Stereo Field question...

[BeatNick]

I use fruityloops 6, and in the master channel theres a stereo seperation control knob. Its set half way by default, when it put it to 100% it really opens up the stereo field but limiters dont work good when its on 100%. It still lets peaks get through. Im wondering how i should have it set. Also im pretty sure its not a stereo widening effect like duplicating a channel and then offsetting it and panning it. If anyone has any input, i would greatly appreciate it!

Thanks and stay safe!

[pingu]

Hey



It sounds like a stereo enhancement device to me.


It stands to reason that the 50% is applying nothing to the signal and anything above or below is changing the stereo imaging.

Use sparingly for mastering.

[BeatNick]

how can i tell when enough is enough? any sure tell signs that im using too much?

Thanks!

[pingu]

Try this

grab a song and apply various amount of the process and bounce them all down seperately.

Import all of them into a new session and compare them.

look for phase issues.

The song quickly loses impact with too much of this stuff applied.

[BeatNick]

I dont get what you want me to do, sorry. How can you hear phase problems? does it actually sound like you put a phaser on the tracks?

[Nordenstam]

Stereo is usually seen as individual L and R channels. What's common for both channels ends up in the phantom center image, the mono part. The stuff that's different between the L and R channel is the stereo information.

So stereo can also been seen as a;
Sum component, what comes out of sum'ing the L and R channels, L+R, the mono part.
And a;
Difference component, the stereo information, what comes out of taking the difference, L-R, the stereo part.


A stereo width knob controls the relative volumes of these sum and difference signals. If there's any tracks panned hard right or left and the stereo knob is set beyond 50%, there will be more and more phase issues between the tracks.

It's like panning the sound beyond the speakers. That's what it sounds like too! When the knob is at 100% there's no mono information in the music at all.

Leave it alone and use the pan knob on the individual channels.

>Also im pretty sure its not a stereo widening effect like duplicating a channel and then offsetting it and panning it.

It's a stereo widening effect like duplicating a channel, reversing it's polarity(offsetting it 180 degrees) and panning it hard to the opposite side of the source. Totalt phase cancelation!

Try a google on mid/side for further information.

[Kiwiburger]

Originally Posted by BeatNick

I dont get what you want me to do, sorry. How can you hear phase problems? does it actually sound like you put a phaser on the tracks?

Done wrong, yes - a lot of stereo widening tricks can sound like a static phaser effect - especially when the sound is mono'd. (Which happens all the time - am radios, tvs, small stereo systems with close together speakers, or any stereo system from a distance).

But I think this control you are refering to is a Mide/Side control, so that shouldn't introduce phase problems by itself - simply it would boost or cut any phase problems you've already created. A lot of plugin reverbs and chorus effects have nasty phase problems in mono.

Imagine you had mixed a vocal, panned it dead centre, and applied a stereo reverb panned left and right. Using your stereo mix control, I would expect you could solo the dry vocal and remove all reverb, or solo the reverb and remove all the dry vocal, or any blend in between.

Basically - a mix destroyer. Mix it right, and you won't need to fiddle with this knob. Mid/Side processing is a good tool for mastering guys who don't have access to your mix.