Quote:
Originally Posted by narco
logics got a plug to do it called "direction mixer" (I think that's what its for, never used it)
narco
You can widen a mix with just four faders. Double the mix up on four faders. One pair standard pan left and right. The other pair reversed pan and reversed polarity (on both faders of the second pair). As you add in the second pair the total level will GO DOWN and the width will increase. So you have to make up for it by adding level.
The Waves S1 accomplishes the level makeup internally but uses the same technique. So the width control is just width without any muss or fuss.
But you can't do frequency-sensitive M-S processing with the S-1. By using the four-fader technique, and putting filters on the second pair of faders you can limit the frequency ranges in which you widen.
But WATCH OUT WATCH OUT. M-S processing changes the mix. 100% it changes the mix. A mastering engineer has to be extremely sensitive to the balance that the mix engineer was trying to achieve, and not suddenly focus on the "oh boy, it's wider" effect!
Warning, Plug coming from product designer. WARNING. PLUG COMING!!!! That's why I invented the K-Stereo. It has a depth-increasing, ambience-increasing and width-increasing effect with minimal effect on the original mix. But it should be used in a mastering context, it is really not a mixing tool.
K-Stereo also includes an M-S control so if, for example, you have a vocal-light mix and a remix is not possible, and you have no choice but to raise the M channel, a little of the K-stereo effect added can restore some of the lost ambience, width and depth that you lost by raising the M channel.