M/S Mastering Matrix FX Chain

[Silent-Core]

Hey, I just did a small video about the M/S matrix I created in Studio ONE:

 

[AAV]

I checked your video. This looks fantastic. I have not had an opportunity yet to either download or try out the fx chain - but I will. Many thanks for sharing this, as well as providing the very comprehensive video

 

[Silent-Core]

I checked your video. This looks fantastic. I have not had an opportunity yet to either download or try out the fx chain - but I will. Many thanks for sharing this, as well as providing the very comprehensive video

Thank you!
Its even possible to insert hardware via the pipeline plugin..
Would be nice if we could set the number of displayed columns in the matrix control panel, by the way..

 

[Craig Anderton]

Good job on the FX Chain and video! FWIW, I often use linear-phase EQ to avoid unwanted phase interaction with mid-side processing. The tradeoff is potential transient issues so you have to decide which issue is less of a problem. Another caution is that audio panned hard left appears identically in both the mid and side, while audio panned hard right has the same amplitude in the mid and sides but its phase is flipped in the sides. This can cause issues with compression. If you compress the mid, something panned hard left may not sound as expected because the hard left signal is present in the side but unlike something panned hard right, its phase isn't flipped. Hope this helps.

 

[Silent-Core]

Good job on the FX Chain and video! FWIW, I often use linear-phase EQ to avoid unwanted phase interaction with mid-side processing. The tradeoff is potential transient issues so you have to decide which issue is less of a problem. Another caution is that audio panned hard left appears identically in both the mid and side, while audio panned hard right has the same amplitude in the mid and sides but its phase is flipped in the sides. This can cause issues with compression. If you compress the mid, something panned hard left may not sound as expected because the hard left signal is present in the side but unlike something panned hard right, its phase isn't flipped. Hope this helps.

The main m/s transformation is being done by the "Mixtool" plugin, the rest of the matrix is just for monitoring, do you have the side issue just when "solo" or int the stereo sum?

 

[Craig Anderton]

It's an issue with the stereo mix. Depending on the song and the panning, it may not make a difference but if you're aware that this could happen, then you can listen to decide if anything needs to be fixed. I found a good article on the web that explains why this happens. I generally try to get the compression taken care of on individual tracks, or on the rendered stereo mix that was created from mid-side processing rather than compressing just the mids during mid-side processing.

I don't mean to imply that mid-side mastering is a problem, all mastering is a problem ! My main use for mid-side processing when mastering is using EQ when restoring older masters. It can also really help when mastering for vinyl by splitting the mid into two frequenccy bands, and centering the bass one. So many things to think about...!

 

[Ari]

Basically, this is a useful tool. It's just way too cluttered and partially redundant. You can build the same structure with exactly the same features much more efficiently. There are definitely other ways. Perhaps instead of a video, a description of the actual functions of this "tool" would be more useful. I have shown a way here on the left side. Also I added useful labels for each insert point to detect what happens there.

 

[Silent-Core]

Good job on the FX Chain and video! FWIW, I often use linear-phase EQ to avoid unwanted phase interaction with mid-side processing. The tradeoff is potential transient issues so you have to decide which issue is less of a problem. Another caution is that audio panned hard left appears identically in both the mid and side, while audio panned hard right has the same amplitude in the mid and sides but its phase is flipped in the sides. This can cause issues with compression. If you compress the mid, something panned hard left may not sound as expected because the hard left signal is present in the side but unlike something panned hard right, its phase isn't flipped. Hope this helps.

Its recommend not to use cut filters in a m/s setup, its phase shifting are much more significant than it is for bell or shelve filters..
The SSL X EQ can display the phase shifting (dotted line):

 

[Silent-Core]

Basically, this is a useful tool. It's just way too cluttered and partially redundant. You can build the same structure with exactly the same features much more efficiently. There are definitely other ways. Perhaps instead of a video, a description of the actual functions of this "tool" would be more useful. I have shown a way here on the left side. Also I added useful labels for each insert point to detect what happens there.

View attachment 200

Well, you just took out the whole solo / levelling function..
What's the point of trying to improve something that you don't even understand?

 

[Ari]

Oh that was rude. I understood it completeley. Right in that moment when you wrote an email to the company months ago. I just optimised your setup with exactly the same features. Therefore I asked for a list of all single features for all to understand what that tool is for and what do we already have in the plug-in set. Maybe we could create a nice tool/single plug-in to support this task.

 

[Silent-Core]

Oh that was rude. I understood it completeley. Right in that moment when you wrote an email to the company months ago. I just optimised your setup with exactly the same features. Therefore I asked for a list of all single features for all to understand what that tool is for and what do we already have in the plug-in set. Maybe we could create a nice tool/single plug-in to support this task.

Well, the main purpose of this matrix is to deliver a phase corrected (solo) monitor signal of the side channel.
You just took it out, why?!