This is a follow up: 9/8/2010

I used the program for the first time today. I took an 8 track recording I did for a game background. I originally mixed to mono (just to get an idea of what it sounded like...... and thought HEY!

What a good time to try this program out.

The results were interesting.
A backing bongo track sounded great.
most of the rest of the tracks sounded like an ural exciter/dynamics enhancer. However ........

One of the basic tracks that kind of creates the fundamental track is totally mixed out. It's definitely in the original mono track and is equal on both sides of the track

The recording was of a yamaha keyboard, on the "ritual" setting playing half notes and whole notes. The track was totally mixed out of the recording. The mic was a simple condenser mic(small diaphragm)

The remaining track is interesting, but not my original intent.

This needs to be fixed

As already mentioned, this can be done with audacity, which is free and does a much better job. Offering this program for any price, even if it's $0.99 would be absurd. If something can do the same job with a much better result and for free, why pay? I do give the creator credit for...well...creating it.

Much heavy breathing about "true" stereo. Come on! I spend a fair amount of time doing audio restorations for my own entertainment from a variety of 78rpm and early LP material. This is a fun little toy, fast and completely point-and-shoot. In playing with it, I worked on a mono RCA LP of the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra that is unlikely to find its way to CD. After some discrete noise removal and EQ to my taste, this program brought out some detailing in the elaborate orchestrations that I hadn't noticed before. Also used it to goose up a fairly lifeless transfer of an Astaire-Rodgers soundtrack, with very pleasing results and relatively little accentuation of the buckets of original track distortion. I would happily buy this... but NOT for $39.95. $19.95 would make it very appealing. Thanks, GOTD!!!!

My father recently passed away. I found an old tape that he had recorded in mono of a bunch of 40's music. After running it through this program, it has a lot more umph and seems more rich in tones. Not sure what the nay-sayers don't like. As for me and my untrained ears, this is a real keeper!

To #30, Don,

You can get an adapter for the headphones, that will let it go to both ears, in mono of course. You plug the adapter into the source, and the headphones into the adapter. They're a couple bucks at Radio Shack, etc.

#32: You said: "You could also Google “electronically reprocessed stereo” or “duophonic”. The process is not difficult however."

I've Googled these terms but have not found a satisfactory procedure to produce an effect equal to that of Musereo. Thank you for your method for producing duophonic stereo in Audacity, but I found that for me it is not simple or quick (having to open the file, create two tracks and apply two comb filters, one to each, then tweak levels, add reverb and replace the original file), and not as good as Musereo which is just one step, fast, and good. The only down sides to Musereo are (1) it loses MP3 header information and (2) the output file is twice the size of the input file. If the developers can fix those two stumbling blocks, Musereo would be a must-have for me.

Ok, I just tried it on one of my acoustic guitar tracks, which is just two mono tracks, really. Honestly, it sounded better before. This program, while it did sort of give the illusion of stereo width, just made it sound thin and worse than the original. I don't think there is any reason to try to make a mono x2 (fake stereo) track sound any better. It just isn't possible, really. As I said, the only reason I could ever find to use such a program is if there just is no sound at all on a right or left channel. Otherwise, you're just pissing in the wind, IMO. If this thing had an EQ to add the bass it robs, it might help.

Basically, if you have a true mono track, the best you can do is copy the same track to the other channel, making it mono on both right and left. While it's not true stereo, it is the best option there is, unless you don't mind hearing sounds come from just one speaker/channel. Most programs do this automatically, because nobody wants to hear sounds come from just one side. If you never had stereo, you can't magically create it. That should go without saying. It's just the best way to enhance a mono track...so quit all the bitching and just accept it! LOL If you know anything about music, this shouldn't even be the topic of debate at all. The only thing that should be of importance here is how well this app enhances a mono track. Mono x2 does not = stereo. We all know that, but it's your only option. Unless I have a track that only plays through one side, or is completely out of balance, I probably wouldn't even attempt to do anything to it.

