Question re:Demos and Stereo Seperation...

[Monz]

regarding the demo track...Well Red - Corkonian Brigade (Genre: Acoustic / Pop

i am confused as to how you have spread out the track across the stereo image when the tracks are quite clearly more centered on the original demo, could you explain this please, and whether you request the individual tracks from the producer when you need to do things like this?

thanks )

[Lorenz @ XARC Mastering]

Hi Monz,

I hope you are doing well and welcome at the forums!

The process you are referring too is called Stereo-Imaging. This allows you to shrink or expand the stereo-image of a signal and is commonly done through splitting up the signal into it´s M+S (mid+side) components and "re-mixing" them at different volumes afterwards, which leads to a expansion or narrowing of the stereo-image. This exists in hardware and software and with different approaches / variations and a "special" custom variation of this process is what I use during the mastering which you hear in action in the Well Red - Corkonian Brigade before / after the mastering demo.

On a side-note: In software a famous example would be the Waves S1 Stereo Imager


Greets,
Lorenz Vauck

[the_real_mccoy]

In my experience if a mix needs stereo imaging, the mix must be in general bad. Sort of like a symptom of a bigger problem.

Mixes like that usually come from tracks with frequency problems that are even more difficult to correct.

In most cases, stereo imaging does not work in tracks whose vocals have reverberation.

As you spread the stereo channels, you increase the amount of reverb.

This phenomenon happens for the same reason Lorenz pointed out (M+S or mid+side) with the difference that when remixed, the middle frequencies are increased, so the dry vocal level is reduced, compromising the balance on the vocal reverb or delay effects.

This technique though, usually works on hip-hop rap, because the vocals are usually very dry.

Most often than not, someone who needs stereo imaging, needs to go back and try mixing again.

The Real McCoy

[Lorenz @ XARC Mastering]

I absolutely agree, but unfortunately a ideal mix is not always what you get and often there is no time left for re-mixing. Then I have to care of it and develop techniques to still "get there" for my clients... just to mention "Well Red - Corkonian Brigade" (see above for the link) again in this relation which is a perfect demonstration in terms of what can be done against a weak (basically non-exstiance) stereo-image and all other aspects of a overall very weak recording.