Ableton Forum

is there a way to set up a rack to use the M/S spreading technique?

By M/S, do you mean mid-side recording technique?

Yes. There are quite a few blog posts on the subject. But briefly: Create an audio effects rack with two chains. Both chains should have a Utility. Set width of first chains Utility to 0 (that is your mid) and width of second to 200% (that's your side). You could alternatively split your side into separate L/R but the above technique is a simple approach.

Yoseph wrote:By M/S, do you mean mid-side recording technique?

yeah.

merges wrote:Yes. There are quite a few blog posts on the subject. But briefly: Create an audio effects rack with two chains. Both chains should have a Utility. Set width of first chains Utility to 0 (that is your mid) and width of second to 200% (that's your side). You could alternatively split your side into separate L/R but the above technique is a simple approach.

what are some blogs?

or use EQ8 in MS mode

merges wrote:You could alternatively split your side into separate L/R

you sure about that?

Re: splitting S of M/S; yea, you can get the first split to M/S then work with the resulting L/R of the S channel.

what i did is i had a distorted synth, on the left i have the orginal sound for say, and the right i have the same sound just an octave higher. i group them and add the M/s technique on the group track?

I don't think I understand.

merges wrote:I don't think I understand.

ok another example i have a simple little synth line, i pan that to the left, then i record the same synth line just an octave higher and i pan that to right, then i group them and add a audio effect rack and have two chains each will have utility. one at 0% the other at 200%. is there a better way to spread the sound better?

Well, what you described, in terms of doubling a synth melody, is one way of "spreading" sound. There are many ways: Short delays and other timed effects (phasing, flanging, chorus), EQing left and right channels differently, panning effects, etc.

But mid/side processing itself is distinct from and not necessarily related to spreading sound effects. You can use the technique to split your audio signal into a mid channel and a side channels. That in and of itself doesn't affect the "spread" of your sound. But by taking that M/S and then playing with the audio (using EQ, effects, delays, etc.) on either or both mid and side channels, you can affect the perceived stereo effect.

stereo field eq also helps