Amazing video, the encoder and decoder are quite complicated to me. But learning to mix your mid and sides is a gigantic step in production quality. Thank you thank you thank you.
Thanks for this. I've noticed also you can do it in-line (setup the encoder and decoder in the FX insert and putting stereo plugins in between) by disengaging the output matrix routing for left(mid) and right(sides).
Nice video Kenny. It would be worth if you had also mentioned that we can put together the encoder and decoder just in the mother track with the audio, with the ReaEQ, the ReaComp (or any other plugin) between them and by using the pin connections we get the same results :) *edit ...or perhaps you keep that for an advanced mid-side video :) *edit2 - Now that I'm thinking it again, the method you described, even if it uses more tracks, is much more flexible for a mastering session!
And the first pin method for group tracks if needed, as you can save it as an FX chain perhaps? I fear the pins. :) I always have to think hard to get them right. Maybe it's just getting used to it.
This is great for films and ad mixing, especially combined with the Ducking using Side-Chain Compression technique. If you sidechain your dialogue to a compressor/EQ/multiband dynamics in the mid-track, you'll always have space for the dialogue, but the music doesn't just lower clumsily. Thanks for a straightforward tutorial, just switched to Reaper in sound post.
Great video. Thanks, Kenny! This technique ia also super helpful if you have a plugin that you want to use that does not have it's own Mid/Side processing capabilities built into it.
God bless you Kenny for all these very helpful wonderful tutorials! Can we request for more mid side techniques for other applications in reaper? Thanks a million!
Thanks for the lesson. I’d rather be able to do this on one or two tracks instead of four, but the routing makes sense this way and the levels are all nicely accurate.
For people having trouble working out the decoding: Given: M = L + R and S = L - R, by definition. In terms of M & S: L = (M + S)/2. Explanation- Subbing for M and S, L = ((L + R) + (L - R))/2. The R's cancel out so you're left with 2L/2 = L. Similarly: R = (M - S)/2 Explanation- Subbing for M and S, R = ((L + R) - (L - R))/2. The L's cancel out so you're left with 2R/2 = R. So if you know M and S you can always get back to L and R. This is how it works. Not voodoo. Just algebra.
nice! would it work/preserve my 2 guitar sound 100% left/right panning law if route to mid/side afterwards? i want to reduce some low end and low mid in side channel, probably boost some 5-6khz too, thanks!
When I send the routing (mono2) to the "Sides" track I get no sound. When I listen to my original track through the encoder I only get sound from the left channel. Why is that?
How does encoder know, what instruments place in center & what place on sides? Is it just equalizer that doubles track with different equalization? I dont think it can always detect proper devision. Can you show how to achieve the same effect without this fx plugins?
The encoder calculates the sum of the stereo signal information (i.e. sums left- and right-channel signals), said sum then is the resulting MID-signal. The encoder also calculates the difference between Left and Right channel information (L minus R), that's the resulting SIDE-signal. It seems to be as easy as that. An increasing number of EQ and compressor plugins let you process mid/side signals instead of just Left/Right signals conveniently, see freebies like e.g. TDR Nova, Melda Plugins, ... The plugin manuals/descriptions often state that the above mentioned procedure is applied.
Tell me, if some instrument is adjusted to the left a little, it will be contained on both center and side channels and you cannot completely move it to center or side? If I use vst instruments, I can adjust them using pan knob. Should I use this method in final mixing?
As long as an instrument's signal is not completely panned to either the left or right channel, it will be contained - to varying degrees - on both center and side channels. I am not sure what your intention is when it comes to (first) panning a vst instrument to L or R with regard to mid/side manipulations (at a later stage). If your instrument produces stereo sound, you can narrow the instrument track's stereo width to 0 % (in the Sends, Receives window!) and pan the instrument completely to L or R, then it will only be contained in the side signal at the mid/side encoding stage. Is that what you want to achieve? To my knowledge, _usually_ mid/side encoders are used to, for example, lower the volume of bass frequencies _only_ on the side, or to widen the perceived stereo image of a mix by increasing the volume of reverb/delay _only_ on the side (which often differ on L and R), or to simply widen the stereo image by increasing volume (of predominantly higher frequencies) on the side signal _only_.
Actually, what I said about narrowing the stereo width % of a track in Reaper is not a necessary step. (It can be helpful for certain tasks, but if you set width to 0 %, and pan the instrument fully to the L _or_ the R, it will pan a mono signal completely to either L or R. - But with mono signal, there is no mid/side differentiation possible)
personally i never thought about reaper and because of the stability of my daw samplitude x4 pro which is horrible in stability, i have met reaper and i love this daw, actually if i had seen it before it would have been my daw from the beginning, it is a great complete daw and from what i see, and heard that its stability is unprecedented, could you confirm that this daw is stable as they say?