3 excellent Freeware Options:

Audacity
Kristal
Wavosaur

Just for fun I checked these. The instruction manual for the "simplest" of them was 62 pages long!

After converting to fake stereo, the resulting track only lasts about 40 seconds. It does a nice job sound wise for fake stereo, but if it can't convert the whole track, what's the point?

Of course it's not genuine stereo, which would be impossible, ok, everyone understands that. But its pretty darn close! And all you have to do is drag your mono file into the program, and then push one button. You can then enjoy files which have vastly improved realism and dimension. Just listen with earphones if you doubt. Yes there are other programs tht will do this, but with far more difficulty (unless you own a recording studio as one fellow said he did) and complexity. And the results will not IMHO be even 1% better than what you will get from this program with its 2 clicks and done setup.

#31 You could also Google "electronically reprocessed stereo" or "duophonic". The process is not difficult however. All that is required is to import your mono file into Audacity, highlight the whole file, go to the edit menu and duplicate it. Once you've done that select the top channel and use the 31 band graphic EQ. Set the 1st, 3rd, 5th (etc to the end) band at zero,all the way down, and press OK. You then repeat the exercise with the other channel except this time you start at the 2nd, 4th, 6th etc to the end and press OK. Having done that you highlight both tracks and use the amplify effect set to -1db. With the files still highlighted add a little reverberation to both files and you've got the same effect as this program. In technical terms this is a comb filter. You may need to tweak your settings a little to suit your taste but at least with Audacity you've got that option. I don't have any problem with the current giveaway as a freebie, but at retail it's overpriced.

#5 said "...you can do everything this program does and more for free with Audacity (for full instructions Google fake stereo)." I googled "Audacity fake stereo" and found a couple of bbs tips on how to create stereo tracks from a mono track. Yes, this works -- on paper, but not in practice. Nowhere could I find step-by-step instructions on how to make the "stereo" tracks created in this manner *sound* like stereo, as is done very well by the Musereo program. The results in Audacity sound just like twin mono, with no additional spaciousness at all. Does anyone have any real-life mono-to-(pseudo)stereo experience with Audacity?

Okay, haven't tied it yet. But I hate listening to old tracks with heddphones and getting the music in only one ear. Will this software play two tracks (albeit I agree it cannot be true stereo unless it is recorded in stereo) so it comes in both ears? I'd download this if it does.

awesome!!! i gathered my junk speakers while converting my music files....

Thanks GOTD however I am not interested in this offer. @Miltos - In Windows XP you should be able to hold down the shift key and right click on the install file and choose "Run As" and then use the administrator account to install.

Win XP SP3

Not seen many reviews so far from anyone who has actually tried the program. I downloaded and tried on two MP3's with the resultant outputs being cut short from 2min 42 sec to 46 secs and from 2min 19 secs to 45 secs. So, unless I see a cure for this behaviour later in the day, it will be off my computer as fast as it installed.

Some general comments on points raised.

As regards criticizing what is offered for free, actually praise is less useful to the developers than identification of weaknesses. Users here also want to hear both sides of the story.

Furthermore, the fact that a program is free does not mean it’s worth installing. In addition to the fuss involved, more important are the eventual cluttering of the computer and possible clashes. And uninstalling usually leaves behind some traces which accumulate with time.

There is always some use for standalone programs that are direct, intuitive to use and produce a good result. Not everybody wants to read and understand long manuals of multi-functional tools to find out how to do a simple specific task, and then have to remember that next time. How many MP3 listeners actually know how to produce space illusion with Audacity?

Creating true stereo from mono is not possible. But it is possible to create a fuller, more appealing sound, even a sense, or rather illusion, of space. In the last analysis, what matters is how more appealing the sound becomes by using this program. The general consensus is that it does bring about an improvement, the appeal of which depends on the listener.

OK, I like what the program does, and it does it very well. Thank you to the developer and GOTD! Unfortunately I have a very important (to me) quibble. I've got thousands of old 78 rpm mono recordings as MP3s and I want to convert them to pseudo-stereo. After I did the first test conversion I notice something that put me off: the size of the recording doubled! This is not acceptable to me due to storage space requirements. Is there a way to get the mono-to-stereo effect but to keep the original size and space?

