Craig Anderton
Well-known member
(Note: Anything titled “Craig’s Tip” would have appeared in the PreSonus Blog if I was still posting there, and either will be included, or has been included, in the The Huge Book of Fender Studio Pro Tips and Tricks.)
Mastering engineers know a simple trick to help tracks “pop” a bit more: create a shallow, moderate bandwidth cut around 300 Hz. This reduces the frequency range where a lot of instruments have energy, and this energy often results in some “mud” around the center. You do lose a little warmth with this technique, but fortunately, there’s a way to keep the warmth—yet still retain the benefits of reducing the lower midrange slightly.
The secret is taking advantage of mid-side processing. Fig. 1 shows the Midrange Master Magic FX Chain’s routing window.
Figure 1: FX Chain routing window.
The first Mixtool (MS Encode) separates the audio into mid and sides, which the Splitter sends to two paths. Each path has a Pro EQ3. They feed the bottom Mixtool (MS Decode), which converts the mid-side audio back to conventional stereo.
The EQ (fig. 2) is where the magic happens. One EQ provides the midrange dip for the mid signal, while the other provides an equal and opposite boost for the sides signal. This spreads the “warmth” frequencies across the stereo image instead of having them bunched up in the center.
Figure 2: The two EQs in action—one boosting the midrange for the sides, and the other dipping the midrange for the mid.
Fig. 3 shows a macro controls panel so you can fine-tune the effect:
Figure 3: Macro controls panel
This is a drag-and-drop kind of FX Chain. Your ears will tell you what the right settings are—so just download the multiprset file, drop it into your master, tweak it, and go!
Mastering engineers know a simple trick to help tracks “pop” a bit more: create a shallow, moderate bandwidth cut around 300 Hz. This reduces the frequency range where a lot of instruments have energy, and this energy often results in some “mud” around the center. You do lose a little warmth with this technique, but fortunately, there’s a way to keep the warmth—yet still retain the benefits of reducing the lower midrange slightly.
The secret is taking advantage of mid-side processing. Fig. 1 shows the Midrange Master Magic FX Chain’s routing window.
Figure 1: FX Chain routing window.
The first Mixtool (MS Encode) separates the audio into mid and sides, which the Splitter sends to two paths. Each path has a Pro EQ3. They feed the bottom Mixtool (MS Decode), which converts the mid-side audio back to conventional stereo.
The EQ (fig. 2) is where the magic happens. One EQ provides the midrange dip for the mid signal, while the other provides an equal and opposite boost for the sides signal. This spreads the “warmth” frequencies across the stereo image instead of having them bunched up in the center.
Figure 2: The two EQs in action—one boosting the midrange for the sides, and the other dipping the midrange for the mid.
Fig. 3 shows a macro controls panel so you can fine-tune the effect:
- Frequency is typically around 300 Hz, but the control covers the range from 150 to 500 Hz.
- Amount boosts/cuts up to around 6 dB.
- Bandwidth determines how much of the midrange is affected.
Figure 3: Macro controls panel
This is a drag-and-drop kind of FX Chain. Your ears will tell you what the right settings are—so just download the multiprset file, drop it into your master, tweak it, and go!