I was never able to use this because I just don't get how the decoder can hear a mono signal in the "sides" channel and decode it to a stereo track with the exact same pan of the original stereo track. Now I know I should just use it and it will work. LOL
I'm baffled how the decoder knows what should go left and what should go right, when the input (after encoding) is mono. But those percussion echos went back to their original stereo sides. Some kind of voodoo? I'm also confused why you would need to use these techniques when you should really get the mix right in the first place?
One application of this technique is to widen stereo field without losing mono compatibility. If you compress the side channel with unique attack and release time and level match it can sound wider. It's easy to overdo
It's how the phase of the Side relates to the Mid. Side has one channel inverted to make it out-of-phase (basically as "stereo" as you can get) and how much it cancels out with the Mid is what makes it stereo. If the an instrument's Side is in phase with its Mid on the left speaker, it'll be audible, so then it'd be out of phase with the right speaker, cancelling out into nothing. That instrument will be on the left speaker only.
Mid is left+right, Side is left-right : they’ve just picked mid to go on the first channel as a standard. Once you re-encode (before doing any fix changes) everything should be where it started off
I used to think that the JS plugins were of a lower grade. Since watching your videos, these JS plugins have become very useful.
Nothing in Reaper is lower grade.
А не вкурсе, есть какой-нибудь плагин для визуализации музыки? Как в винампе. Чтобы сделать музыкальное видео.
krutoyinfo, тут не понимать рюззке
Reaper is just the best thing there is!! And on top of it all, it runs under Linux on a 9 year old junk laptop. No more being a slave to Apple!
I'm always amazed both at how well you know Reaper and how well you explain it. Thanks so much for this one.
Kenny is so amazing, he explains things so well. God bless you Kenny
Outstanding explanation of the concept, including detailed instructions using Reaper and its internal plugins. Very helpful.
Amazing video, the encoder and decoder are quite complicated to me. But learning to mix your mid and sides is a gigantic step in production quality. Thank you thank you thank you.
Hehe, this video was a bit over my level, but I did learn a new way to add effects on the mixer. Thanks as always Ken!
your tutorials are awesome man, many thanks!!!!!
Thanks for this. I've noticed also you can do it in-line (setup the encoder and decoder in the FX insert and putting stereo plugins in between) by disengaging the output matrix routing for left(mid) and right(sides).
Nice video Kenny. It would be worth if you had also mentioned that we can put together the encoder and decoder just in the mother track with the audio, with the ReaEQ, the ReaComp (or any other plugin) between them and by using the pin connections we get the same results :) *edit ...or perhaps you keep that for an advanced mid-side video :)
*edit2 - Now that I'm thinking it again, the method you described, even if it uses more tracks, is much more flexible for a mastering session!
And the first pin method for group tracks if needed, as you can save it as an FX chain perhaps? I fear the pins. :) I always have to think hard to get them right. Maybe it's just getting used to it.
This is great for films and ad mixing, especially combined with the Ducking using Side-Chain Compression technique. If you sidechain your dialogue to a compressor/EQ/multiband dynamics in the mid-track, you'll always have space for the dialogue, but the music doesn't just lower clumsily. Thanks for a straightforward tutorial, just switched to Reaper in sound post.
Great video. Thanks, Kenny! This technique ia also super helpful if you have a plugin that you want to use that does not have it's own Mid/Side processing capabilities built into it.
Everytime I watch one of you videos I realise how little I know. Thanks
Always a great thing
Thank you so much Kenny. I have never seen this before. I will try this technique on my music mastering project this weekend. :)
Excellent tutorial
God bless you Kenny for all these very helpful wonderful tutorials! Can we request for more mid side techniques for other applications in reaper? Thanks a million!
THIS is what is missing from my mixes! AWESOME!!! THANK YOU!!!!
This was very well explained
Thanks for the lesson. I’d rather be able to do this on one or two tracks instead of four, but the routing makes sense this way and the levels are all nicely accurate.
sensacional! Um dos melhores canais do youtube...
Canal foda. Esse reaper é coisa de doido.
Always valuable information, well presented and pleasant to listen to! Thanks again :-)
For people having trouble working out the decoding:
Given: M = L + R and S = L - R, by definition.
In terms of M & S: L = (M + S)/2.
Explanation- Subbing for M and S, L = ((L + R) + (L - R))/2. The R's cancel out so you're left with 2L/2 = L.
Similarly: R = (M - S)/2
Explanation- Subbing for M and S, R = ((L + R) - (L - R))/2. The L's cancel out so you're left with 2R/2 = R.
So if you know M and S you can always get back to L and R. This is how it works. Not voodoo. Just algebra.
Excellent explanation of mid/side; now I actually understand it. :)
Ah. This is incredibly useful!
I use RBJ Stereo Image Filter plugin for mid-side things. There's a few of the same army in the Reaper I believe..
Awesome, I tried it and I like it....thx Ken..:)
Hey there!
Quick question here : I get that M = L+R and that S = L-R... But how you get from a Mid/Side matrix to a L/R matrix?
That's a great tutorial! Thanks for sharing.
