Welcome to Sage Audio. Today let’s look at our Top 10 Mid Side Tips. But first,
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Understanding Mid/Side Basics
Before we look into some tips, let's cover what the mid-side is - in short, the mid image is
everything that’s completely centered. A signal that’s centered comes out of the left and right
speaker identically giving the listener the impression of it being right in front.
This is also known as phantom center, and it’s why a stereo signal,
when both channels are identical, sounds mono.
The side image is all signal that is completely left and right, or
signals that are not identical but are played at the same time. When the mid and side combine,
phase cancellations cause signals to be perceived in a 180-degree field.
Adjusting the mid and side changes this field, which we’ll definitely cover in future chapters.
Let’s listen to a stereo mix, and isolate the mid and side image.
Separate any Signal into M/S
Any stereo signal can be separated into mid and side by inverting the phase of either the left
or right channel. I like to use the free MSED plugin by Voxengo to create mid and
side channels quickly and reliably (meaning without artifacts or unwanted signal changes).
I’ll first duplicate the stereo track I want to make mid and side,
insert MSED on both and then mute the Mid image on one and Side on the other. Let’s do this and
then manipulate the mid and side images to hear how we can change the balance between the 2.
Also, again, this plugin is free so please try this out for yourself.
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Mid Side EQ on Drum Bus
Let’s start looking at using Mid side tips, starting with using a M/S EQ on the drum
bus - I’ll use the Kirchoff EQ, insert it on the drum bus, and create some bands.
First, I’ll use a high pass filter on the side image, up to about 80Hz.
This is going to make my lows, like the 808 or kick more focused and driving. I
may even want to make a mid bell band and amplify 80Hz to further emphasize the kick.
Then I’ll create a high shelf on the sides and amplify the highest frequencies,
causing pleasant-sounding stereo expansion.
I could also make a mid band around 200Hz or on the snare’s fundamental and amplify that.
Let’s listen to how this EQ targets and augments important aspects of the drums.
Create Full and Wide Guitars or Synths
On our instrument bus, we can do the same this we did last chapter, but of course,
tailor the bands to the signal we are affecting. One thing I’ve found that
makes synths and guitars sound great is a boost to roughly 300Hz to 600Hz on the side image.
Although we typically don’t amplify this range in a mix due to how it can quickly sound cluttered,
on rhythm and support instruments, it creates a full and wide sound. Let’s take a listen.
Transient Expansion on Side Image
Let’s go back to separating a signal into mid and side using the MSED plugin, but this time
insert the NewFangled Audio Punctuate transient shaper onto the side image signal. The side image
is typically full of softer sounds like reverb and signals with a longer attack to their ADSR.
By putting a transient shaper on the side image, we artificially introduce
transients to this signal, resulting in a much more detailed and interesting signal.
Let’s take a listen to this on our drums to better understand it.
Compressing Mid Image for Expansion
If we’ve separated our signal into mid and side, we can compress the mid but leave the side alone
to cause dynamic stereo expansion - or we could compress the side only to cause dynamic stereo
narrowing. Stereo expansion will be more common so let’s use the Impressor by PSP.
I’ll insert it on the mid image, and compress it. This way, whenever the mid is attenuated,
the side will be louder relative the to mid image, creating a wider image.
Let’s take a listen and notice how the signal becomes wider.
Mid Side EQ on Vocal Bus
On our vocal bus, we may have multiple performances that have been panned or
reverberated, causing info to be moved to the side image. Using a mid-side EQ,
we can affect the balance between this side and mid image, as we’ve done in previous chapters.
Let’s boost 3-5kHz on the mid image and dip it on the side to make the vocal cut through.
Then let’s boost the side image’s highs to introduce pleasant stereo expansion and
air, and do it to a lesser extent on the mids.
Lastly, let’s subtly boost the vocals fundamental on the mids,
and use a high pass filter on the side, as we did to the drum bus.
Let’s listen and consider how this improves the vocal's presence and power where needed,
and augments some details on the side image.
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Mid Side EQ on Mix Bus
Last up in terms of processing busses, let’s use a mid-side EQ
on our full mix bus. Honestly, I’ll do a lot of the same, cut the lows on the sides and
maybe boost some of 3-5kHz on the mid image while also boosting the side’s highs.
This time though I’ll make the changes subtle, find important target frequencies like the root
note, and center the boosts on various harmonics or high orders of the root note. This will make
the overall mix sound both more impressive in terms of the stereo image, and also more musical.
Let’s take a listen.
Upward Compression on Side Image
As we discussed in chapter 5, the side image has softer signals when compared to the mid
image. This can cause the more powerful mid image to mask or
cover up the side - to avoid this I like to use upward compression on the side image.
In short, I'll insert an upward compressor on the side channel
and increase low-level detail so that the side image, and it’s easier to miss details,
has a better chance of being heard. Keep in mind this will amplify the side,
so adjust the output as needed to maintain the balance between the 2 images.
Let’s take a listen.
Creative Mid Side Automation
Since the stereo image is usually static, or kept the same, we can
surprise the listener by introducing dynamic stereo expansion or narrowing. For example,
I could attenuate the side image, but then drastically increase its value
to rapidly expand the image - causing unnatural but entertaining stereo expansion.
A more subtle method would be to enable the side high-frequency band on an EQ when the chorus hits
to help differentiate it from the verses. Let’s take a listen to the first method we described.
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