Stereo Width and Panning

[Rhodesholar]

Hello all new to the forum. Let me start by saying I can get around pro tools and understand the fundamentals but I am by no means an engineer, I am just a musician who uses pro tools for writing.

Ok so now everyone knows what your dealing with. lol

I can't figure out for the life of me how to take a mono guitar track and turn it into a wide stereo track other then of course....having two separate takes.

I have used with best success Mod Delay III on an AUX bus and setting one side to 0 delay and 0 feedback. I have set the other side to roughly 7ms of delay and no feedback and this does gives kind of stereo image but there is still center info.

I have played with various stereo plugins with virtually the same results and I can never get a really wide stereo field when listened to in headphones.

I am sure I am totally missing something here and someone will be wondering how dense can this guy be but again, I use pro tools mostly for writing, not for engineering.

Is there some setting in pro tools I don't have set right maybe or I am using the wrong procedure within pro tools?

If some one could please point me in direction I would be really grateful.

Thanks

[amagras]

You could use an amp simulation plugin inserted as mono-to-stereo in a mono track, this will convert the track into stereo after the plugin and use stereo processing like reverb, chorus, dual amp/cab...

This one for example is free
https://youtu.be/ICfiggFM2bA

[albee1952]

Playing the part twice is the best way. After that, there are lots of options(but they are not likely to work as well). Some to try:
1-duplicate the mono track(hard-pan the original and duplicate opposite of each other) and experiment with ways of changing the duplicate(you need to give it enough change so its not going to sound phasey). Options there include changing the pitch slightly(Elastic Pitch and push the audio lower or higher by anywhere from 6 cents to 11 cents, or use Waves SoundShifter. Or insert AutoTune, set for instrument and adjusted several cents up or down).

2-put a mono send on the guitar track and feed a MONO AUX track and insert a mono reverb(Dverb works well for this). Pan the original hard to one side and the AUX track hard to the other side(and make sure the reverb plugin is set to 100% wet).

3-when all else fails, hit youtube for some tutorial videos.

[amagras]

Originally Posted by albee1952

Playing the part twice is the best way. After that, there are lots of options(but they are not likely to work as well).

I agree but what if the OP wants to create a wide lead or solo guitar where double tracking is not an option? What works better for me is a mix of several of these techniques, a little bit at the time.
What I describe in the video above is a start, then a parallel aux with Soundtoys Microshift or a stereo reverb like you suggest can help.
Here's another idea although I would only use it with caution and in case 9f extreme necessity:
https://youtu.be/LVv1V3agYLY

[musicman691]

Plugin Alliance bx_stereomaker

[64GTOBOY]

Soundtoys microshift is the easiest solution. The trick with reverbs works best with the original and the reverb panned hard opposite each other. The short delay (less than about 17 MS) can be put on left and right separately to fatten up as needed, usually panned right behind the source(guiter or verb)

[simon.a.billington]

Originally Posted by musicman691

Plugin Alliance bx_stereomaker

Yeah, this is not a bad plugin. I have this one myself. I have the impression it does s little bit of saturation to the signal, but I’m not certain.

As for the original post...

Forget trying mid-side processing as that requires stereo info to work.

The delay is a good start, you can try extending the delay time. The Cooper TimeCube is quite infsmaous for its characteristic delay times of around 14 & 16ms, you could try something like that.

It also helps if you do something a bit different for each side. The more different you can make them sound, the more effective it would be. Of course it’s easy to go overboard with this.

Try a bit of eq, saturation/distortion, try adding two different, very short reverbs. Or if you feel like spending s bit of cash, you can grab the Waves Reel ADT when it comes up on sale. That thing is a model on the old school technique they used in the Abbey Road studio way back when.

[chrisdee]

Originally Posted by albee1952

Playing the part twice is the best way.

+1.

I agree. Playing the part twice sounds best to me.
Bit if thats not an option hard panning and pitching one or several sends or duplicating-> hardpanning and pitching can also work.

[albee1952]

Another option to try is, pan the guitar hard to one side, add a send to a MONO AUX track. Pan the AUX track hard the other way and insert a mono reverb(this is a great place for Dverb) and experiment with shorter decay times around 1.5-2seconds). This is a classic effect used by Van Halen and Led Zep, among many others

[simon.a.billington]

Physically recording double tracks is the most effective method, because even with that you could still apply some of the following techniques and still get a wider effect.

The delay are a start, although you could try a lightly longer delay time. I think the Cooper Time Cube, an old school device renown for being a good stereo widener, has its delays fixed at something like 13 and 17 ms.

Adding a little pitch drift into the mix will help enhance the effect, which is why tape based modulation was always effective back in the day, because thstnas done by speeding up and slowing down the duplicate track, which effects pitch. This what the Abbey Road ADT essentially did. However, you could always find osome other type of modulating effect. Although, you can achieve a similar type of effect with a tape delay, that has modulation or wow & flutter features, like H-Delay or the new bx_delay 2500. Just remember to set the feedback ultra low.

https://www.waves.com/plugins/reel-adt
https://www.waves.com/plugins/h-delay-hybrid-delay
https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/p...delay2500.html

You can use reverb as well or instead of the above treatment and pan that to then complimentary side. I don’t think you’re looking for a particularly long decay time, just long enough to place the guitar where you want it in the track.

If you have a DI recording you can run that through some other complimentary amp effect and pan that to the opposite side as well.