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 will be included in future updates of The Huge Book of Studio One Tips and Tricks.)
This tip provides drag-and-drop centering for low frequencies, and includes a downloadable FX Chain (thanks Lukas!). It's used mostly for mastering, but is applicable to instruments like stereo synthesizer bass.
Traditionally, popular music centered low frequencies in the stereo field for several reasons. Vinyl couldn’t cope with stereo bass, club systems responded best with centered bass, and there was less phase cancellation with subs. When vinyl’s constraints dissipated, there was more use of stereo bass, particularly synthesized bass. Yet there are still valid reasons to restrict low frequencies to center. Fig. 1 shows the Monoizer FX Chain’s routing.
Figure 1: Track layout for monoizing a master. Unneeded interface elements aren’t shown.
The audio you want to process splits to two paths. One uses the Pro EQ3’s HC (High-Cut) filter to attenuate frequencies above 150 Hz. This split also uses the Dual Pan to pan the left and right channels to center. The other split uses a second Pro EQ3’s LC (Low-Cut) filter to attenuate frequencies below 150 Hz. Fig. 2 shows the settings for the Pro EQ3 processors. Each split has a Mixtool for muting individual splits so you can hear the effects of the low- and high-frequency filtering.
Figure 2: Settings for the Pro EQ3 processors in the two splits.
Fig. 3 shows the Macro Controls panel that edits the Monoizer’s crucial parameters.
Figure 3: Macro Controls panel for the Monoizer.
For the flattest frequency response when summed, use a 6 dB/octave Xover Slope for both filters. The 24 dB/octave slope also works, although the response isn’t quite as even when summed. Avoid the 12 dB/octave slope, which produces a notch due to the phase-shift issues inherent in EQs that model analog EQ behavior.
A 150 Hz Xover Freq handles most situations. For stereo synth bass, consider using a lower frequency to isolate only the lowest frequencies. Then there will likely be enough energy at higher frequencies to preserve the stereo spread. Use the Mute Low and Mute Hi buttons hear how the filters affect the sound. An additional LowFreq Gain control trims the level of the low-frequency path. You’ll usually keep it at 0.00 dB.
This tip provides drag-and-drop centering for low frequencies, and includes a downloadable FX Chain (thanks Lukas!). It's used mostly for mastering, but is applicable to instruments like stereo synthesizer bass.
Traditionally, popular music centered low frequencies in the stereo field for several reasons. Vinyl couldn’t cope with stereo bass, club systems responded best with centered bass, and there was less phase cancellation with subs. When vinyl’s constraints dissipated, there was more use of stereo bass, particularly synthesized bass. Yet there are still valid reasons to restrict low frequencies to center. Fig. 1 shows the Monoizer FX Chain’s routing.
Figure 1: Track layout for monoizing a master. Unneeded interface elements aren’t shown.
The audio you want to process splits to two paths. One uses the Pro EQ3’s HC (High-Cut) filter to attenuate frequencies above 150 Hz. This split also uses the Dual Pan to pan the left and right channels to center. The other split uses a second Pro EQ3’s LC (Low-Cut) filter to attenuate frequencies below 150 Hz. Fig. 2 shows the settings for the Pro EQ3 processors. Each split has a Mixtool for muting individual splits so you can hear the effects of the low- and high-frequency filtering.
Figure 2: Settings for the Pro EQ3 processors in the two splits.
Fig. 3 shows the Macro Controls panel that edits the Monoizer’s crucial parameters.
Figure 3: Macro Controls panel for the Monoizer.
For the flattest frequency response when summed, use a 6 dB/octave Xover Slope for both filters. The 24 dB/octave slope also works, although the response isn’t quite as even when summed. Avoid the 12 dB/octave slope, which produces a notch due to the phase-shift issues inherent in EQs that model analog EQ behavior.
A 150 Hz Xover Freq handles most situations. For stereo synth bass, consider using a lower frequency to isolate only the lowest frequencies. Then there will likely be enough energy at higher frequencies to preserve the stereo spread. Use the Mute Low and Mute Hi buttons hear how the filters affect the sound. An additional LowFreq Gain control trims the level of the low-frequency path. You’ll usually keep it at 0.00 dB.
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