Spread Stereo Music Wider

[SZE]

Hi everyone

Can anyone tell me if there is a technique or plug-in for spreading stereo music wider i.e. further towards hard left and right? I have a music track for a busy action sequence in an animation, and the music mix is very mono-centric (no stems are available, and delivery is Monday morning!). Need to open up the centre so there is more space for my FX.

Thanks!

[Henchman]

I would be very leary of using any kind of spatial widener for post.
Also, I don't think you'll really be able to do anything that will get yo where you want to be.
It will just make stuff on the far left and right, be wider.

[Norad155]

I have seen good results with the Waves PS22 "Stereo Maker"

But Henchman's warning is definitely true... be very careful... you need to listen to the results in all of your various delivery formats. (LtRt, LtRt decode, Any fold-downs you might be making.) Things can get weird, and you may end up making multiple mixes etc.

[SZE]

Thanks for the advice both. Does anyone know of a plug-in hat does the same as the Waves PS22 but isn't TDM only?

[quadwould]

If you have a 2-channel track, make 3 copies of it.

you now have 4 copies

Original, Fader at -6dB fro the level you wanted it

1st copy, pan the left to the right and the right to the left, and then flip the phase on it. Keep the fader all the way down

2nd copy, pan both left and right to centre. Keep the fader all the way down

3rd Copy, pan the left and right to centre and flip the phase. Keep the fader all the way down

Now, depending on what sort of stereo material you have and what phantom stereo material (mono) material you have in the mix, use the 3 copies you have made very gently. play with the level of one of them (the 1st copy) and see what happens, then repeat for the other copies...
Note what you lose form the whole sound.
Then start to play with the levels of 2 or all 3 of the copies. The mix should open up a bit...

Basically i would expect that with the original at -6, you might have the 1st copy at -18 to open the mix up a bit, and then one of the two other mono'd ones (phase correct or inverted) up around the same level to brin back some of hte lost material in the middle.
you may find the 1st copy around -9


At the same time. (material depending), None of this may work..... but hey its worth the 10 mimues of a try to see..

this is a rough idea of what the plugins are doing when you use them, but they wil used frequency bands , in a comb like matter on either side of the mix to spread it out. but that can cause strange psycho-acoustic reactions and mess with your head...

have fun and a good play around...

[CD Productions]

If this is going to network, check the phase on a phase scope, or it could fail QC.

[Gary Nattrass]

Download BX_solo from here:http://www.brainworx-music.de/index....3&um=0&lang=en

Its free and will give you an M/S width control of a stereo signal.

[SZE]

Thanks! Will try all these things out & keep an eye on phase to make sure it stays mono-compatible.

[Iain Shaw]

Originally Posted by quadwould

If you have a 2-channel track, make 3 copies of it.

you now have 4 copies

Original, Fader at -6dB fro the level you wanted it

1st copy, pan the left to the right and the right to the left, and then flip the phase on it. Keep the fader all the way down

2nd copy, pan both left and right to centre. Keep the fader all the way down

3rd Copy, pan the left and right to centre and flip the phase. Keep the fader all the way down

Now, depending on what sort of stereo material you have and what phantom stereo material (mono) material you have in the mix, use the 3 copies you have made very gently. play with the level of one of them (the 1st copy) and see what happens, then repeat for the other copies...
Note what you lose form the whole sound.
Then start to play with the levels of 2 or all 3 of the copies. The mix should open up a bit...

Basically i would expect that with the original at -6, you might have the 1st copy at -18 to open the mix up a bit, and then one of the two other mono'd ones (phase correct or inverted) up around the same level to brin back some of hte lost material in the middle.
you may find the 1st copy around -9


At the same time. (material depending), None of this may work..... but hey its worth the 10 mimues of a try to see..

this is a rough idea of what the plugins are doing when you use them, but they wil used frequency bands , in a comb like matter on either side of the mix to spread it out. but that can cause strange psycho-acoustic reactions and mess with your head...

have fun and a good play around...

i do this and it works fine, slip the copied audio a few ms , make sure u check ur phase meter