[LAU] M/S processing w/o 'convenient' plugins

[William Light]

On Tue, 17 May 2016, at 15:45, Jörn Nettingsmeier wrote:
> On 05/14/2016 05:35 PM, Paul Davis wrote:
> >
> >
> > On Sat, May 14, 2016 at 4:57 AM, Fons Adriaensen <fons at linuxaudio.org
> > <mailto:fons at linuxaudio.org>> wrote:
> >
> >
> >     It only makes sense if you use different EQ on M and S (otherwise
> >     there's no point to convert to M/S in the first place). That's a
> >     case not covered by Ardour's strip structure, unless you have
> >     a stereo EQ plugin that has separate controls for the two channels.
> >     If not, you need to build the required path using additional mono
> >     bus strips.
> >
> >
> > Not true in nightly builds.
> 
> And with older versions of Ardour:
> 
> 1. you have a stereo track already. disconnect it from the master.
> 2. create a mono "M" bus-
> 3. create a stereo "S" bus (yes, see below).
> 4. route both outs of the stereo track to "M".
> 5. route the L out of the stereo track to the first input of "S".
> 6. route the R out of the stereo track to the second input of "S".
> 7. invert the polarity of the second input of "S".
> 8. now add your desired processing (usually EQ) to M and S (use mono 
> plugins for S despite the bus being stereo).
> 9. set the M panner to center.
> 10. set the S panner to center and maximum width.
> 11. set the M and S faders to -6dB to begin with, adjust S level to
> taste.
> 
> But: M/S processing is really only useful when you are remastering a 
> stereo mix without access to the individual components, or maybe if you 
> are dealing with stereo mic recordings as part of a larger mix.
> If you are creating a multitrack mix from individual channels, M/S buys 
> you exactly nothing that couldn't be done better and more precisely in 
> the individual channels.

Disagree vehemently, M/S processing gives very natural control of the
stereo image. I find that I use M/S EQing when I want to shape the
stereo image subtly and M/S compression when I want to exaggerate it or
make it more exciting.

-w

> 
> 
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> Jörn Nettingsmeier
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