZotope" in every format, so check that folder after a rescan. 5. **Update if it crashes next to other plug-ins.** Version 2.1.0 fixed a crash when Imager loaded alongside certain MAAT, InaGRM and Sonnox plug-ins. Anything older than 2.3.0 is worth replacing. 6. **In Sound Forge, run the scan checklist.** If the VST3 installed but does not appear, follow the [Sound Forge VST plugins not showing](https://soundforgepro.com/sound-forge-pro-vst-plugins-not-showing/) repair order. For numbered errors such as "error 5" or "error 1117", I would not guess at a fix; iZotope's [installation and authorization help section](https://support.izotope.com/hc/en-us/sections/47669480914189-Installation-and-Authorization-Help) is the place to look them up. Older guides also describe a serial number sent by email and typed in on first launch. That was the route before Native ID; a fresh license today follows the steps above. ## Test results: what reviewers and users report The composite result is clear: across six published sources, four agree that Mode II is the transparent, mono-safe setting, four call the plugin simple and worth installing, and four name over-widening as the real risk. The sources are Bedroom Producers Blog's 2019 launch review, Production Expert's free-plugin feature, iZotope's 2023 tips article, KVR's 2023 user thread, a 2017 Steinberg forum thread and a Reddit production thread. None of them publishes CPU, latency or null-test figures, so this is a count of verdicts, not a table of measurements. | Finding | Sources agreeing (of 6) | Who says it | | --------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- | | Mode II is the transparent, mono-safe mode; Mode I is the colored one | 4 | KVR users, Bedroom Producers Blog, Production Expert, iZotope | | Simple to use and worth installing | 4 | KVR users, Steinberg forum, Bedroom Producers Blog, Reddit | | Over-widening and wide bass are the risk; check mono | 4 | Steinberg forum, KVR users, iZotope, Reddit | | Light on CPU | 2 | KVR users, Bedroom Producers Blog | | Mono lows need a band split or the paid module | 2 | KVR users, iZotope | **Mode II is the safe default.** In [KVR's Ozone Imager v2 discussion](https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=601011), four separate posters praise its transparency and mono compatibility, two of them naming Mode II directly, and one says it "stays very transparent and is perfectly mono compatible". [Bedroom Producers Blog's Imager 2 review](https://bedroomproducersblog.com/2019/12/12/izotope-ozone-imager-v2/) says Stereoize II makes tracks sound wider "without introducing phasing issues", and [iZotope's own tips article](https://www.izotope.com/community/blog/6-tips-for-using-imager-in-ozone-9) prefers Mode II as the more natural option. [Production Expert's feature](https://www.production-expert.com/production-expert-1/free-plugin-izotope-ozone-imager-2) agrees but largely repeats iZotope's description, so it is the weakest of the four. **Width is easy to overdo.** The Steinberg thread argued over the plugin's wide-bass warning, with one user insisting that "simply not using it on bass would be better advice". A KVR poster recommends confirming the result with another tool, and iZotope's article tells you to keep Stereoize off on a full mix. **CPU and the "Wider" question.** Bedroom Producers Blog called the plugin "stable, well-designed, and easy on the CPU", and a KVR user on an old PC said it does not strain the processor. Those are impressions, not CPU readings. Two KVR posters also compared it with the Wider plugin and found Imager clearly more transparent; that is one thread's opinion, but it matches the Mode II consensus. ## Verdict Install it. Ozone Imager 2 is the free width tool I would put on a system first, and its limits are honest ones. Use Stereoize in Mode II with Width around 50–60% to open up mono parts, small Width moves on buses, nothing wide below the bass line, and a mono check after every change. Move to the Ozone 12 Standard module when you need different width per band or Recover Sides on a master; pick Advanced only if you want Imager as a standalone insert. If you are weighing the whole suite, the [Ozone 12 review](https://soundforgepro.com/ozone-12-review/) gives the full verdict. If you own Ozone Elements, keep the free Imager: it does the one job Elements leaves out. For more legitimate no-cost tools in the same spirit, start from the [free plugins hub](https://soundforgepro.com/free-plugins/).