Ableton Forum

How do you utilize stereo field when you compose music? What kind of adjustments you use for what kind of sounds (drums, melodies, lifters, bassline, pads, reverbs, etc..etc...)? How do you create a stereofield from mono signals?
Below are all of the methods that I know but I really don't have time experimenting all of them so it would be nice to hear opinions that which one works in what kind of situation (or sound).

I am specifically interested about electronic music why I posted this here.



Creating stereo information:
- basic mixer panning (mono)
- stereo field widening 1 (stereo chorus / stereo flanger / stereo phaser)
- stereo field widening 2 (instert stereo delay with different (small, 0.5-15ms) delays in different sides, and no feedback)
- equalizing L and R channels differently
- doubling (different riff variation in left and right channels)
- modulating panning in synth, auto-pan or similar effects
- stereo or ping-pong feedback delay
- reverb
- changing panning of only certain frequency range (PSP Stereopack)


Modifying stereo information:
- balance in mixer (usually same as pan)
- widening, narrowing or rotation of stereo field (e.g. Waves S1)
- equalizing mid/sidebands differently.
- adjusting relative intensities of mid/sidebands (waves center or something..).
- compressing both channels differently


When you have a frequency range conflict (certain frequency range just too busy, too much melodies, sounds, etc..), which approach do you consider the best to find space for all of the elements by using stereo field?

Mix in mono so its listenable and works (ie EQ, dynamics), then mix in stereo so its immersive (panning, stereo fx, mid/side eq and dynamics abuse etc).

I tend to use more mono sources these days, because there are a lot of sounds in my tracks. It´s constantly changing and a process where you can learn from the big guys.
It starts with the soundchoice and then arranging them cleverly.

As a rule of thumb I figured "Not so many sounds = wide chords" "More sounds = Narrow chords (2 notes at the same time) or even just solo notes. This works very well.
The more instruments, the less complex the instrument itself.
It makes mixing a lot easier.

Often times I doubled synths with the full chords, because it sounded fat. Well it does on its own, but it blurries the mix.
Nowadays I spilt a 4 voice chord into 2x2 combinations. I use two different synths playing the same notes at slightly different times with different modulation (decay and cutoff for example),
panned L and R and then you´ll get a built-in stereo effect.

My mixes got better with these methods even though I mix in live entirely

To remain monocompatibility I use M/S-Eqing a lot and more importantly use signals without low frequencies on the sides. Everything below 300hz I cut off with a hipass on the S-channel.
It works because bassdrum, snare, subbass and bass are in the middle, vox too. So I need that room in the middle. Mixing in mono first and then spreading it out is also a good starting point.

One detailed wall of sounds with nice graffitis is way better than 4 walls of sounds with some stupid bombings.

Cubehog, do you hi pass the s channel on individual tracks or the final stereomix? Your thoughts on chords, layering and mix clarity are really useful. Nice 1.
What do i use for stereofield information? Instrument and track panning. Chorus. Autopan. M/s eq. The width field on the utility tool. Asynchronous delays. return effects chains split into mono and stereo signal paths.