What exactly is the stereo tool doing to my mono signal?

[DBK]

Nothing big, just curious. What is the stereo tool v3 doing to my mono signal? Is it any different than having a stereo track and gradually making the pots wider apart in comparison to moving the width fader on the stereo tool?

Reason I ask is because I'm curious about using the stereo widener on a low-ish frequency track that I normally wouldnt make stereo and it just got me thinking. Does the plugin actually split the mono signal into 2 and separate them within the plugin or how does it work? I cant think of anything else that makes sense to my knowledge.

[Bookerv12]

Not really familiar with that particular plug, but what the stereo-izer tools generally do is.....
Cut the mono file into two identical files.
One gets pitched up or down slightly and delayed relative to the other.
The more the delay, the wider the apparent spread.

You can't do this with duplicates of a mono track.
If you try panning two identical sources, they will always be in mono.
Of course, if you try two identical sources, they will also be twice as loud because there are two of them.

If you just try to delay identical sources, you end up with phasing issues and then they turn into slap echoes as you delay them further.
(Hence pitching one, so it is no longer identical)

[TOM@METRO]

And... Along with pitching and delay, or as a separate function, comb filtering is sometimes employed to add an even more discrete difference between left and right.

[DBK]

Originally Posted by Bookerv12

Not really familiar with that particular plug, but what the stereo-izer tools generally do is.....
Cut the mono file into two identical files.
One gets pitched up or down slightly and delayed relative to the other.
The more the delay, the wider the apparent spread.

You can't do this with duplicates of a mono track.
If you try panning two identical sources, they will always be in mono.
Of course, if you try two identical sources, they will also be twice as loud because there are two of them.

If you just try to delay identical sources, you end up with phasing issues and then they turn into slap echoes as you delay them further.
(Hence pitching one, so it is no longer identical)

In short they aren't actually leaving the centre, delays and processing within the plugin just make it seem wider but its still acting true mono and far as the mix is concerned?

And I get panning 2 different sources will always be mono regardless of what you make them look like they're doing, I was just using it as a visual example for the question.

[Bookerv12]

Originally Posted by DBK

In short they aren't actually leaving the centre, delays and processing within the plugin just make it seem wider but its still acting true mono and far as the mix is concerned?

And I get panning 2 different sources will always be mono regardless of what you make them look like they're doing, I was just using it as a visual example for the question.

No.
After the plugin, you have two pan-able, different tracks.

If you were to play a rhythm guitar part once, and needed to move it out to the sides, you could use a stereo-izer plugin.
Or,
You could play the part again.
Since there is no real good way to play the part sample accurately along with the first one, you now have two different parts that will pan hard left and right.

I have seen people who were pretty spot on about doubling parts, and they actually phased when mixed to mono.
You can always change a mic on one of them or something in that unlikely event.

[TOM@METRO]

Originally Posted by Bookerv12

No.
After the plugin, you have two pan-able, different tracks.

^^^ He's right.^^^