Unless you know how to use that weapon

 

Waves - Center (www.waves.com/plugins/center)

Ideal for final mixes and mastering, Waves Center is an innovative processor that separates phantom Center content from Side (L/R) content. With Center, you can zero in on the phantom center and bring out or bring down the vocals without affecting everything else. Perfect for post-production engineers and DJs as well, Center lets you reposition, isolate, and even eliminate elements of your mix.

 

CAREFUL is the word. I've tried a myriad of stereo plugs, but the best are the safe ones that won't affect your stereo/mono compatibility. First off, use 'PAN KNOB' to pan things like stereo guitars left and right. Doing it with your pan settings in your DAW just doesn't do the process of widening things better.

Better to widen in the tracks than at the mix-bus stage. Or the in between 'settle' is to widen just a section of instruments (JUST the guitars ... JUST the synths) with plugins on a bus that all the same instruments are being bussed to.

Then let the mastering guy do stuff. Stereo is not as important as a good recording and all your instruments being in phase!

That's why I always use ARX ONE at the tail end of ANYTHING I've decided to do stereo widening on with plugs (like BX Stereoizer or Nugen's Stereo imaging plugs - the best, in my experience). ARX ONE (PC Only) fixes - so simply - the crap that will get dredged up when you sum down to mono.

Hope this helps!

 

center is sort of a ott solution that works with phantom center. messes with phase

 

Hi @dia manu, thanks for the tip.I'm crossing the Waves Centre off my list.
What do you think of the statements of the following plugins? Is that true what they write there?

S1 Stereo Imager from Waves
- Enhances the spatial stereo effect.
- Remixes and rebalances existing stereo mixes for remastering.
- Maintains mono compatibility.
- Avoids phasiness effects.
- No changes to sound quality; No unwanted additional effects.
- Simply brings out what is already in the stereo mix.

Pro Q by FabFilter
Although it is an EQ plug-in , the PRO Q also has a stereo imaging function that you can access by changing the channel mode to Mid-Side .
This allows you to adjust the EQ in stereo. When you connect the PRO Q to your output, you can and in most cases should clip the low end of the side channel. This gives you a better perception of the low end in the middle channel, where the bass and other instruments that live in that low end should be.

It's also very useful for making room for other elements of the mix that are in the middle and need to stand out more.
Just cut the frequencies of that element in the side channel to make it jump out more in the middle.
This is one of the best ways to give your mixes a sense of space and make room for important elements.

Wider by Polyverse Music (free)
This is a simple free plugin that expands your stereo signal. The added benefit of Wider is that it does this without causing phase problems when you listen to the mix in mono, as any expanded signal will always remain in phase. It's extremely easy to use, as you can only control one parameter. the width. And that's it! It creates a much wider stereo feel and does not affect the phase at all!

 

Last edited: Apr 25, 2022

PAN YOUR DAMN SOUNDS FFS!!!

No amount of "creative mid-side processing" will make your track wider if all your sounds are all the time 40% to the sides tops.
Also learn to arrange things so they complement each other in the stereo field.
And use automation! Move things around!

 

Hihats feel like almost mono and dead center. Duplicate the instrument, put every second hihat note on the new one, pan them 60 left-60 right, send them both to the bus and add some Polyverse music Wider to that shit.
The bass top layer is thin, add some Wider to it too.
Where's the delay, where's the reverb? You're ignoring the most fundamental tools of creating space, no wonder it sounds flat.
Also the arrangement is quite sparse, despite layering. Not even background pad, nothing.
In fact, you need more depth than width. That's what's lacking. Everything is on the same distance and in the same direction from the listener.

I won't comment on the rest of the mix. I remember too vividly my own mixes being as shitty. Would recommend re-recording the vocals tho. Makes my throat soar just listening to it.

 

Last edited: Apr 25, 2022

Then you need to lower the bass volume again.
But the bass up to 250Hz is definetely weak.
S1 is a very good tool. Try applying "Asymmetry" to -65 up to ~90Hz and -50 from ~90Hz to ~1kHz. and lower those two bands in volume. I do not see why you need more width. I only think this voice needs to be a bit more upfront. Maybe eq maybe just volume you have to figure out.

 

Nope, then he needs different sub. One that's not 60% Side.

 

Decent freebie https://plugins4free.com/plugin/1053/

 

Yes, sure. Very complicated.

 

this iz good & free now

 

Thanks @vuldegger for the tip, but the bx_masterdesk is not always free.
Sometimes there are campaigns where it is free and sometimes not.

Brainworx - bx_masterdesk VST - $ 299
https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/products/bx_masterdesk.html

 

The most valid comment is in the panning.

There are some other good comments on using mid-side as well but if you have not gain staged and placed each instrument that needs to be heard in its own space before any of that, then stereo widening is not a consideration in my opinion at that point. Additionally, by not pre-placing in the stereo field in some manner, then accurately EQ'ing / correct frequency cancellation and everything else becomes incredibly difficult because it will only be accurate in terms of a non-placed/non-panned static default.. Only my opinion.

 

If you have to add stereo widening effects on the 2-bus then you haven't mixed it correctly. I'd suggest looking at your mixing skills than trying to shortcut them by adding an effect at the end to compensate.

Stereo widening on the 2-bus in particular just creates a host of problems, not least phase issues.

 

I get most width and depth in the production and mixing stage. If you are doing tons of Sides-processing in the mastering stage, it's basically re-mixing (which fucks up the original mix). Sure, you can do shitloads in the mastering stage, but it alters the mix (as a whole). With mixing you have much more control over each ingredient. Just because you paint a shitty car in Ferrari red doesn't mean it turns into a Ferrari.

 

Last edited: Apr 27, 2022

Thank you for reminding me of this wonderful plugin that I completely forgot about. This thing literally just saved my whole synth buss, which I had been sitting on all day and could not come up with anything

 

There is no "sub" in this track.

Good info on the hats, and depth VS width. However, there is no "sub" In this track. The bass frequencies are made by the 16th note kick drums and the arpegiated synth that runs throughout. That the problem with the wildness in the low end, and if I mono that, sounds shit.

I'll circle back through and apply alot if the tips in this thread. I'll work on that low end and try to keep the feel of the track while also getting things mono down below 120hz.

Question about that. Now 20 years ago when we used vinyl, I understood why everything below 120hz needed to be mono as it would make the needle jump if you had phase issues down there. .. But why these days? Club systems are stereo.. Not quite sure why we would ever need to check our mono mix, as I can't think of any device that outputs sound in mono anymore.. Even phones now have stereo speakers built in..

 

There are even people today on this planet that don't have their own power supply. Some billion people are so poor that they can only afford a simple kitchen radio in mono and a TV in mono, for those people a sound that also works in mono would be very good.

 

Yes, you do not need mono. You also can simply reduce the width to a certain degree.
Take a look at https://www.voxengo.com/product/correlometer/ then you can see where you got phase problems.

I never care for mono. If there aren't phase problems, it'll sound fine in mono as well. The housewife who listens on her kitchen radio and the phone children do not care anyways. At least I've never heard any complaints from them.