It's just registry clutter. And as there are full featured editors that cost less this is kind of silly at its full price.

Programs that do wave editing need to be adjustable, and the ability to pre-process and listen to the result before making changes should be part of any wave editor.

I suggest that if they do want to sell a single function editor they only do so if it can do that process better than any of its competition. Not so at the present.

Generally I don't write comments on the forum but today i felt i should write something,I feel this software is very useful for people who listen to 50s and 60s music it is making significant difference in the sound output,it may not compete with other SWs but it is a very straight forward application and very easy to apply but only drawback is does not have an option to preserve the audio file details such as artist, author, ratings, and others When converting. Thanks GOTD

It certainly comes with my approval. I have many old (30's 40's) recordings in mono and this definitely gives a fuller richer sound, not true stereo but I like it very much.

Although I try to install it through an account that has administrative rights it is being asked to login as administrator in order to be able to install. Why is this? (happens and with other offers). I can login in as administrator only in safe mode. Is there any way to login as administrator in standard windows mode. (I use XP). Thanks.

This program does not reproduce the "Stereo" multisound mix, but it does produce a file with a great deal of spatial sound. Mono sound is perceived as coming from the center when you listen to it. The output file produced "sounds" like stereo separation or spatial distance between the sounds heard from the left speaker and the right speaker. I'm not sure audacity can perform this task. A keeper for free.

Just to clear the air.....again. I downloaded the program and processed an audio file with some inherent "multichannel" characteristics. I am absolutely pleased with the outcome. It not only added more spacial quality, but improved the dynamic range quite a bit. I do a lot of video, so it is a real coup to have a one click, no brainer application that will improve audio output so effecively and effortlessly. Thanks GOTD and Musereo. PS> I have Audacity and have used it, as well as, other audio manipulation programs for quite a few years. Like a shoe, it the application fits, wear it.

I think the default settings do a pretty good job; cleaner sounding than I get with Dolby headphone (and one or two other converters); though I guess the less attenuated treble might mean more hiss from tape recordings. Pity it only converts from mp3 which creates an extra step (in another program) going from lossless (archived file) to "portable ready".

It's not about being "whiny" - it's about giving feedback (although, I will admit, sometimes people do seem to whine a bit).

Just for background, I own a recording studio, and I do a lot of work engineering audio. I use ProTools, Cubase, Acid, Audition, and yes... even on occasions, Audacity. I understand the physics behind stereo and the art of recording.

Does this give an easy way to give a fuller, richer sound to basic mono tracks. Sure. I downloaded it and tested it, and it does. Will it give "stereo" effect? No. It just doesn't work that way. it raises the volume, gives and gives a bit of off-set reverb. But it's not stereo.

Still, if you have some mono tracks and all you want to do is make them a bit fuller, this will do the trick.

Not a program I will use regularly, but I can see why some would use it. It's worth the give-away-of-the-day price.

Just to clear the air....I went to the homepage. It is WOT clean. AVG did not flag it. About stereo, or multichannel in general: it is about adding spacial dimension to audio, whether it be stereo, binaural, or whatever. Spacial effects can be accomplished by many different methods, electronically or otherwise, including manipulating the listening environment. I am a regular here, but, rarely comment. In this case, I want to take the opportunity to thank GOTD for their offerings and compliment them for being tolerant of the unproductive vitriol that too often accompanies the comments here.

In response to KTheKiss comment on feedbacks. Yes this is free software and that is very much appreciated however if the software is not useful to me why waste the time of downloading simply because it's free. Software developers allow GOTD to distribute their software, to promote their product, receive feedback that will help them improve their product and set their price at a level that will sell. For us, the downloaders. feedback saves me from the trouble of downloading, installing. testing, and uninstalling.

