Stereo Plugins

[TheAdventuringPanda]

I'm having a hard time figuring out the differences among:

MStereoGenerator,
MStereoExpander,
MStereoSpread, and
MStereoProcessor?

I understand some related concepts, like M/S processing, and the Haas / precedence effect. I've figured out this much:

- MStereoGenerator is for converting mono to stereo (according to the product description);
- MStereoSpread is also for converting mono to stereo (according to the video on the product page, at 0:33);

- MStereoProcessor does 4-band adjustment to the mid/side balance, which I understand; but then it also has "Delay" and "Delay width", which are part of a "secondary widening algorithm" which is obscure to me.

MStereoExpander is a total mystery to me.

You use the terms "expand" and "excite" in the descriptions for these plugins, but I'm not sure what you mean by them.

Is there more technical information you can provide about these plugins? After an hour researching them, I'm going to keep using basic mid/side adjustment, because I don't understand what I'd be getting into with these M-products. I can't even figure out what the free one does. I'm sure they are all worthwhile, but if I can't figure out what they do, I don't want to wreck my music by applying them wrong. Please school me about these plugins?

[MeldaProduction]

Hehe, yeah, there needs to be some comparison. It's obvious to me, but you are not the first one to ask

MStereoSpread & MStereoGenerator

Artificial stereo generators - let's say you have a mono or not very wide track and you want to make it wider (as it makes the track "closer" to the listener, check the PDF manual for MStereoSpread, there's a long introduction about psychoacoustics). You can use reverbs and choruses and stuff, but these tools are not mono compatible and change the track character a lot. The 2 mentioned plugins aren't.

MStereoSpread sounds more contemporary, MStereoGenerator is more for acoustic ambient tracks. These just sound different.

MSterepProcessor

Mastering processor, which doesn't really create any "stereo content". But it lets you manipulate it. Useful for mastering engineers to fix the stereo content quickly and effectively.

MStereoExpander

Free plugin, which I never use, it just doesn't do any magic. Use any of our equalizers in "S" (side) mode instead.

[TheAdventuringPanda]

Thank you.