Awesome. Whose videos does Kenny watch to learn all this stuff? lol
Is there an option for creating mid/side processing on the Master track in Reaper?
This is brilliant man! Thanks!!
Could you make a playlist featuring all your Mastering techniques videos?
Thanks Kenny. I have a question: how does reaper encode a mono channel to a stereo channel??
*decode
Very useful, thanks Kenny.
The fuck, this is godly tip for us who work with pre-mix beats.
nice! would it work/preserve my 2 guitar sound 100% left/right panning law if route to mid/side afterwards? i want to reduce some low end and low mid in side channel, probably boost some 5-6khz too, thanks!
This is such a good way to get rid of too much roomsound from bad recorded foley fx samples...
anyone know where I can get that song Kenny had in the video?
When I send the routing (mono2) to the "Sides" track I get no sound. When I listen to my original track through the encoder I only get sound from the left channel. Why is that?
My "Blend" track does get L & R through the decoder though.
Can you do a video about midi to midi side chain?
I was wondering. Won't we get the same result if we group the two tracks under a folder and then add the decoder on the parent folder?
Yes.
Really great. Thanks.
Check out free airwindows Ed is dim for advanced options. Also an encode/decode system, but a slider on each
Спасибо большое!Очень помог!
Thanks!
How does encoder know, what instruments place in center & what place on sides? Is it just equalizer that doubles track with different equalization? I dont think it can always detect proper devision. Can you show how to achieve the same effect without this fx plugins?
The encoder calculates the sum of the stereo signal information (i.e. sums left- and right-channel signals), said sum then is the resulting MID-signal. The encoder also calculates the difference between Left and Right channel information (L minus R), that's the resulting SIDE-signal. It seems to be as easy as that. An increasing number of EQ and compressor plugins let you process mid/side signals instead of just Left/Right signals conveniently, see freebies like e.g. TDR Nova, Melda Plugins, ... The plugin manuals/descriptions often state that the above mentioned procedure is applied.
Tell me, if some instrument is adjusted to the left a little, it will be contained on both center and side channels and you cannot completely move it to center or side? If I use vst instruments, I can adjust them using pan knob. Should I use this method in final mixing?
As long as an instrument's signal is not completely panned to either the left or right channel, it will be contained - to varying degrees - on both center and side channels.
I am not sure what your intention is when it comes to (first) panning a vst instrument to L or R with regard to mid/side manipulations (at a later stage). If your instrument produces stereo sound, you can narrow the instrument track's stereo width to 0 % (in the Sends, Receives window!) and pan the instrument completely to L or R, then it will only be contained in the side signal at the mid/side encoding stage. Is that what you want to achieve?
To my knowledge, _usually_ mid/side encoders are used to, for example, lower the volume of bass frequencies _only_ on the side, or to widen the perceived stereo image of a mix by increasing the volume of reverb/delay _only_ on the side (which often differ on L and R), or to simply widen the stereo image by increasing volume (of predominantly higher frequencies) on the side signal _only_.
Actually, what I said about narrowing the stereo width % of a track in Reaper is not a necessary step.
(It can be helpful for certain tasks, but if you set width to 0 %, and pan the instrument fully to the L _or_ the R, it will pan a mono signal completely to either L or R. - But with mono signal, there is no mid/side differentiation possible)
personally i never thought about reaper and because of the stability of my daw samplitude x4 pro which is horrible in stability, i have met reaper and i love this daw, actually if i had seen it before it would have been my daw from the beginning, it is a great complete daw and from what i see, and heard that its stability is unprecedented, could you confirm that this daw is stable as they say?
Yes
thanks!
thank.you thank.you
thanks
1:52 4:52
I was never able to use this because I just don't get how the decoder can hear a mono signal in the "sides" channel and decode it to a stereo track with the exact same pan of the original stereo track. Now I know I should just use it and it will work. LOL
I'm baffled how the decoder knows what should go left and what should go right, when the input (after encoding) is mono. But those percussion echos went back to their original stereo sides. Some kind of voodoo? I'm also confused why you would need to use these techniques when you should really get the mix right in the first place?
One application of this technique is to widen stereo field without losing mono compatibility.
If you compress the side channel with unique attack and release time and level match it can sound wider.
It's easy to overdo
@Aleatoriac now I think I get the point of this technique... thanks for stepping in the conversation.
It's how the phase of the Side relates to the Mid.
Side has one channel inverted to make it out-of-phase (basically as "stereo" as you can get) and how much it cancels out with the Mid is what makes it stereo.
If the an instrument's Side is in phase with its Mid on the left speaker, it'll be audible, so then it'd be out of phase with the right speaker, cancelling out into nothing. That instrument will be on the left speaker only.
Mid is left+right, Side is left-right : they’ve just picked mid to go on the first channel as a standard. Once you re-encode (before doing any fix changes) everything should be where it started off
We really need right click and tools.
Holy $hi#
Why.
Oh.
Why.
So.
Many.
Freaking.
PAUSES.