I am not saying this is good or bad software. I only feel that it is just not one that I would find useful based on the reviews thus far. I also use Aucacity, Wavosaur and Kristal which can accomplish what this software does only much, much more and better. These are also free software with great user support forums. For audio recording enthusiast this software will not be very useful. However that being said for the audio listener that want to easily improve the music for listening on their MP3 player or whatever this programs sounds like a good one. I do think even for these guys the price is a wee bit high. I would think under fifteen bucks a more realistic price.

I checked out their demo. It looks convincing... I'm going to download it and see if it can really change some of my mono music into stereo!

Where to begin?
First, stereo from mono (as stated above) is impossible. This effect is basically reverb and delay. Wiki "Duophonic" to see how it was done.

Second, given the availability of plug-ins for most media players and audio conversion applications, this really isn't viable as a stand alone application. I personally have at least 5 professional applications which feature this as either a filter or plug-in.
Third, working in the music field as an engineer for nearly 3 decades I can safely say reproducing studio effects has never been easier than it is today with the advent of digital music and most professional production is not done in a "windows" environment. Again, I question the viability of this in any use other than novelty.

Not preserving the ID tag is just annoying and no pre post playback leaves the user to guess the outcome. This application would be better rewritten as a plug-in. Although I do appreciate the developer allowing us the chance to review and critique their work, I'll pass on this one.

The software is free and so is the constructive criticism. I'm glad everyone is venting their true opinions and not holding back. That's what the comment section is for and I'm sure the advertised GOTD software authors are thankful for their comments, positive or not. Now I'm going to try the program and see what all the fuss is all about....

I also agree it’s overpriced and a before & after musical sample would have been useful. Hey…what have you got to lose…it’s only a 2 megabyte install.

i don't get why gotd consumers are so whiny. everyday the software is free. free!. keep that in mind before you complain, people. i'm getting tired of gotd just cause of all the unthankful comments for free software. yeah, no software is perfect. get over it.

This is a far too simplistic view of the difference between Mono and Stereo.
I can't see what difference there is between their Balance and Pan controls.
There does not appear to be any provision for the most important stereo effects of Echo, Reverb, Delay and more....

I agree with the first commenter. Although a little more involved than "point and click" you can do everything this program does and more for free with Audacity (for full instructions Google fake stereo).
Two things spring to mind; Firstly, where are the mono files to convert (and why would you want to convert good sounding mono to fake stereo in the first place).
Secondly, wouldn't it be better to make a stereo to mono converter to convert back all those old "electronically processed for stereo" LP's and CD's that were released from the 70's onwards. As a musician, I could find a use for a stereo to mono converter.
I guess that if someone actually wants to do what this program does with just a point and click this will be as good as anything but it's probably in a field of one. Not for me but thanks anyway GOTD.
I had a quick look at this company's web-site but my anti-virus suggested that "this site is suspicious and you should leave immediately" so I did.

Downloaded, installed, activated, and registered fine on Vista x32 OS. Program is very easy to use - simple, clear instructions are provided on the GUI main screen, and adding a music file and converting it were a breeze. MP3, WAV, WMA formats are supported. To be honest, there didn't seem to be much (if any) difference between the original music file and the converted file - they both sounded the same to me - so, as a freebie for today, it's okay - but I wouldn't pay $39 for a one-trick-pony program that doesn't seem to do mono-to-stereo music conversions effectively - $10 (maximum) is a much more reasonable price for such software.

3 excellent Freeware Options:

Audacity
Kristal
Wavosaur

Stereophonic sound is created in recording studios using at least two mikes multichannel equipment. From the technical point of view it's impossible to create stereo recording out of mono one. At its best it will be artificial so-called 'pseudo stereo'. So in my opinion the usefulness of this program is next to zero even if it were freeware.

Anything to do with sound/music is great in my book but $39 for a basic delay between left and right (I always called it fake stereo) is outrageous!

Seriously, maybe $10 (tops) and I wouldn't be surprised if there isn't a freebie out there does this.

Thanks GOTD - Damian