Mid/Side EQ: In Mixing VS Mastering

[@N63L0]

Hey guys, lately I've been incorporating more precise mid/side EQ into my work (in the past I just used stereo wideners, etc).

My question is, should I focus on M/S EQ on individual stems during the mixing process, or is this practice mainly for the mastering process?

Let's say I do M/S EQ during the mix, is it still necessary during mastering? What if I don't do M/S EQ during the mix, will M/S EQ during mastering have the same effect?

I really appreciate any help, personal experience, and advice!!

[Stromkraft]

Let's say I do M/S EQ during the mix, is it still necessary during mastering?

While I haven't done mid/side EQ much, it appears to me, clear as a day, that if the pre-master is deemed to be in need of mid/side EQ in the mastering stage, then that's what it needs. If not, it doesn't.

I'd think it unwise to use anything in mastering that isn't carefully discovered to be a solution to achieve something specific.

That may have been obvious. I just wanted to bring the proper focus as I incidentally was just thinking about mid/side and the fact there is different ways of treating the phantom mid and the right and left material.

[@N63L0]

While I haven't done mid/side EQ much, it appears to me, clear as a day, that if the pre-master is deemed to be in need of mid/side EQ in the mastering stage, then that's what it needs. If not, it doesn't.

I'd think it unwise to use anything in mastering that isn't carefully discovered to be a solution to achieve something specific.

That may have been obvious. I just wanted to bring the proper focus as I incidentally was just thinking about mid/side and the fact there is different ways of treating the phantom mid and the right and left material.

Yes, this is kind of my reasoning as well. Definitely many ways to skin the cat. But just so we are on the same page, you are saying that the M/S EQ process is best completed in the mix, and then applied in mastering only if necessary? This would be my feeling.

[Tarekith]

There's no "best" place to do any sort of corrective or enchancing processing, it's entirely dependant on the situation. If you hear an instrument in the mix that you think would benefit from MS EQ processing, then that's the the tool to reach for. Likewise if you instead think that the overall mix as a whole might benefit from EQing in MS mode versus stereo, then perhaps in the mastering phase that's best place to approach that sort of processing.

For instance, a lot of times in mastering I'll get a track to work on that has maybe some synths and cymbals panned really wide that are bright enough in the mix, but perhaps the vocal which is center is getting a little lost. In that case just boosting the mid channel a bit in the midrange helps the vocal, but doesn't make the cymbals and synths overly bright too.

Alternately, maybe I'm working on a mixdown and there's a layered bassline that has a midrange element that's really sharp and biting enough for the song, but lacks a little "oompfh" in the low which is mainly mono. In that case it makes sense to just boost the low end in the mid channel, and leave the sides and the rest of the instruments in the mix alone. Or it might be the opposite where low end is great, but the growl and dirtiness of the panned bass layers are getting lost. Then you do the reverse.

MS processing is a great tool to use, but like ANYTHING in music production, you only use it to solve a specific problem or to help with a specific goal you're trying to achieve. There's no hard and fast rules on when to apply these things.

[@N63L0]

There's no "best" place to do any sort of corrective or enchancing processing, it's entirely dependant on the situation. If you hear an instrument in the mix that you think would benefit from MS EQ processing, then that's the the tool to reach for. Likewise if you instead think that the overall mix as a whole might benefit from EQing in MS mode versus stereo, then perhaps in the mastering phase that's best place to approach that sort of processing.

For instance, a lot of times in mastering I'll get a track to work on that has maybe some synths and cymbals panned really wide that are bright enough in the mix, but perhaps the vocal which is center is getting a little lost. In that case just boosting the mid channel a bit in the midrange helps the vocal, but doesn't make the cymbals and synths overly bright too.

Alternately, maybe I'm working on a mixdown and there's a layered bassline that has a midrange element that's really sharp and biting enough for the song, but lacks a little "oompfh" in the low which is mainly mono. In that case it makes sense to just boost the low end in the mid channel, and leave the sides and the rest of the instruments in the mix alone. Or it might be the opposite where low end is great, but the growl and dirtiness of the panned bass layers are getting lost. Then you do the reverse.

MS processing is a great tool to use, but like ANYTHING in music production, you only use it to solve a specific problem or to help with a specific goal you're trying to achieve. There's no hard and fast rules on when to apply these things.

Thanks man for that info and clarification. I've been doing a bunch of trial tracks just to practice this technique. Just as with anything regarding music production, you definitely just have to use your ears and make a lot of mistakes first.

I found myself overdoing the sides and making the mix weak. Working on striking that balance. Thanks again!

[Tarekith]

That's common. One of the things I see (err... hear) people doing is pushing everything way up on the sides to make it SUPER WIDE OMG, but then there's nothing in the center of the mix and it sounds weak. Balance is key and all that.