Hi.
Is there any technique to make dry, and digital mono tracks sound stereo?

I'm looking for a way to make the transients and sustains come from the side of speakers and headphones like in Jaycen Josua mixes.
Please, let me know. I'd be grateful.

 

PSP-pseudostereo https://www.kvraudio.com/product/psp-pseudostereo-by-pspaudioware
feenstaubtx https://varietyofsound.wordpress.com/2024/09/09/feenstaubtx-released/
or look a pan vsts

 

The old Wider from Polyverse is good for this, headphones by the way are (can be) pseudo stereo anyway

 

Instrument placement, widening and reverb makes dry, mono tracks stereo.
Transients and even sustains go to the sides then.

 

I do not remember seeing any specific one in any of the mixing videos i've watched with him. But I suspect he would use a combination of Fabfilter Pro-Q3, one of the dozen or so stereo imaging related plugins included in Waves bundle, and Izotope Ozone. At least, that's what he would be hawking in a video; if not actually using.

 

Just be aware that stereo "widening" usually involves some sort of phase shifting or inversion that can completely change (especially when overused) the monaural balance of a mix.

 

Ive seen JJ talking about widening several times in his videos, I personally implemented how he works the snare.

He uses for this the easiest-oldest plugin Waves PS22, which I always loved

He just works the snare listening to it along with the main vocal, and tweaks the snare with the PS22 until it sounds wider in certain frequencies that could clash with the actual lead vocal, so in those frequency you have a wider snare that dont clash with the mono vocal. Obviously it is mandatory to check|tweak in mono and in stereo.

it's an easy technique but I have to say that it works and gives good results. I dont use many of JJ's tricks, only 2-3, but I always end up with this one.

 

Hi. Thanks for the plugin suggestion.

 

Hey PS22 Xsplit seems a good plugin for widening sounds.
However, it sounds weird on mono synth patches and samples.
I've tried multiple stereo image plugins. Some are better than others, but the sound I get is either too colored when pushed hard or too subtle when keeping reasonable settings. Thank you

 

Don't worry, I know it.
I'm trying to understand how the pros make mono tracks stereo in the box without artifacts.
Delaying one channel a few milliseconds (Haas effect) and short decay reverbs seem way more convincing than using any stereo-spreading plugins.
However, that first instance with the Haas effect isn't mono-compatible, which is essential for techno and dance music.
The second instance with a room reverb set at 100 mixes without reverb tails seems more compatible, but it smears the sound.
I don't quite get it.

 

Hi, can you write down how you would set up the whole process?

I'm trying to understand how the pros make mono tracks stereo in the box without artifacts.
Delaying one channel a few milliseconds (Haas effect) and short decay reverbs seem way more convincing than using any stereo-spreading plugins.
However, that first instance with the Haas effect isn't mono-compatible, which is essential for techno and dance music.
The second instance with a room reverb set at 100 mixes without reverb tails seems more compatible, but it smears the sound.
I don't quite get it.

 

Hi, Polyverse Wider is a good plugin for widening sounds.
However, it sounds weird on mono synth patches and samples.
I've tried multiple stereo image plugins. Some are better than others, but the sound I get is either too colored when pushed hard or too subtle when keeping reasonable settings. Thanks

 

I like StageOne 2, it's in every vocal I mix for some very subtle widening. It really makes a difference. Sometimes I have it on synths too.

https://www.leapwingaudio.com/product/stageone2/

 

Yes.


0. Transient or bass rich signals should not be widened artificially as it's going to be explained now. Just reverb and instrument placement is okay.

1. Set up Voxengo Correlometer on the stereo out channel.

2. placing the instrument in a room with any spatial imager like for example "yuri semenov Panning 3". If one likes a very extended processor, "NovoNotes 3DX" is advisable to use.

3. put on any reverb. Doesn't matter which. If it should be clean, simple and free an advice is "Stonevoices DReverb2".

4. expand the stereo image of the signal with a simple widener like for example "A1StereoControl". The widener has to be placed between the spacial imager and the reverb. If one wants to expand even further "MStereoSpread" is advisable. First set the Widening parameter to max as long as the frequency bands in Correlometer are not going significantly into the area of below 0. If they aren't and you are using MStereoSpread, turn up the "Spread" Parameter". (The "Spread" is a highly artificial function)

5. it is advisable to use a bass mono maker like "GMonoBass" on the stereo out channel. The crossover should be in the area of 150Hz - 200Hz. I adjust the amount after the correlation meter in Sonible trueblance.

(This process is about 95% of the mixing process I do.)

Multiband spacial enhancers like ozone are not advisable to use. If you expand only the highs they get sharp, if you expand only the lows they start to rumble and if you expand only the mids it starts to sound like its coming out of an old horn speaker.

 

Last edited: Feb 2, 2025 at 4:54 PM

Thank you for your response. I have Yuri Semenov's Panning 3. Could you please write down the parameter values you would set for Panning 3 and the reverb plugin? For example: distance, reverb size, decay, early and late reflections, dampening, etc.
Thank you

 

Thanks for your response. I have Yuri Semenov's Panning 3. Could you please write down the parameter values you would set for Panning 3 and the reverb plugin? For example: distance, reverb size, decay, early and late reflections, dampening, etc.
Thank you

 

Depends on the instrument and the interpretation. There is no generalization possible.
I use different processors in general. And I use different values all the time even though the changes are relatively minimal.

In general maybe one can say to first double rhythmic instruments like for example rhythm guitars. ~60% left and right in the panning processor depending on the phase correlation outcome.

 

Yes. For sure i saw him using PS22 a quite ton of times for fake stereo and for intentionally cancel out the phase of something which is upfront. I tend to use more haas effect for that fake stereo, but PS22 is good because you can choose the bandwith and amount of the spread.

 

Can I dm you to ask for more info?

 

The Haas effect does wonders in stereo and I love it, but it doesn't work in mono.