FREE ABLETON TUTORIAL ON MID-SIDE EQ
This is a technique that will allow you to add punch and clarity to your mixes without paying for someone to master them for you. The way that this is done is by separating the middle of the stereo signal from the sides and EQing them separately so that you take advantage of the whole stereo range. While nothing can take the place of professional mastering, it is nice to be able to play your tracks out without worrying if they are going to get clobbered next to a professionally mastered track.
If you are interested in getting more Mixing and Mastering tips, check out the Ableton Cookbook Live Course! In addition to a module on Mixing and Mastering, there’s 7 modules of Ableton-ey goodness.
Related posts:
Good tips
Glad its useful!
Thanks! Good tips!
Do you use this always on your tracks?
Yup! Unless, of course, I am going for a more muddy sound (sometimes I do that for effect).
surprised you advocate using ableton’s equalizers to BOOST signals at the mastering levels… most mastering engineers would tell you that that you should always CUT content at the eq level, and then boost the track gain to make up for lost volume. this is a good way–especially on computers–of avoiding that “digital harshness” that has everyone running for analog equipment.
thoughts?
also forgot to mention — thanks so much! it’s still a really great tutorial, just curious what your thoughts are on what i’ve learned
That is a great question! Here is my (somewhat half-brained) logic:
1) I’m trying to give people a way to do everything, literally everything, “In the box.” I would love to get every single clip I play out mastered by some NY bigshot masterer (word?) but the way that my workflow works doesn’t permit this. I am assuming others have a similar problem.
2) Whatever algorithm Ableton uses to raise gain is going to be the same throughout the program, I think, so it won’t matter if it is done in the EQ or by a Utility, or whatever.
3) When we talk about analog warmth, aren’t we really talking about distortion being added at certain frequency ranges? Different pieces of analog gear distort the sound at different frequency ranges, giving them a certain “color.” If this is the case, I would rather add the distortion by myself at some point.
Of course, everything I know about engineering I learned by messing a million things up, so I could be wrong.
I tried this on a track tonight, and it sounds a million times better. The old version sounds flat, and this process makes it sound 3D. Thanks!
i registered to be able to download the free instrument. now whenever I click on the “Click Here To Download… graphic” all i get is the window asking me to register.
what am i doing wrong?
thanks.
i am enjoying your mid-side EQ vid. very useful stuff.
The link should be in an email that you receive shortly after you sign up for the newsletter. If it hasn’t come yet, let me know and I will resend it!
Great technique. Mid/side EQing is a powerful tool and the process of using an Audio Effect Rack is solid.
However, with respect, I’m very curious why you feel boosting your master bus mid chain by +10 db at 45 hz is a good idea. To me, that’s totally out of this world extreme. If the bass is lacking, why not fix it in your mixdown rather than on your master bus? Only very minor adjustments to the master EQ should be necessary and a dramatic boost to your sub bass like that is going to really muddy up the mix IMO.
Same thing with your highs. Here’s a tutorial I’ve found really useful on Mid/Side EQing in Ozone. See the very slight adjustments he makes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuYjo_UC8zI
Thanks for this one! I was actually wondering last weekend how to make proper use of the M/S setting after I saw an introduction clip to Waves H-EQ Mastering plugin (which is on sale I think right now – but I don’t like iLok..
(http://waves.com/content.aspx?id=11818#video)
Ah, Waves. I’ve used it, I love it. But I’d rather spend that cash on either 1) beer or 2) getting something professionally mastered, haha.
Thanxs, I’m using this now for mastering my tracks and it works fine. BTW: do You have any good tipp to make proper stereo from mono. I use simple delay with 1 ms on one and 10-20 ms on the other channel and 100% wet signal. Works well for me and make the sound wider.
Wow, I had no idea this existed. My mixes sound so much better. Now I can actually work on the music without the nagging monkey on my back that the mix sounds a little flat and how the hell do I address that.
I took it a step further and started analyzing the mixes of some songs I like, mostly old disco and funk songs from the early 80′s. The way they made those mixes sparkle yet thump has always fascinated and confused me. But using the simple rack that Anthony set up gave a very effective analysis tool to hear and see what was going on the stereo field. Really enlightening. I even took the practice of “frequency scanning” further and analyzed how the different sounds were filtered before getting to the reverb. My stuff is actually starting to sound authentic! I feel a lot more in control of my mixing and mastering! Thank you Anthony!
I was the same way: I didn’t even know this existed! Once you start thinking about it, though, it opens your mind to new things.
Glad your finding the blog helpful!