Ableton Forum

I'm just starting to get hardcore into working within and focusing on the frequency spectrum to make my sounds fit and tighten my mix, adjust which sounds will be "foreground"/"background", and making sure sounds don't muddle/phase..... Anyways I was wondering what the different modes were used for (beyond the manual's definition) and when do you guys use them?

I'm guessing eq mode L/R helps create depth to a sound and gives it a little panning/difference because of different sounds on the L/R channels being cut.

NO CLUE, about S/M mode

and default mode... is it better or worse than L/R?

thx a bunch, greatly appreciated noob

S m (stereo mono) mode is nice for adding space to a mix. Reduce HF on mono. Reduce LF on stereo. The idea being that bass is more mono directional than stereo. I've experimented with psychoacoustics by varying the amount of stereo hf and mono lf reaching the listener. I haven't done proper trials to learn whether others are convinced. I use the default mode to cut out interference in the mix. I haven't used l r mode.... The idea of creating a track with assymetric frequencies seems to be creating more trouble for later in the mix down. I suppose i would use it if was cursed with a stereo audio file with someone playing penny whistle really loud hard right.

Reduce HF on mono. Reduce LF on stereo

Funny, I usually do the opposite

I really regret not m/s eqing years ago; it's just a lot easier and better for cleaning up and +/-ing the mix space.

Once sterophonic sound was available to the masses a lot of music had drastic stereo separation going on to experience and experiment with, like albums from the late 50's and 60's, so L/R eq can be handy for that.

If you like how the source is for the most part, you can just keep the default mode and do a little tweak for it to sit better in the mix, if it needs it.

Alot of it can depend on the source material, then it's up to you to decide which mode you want to use.

The idea being that bass is more mono directional than stereo.

That's the nice thing about the m/s, you can have 2 different basses going, one for mono, one for stereo.
Not that they'd have to occupy the same freq range..I've been getting in the habit where the sub is the main bass in mono, but on the stereo side still have bass from sounds (not necassarily BASS) around 120hz and up. It's still clean. You can't get it in the same way with default mode.

M/S eq ftw.

M/S is mid/side, not mono/stereo

Technically, but semantics as far as I'm concerned.
I'll call em either for no particular reason other than whatever pops out first at the time.

doghouse wrote:M/S is mid/side, not mono/stereo

there's nothing wrong with calling it mono/stereo, as that is what the mid/side signals represent. there's a good introductory explanation of mid/side processing here:

http://www.bluecataudio.com/Tutorials/T ... rocessing/

It just occured to me doghouse that your correction is commendable for the sake of education (seriously)
so I beseech your efforts in correcting a large number of honorable folks use of this programs name henceforth.
You will not go unrewarded.

Please excuse if this message is not transcribed with 100% accuracy as I'm using Microsoft to type and send this letter over Comcast.

shadx312 wrote:It just occured to me doghouse that your correction is commendable for the sake of education (seriously)
so I beseech your efforts in correcting a large number of honorable folks use of this programs name henceforth.
You will not go unrewarded.

Please excuse if this message is not transcribed with 100% accuracy as I'm using Microsoft to type and send this letter over Comcast.

comcast error
fail. program's, not programs.

You sure? Why would it be a contraction ie "program is", "does" or "us", etc?
Obviously I don't mean it as plural, either.
Sometimes I'm confused by this, the above as a good example.
Afaik, it would be a contraction which would make it fail.

If I get served by your explanation, thank you in advance. It's a linguistic quirk I have.

sorry 'bout this, I don't want to be a web pedant, I was just joining in for the laffs. still since you've asked.
' means a letter has been knocked out, like the i in it is... it's.
English, like most European languages has a possessive form of a word. In German the possessive could be indicated by adding 'es' onto a word to indicate it is the owner of something else.
English has developed from a mash of French, Dutch and German ... originally the possessive in English was 'es'... eg Oddstepes really boring explanation... but over time the e got left out... Oddstep's explanation was really pedantic. His and its get left out of this for some reason, that's English all over though, total mess.

Of course, but it's tasty bait. But yeah, like I said, there are no letters to be taken out, so it's not a contraction. Doesn't mean I'm right, but that explanation just explained contraction and history, which is however a nice little additional wrinkle for my brain. How about "programmes" then? Eh? I like that. Programmes.

Anyway, my balls itch.

Mono/Side
Mid/Stereo
Multiple Sclerosis
Michael Shannon

shadx312 wrote:Of course, but it's tasty bait. But yeah, like I said, there are no letters to be taken out, so it's not a contraction. Doesn't mean I'm right, but that explanation just explained contraction and history, which is however a nice little additional wrinkle for my brain. How about "programmes" then? Eh? I like that. Programmes.

Anyway, my balls itch.

Mono/Side
Mid/Stereo
Multiple Sclerosis
Michael Shannon

In English the apostrophe has multiple uses. It can be used in contractions and also for possessive forms of nouns.

Thanks both of yaz. Possessives count.....possessives count.....