Q: Mid / Side processing in Multiband plug-ins

[DarkStar]

After watching a video in cm246, I was thinking about processing Mid /Side separately with different parameter settings, in a single plug-in instance. I saw that in the Band Editor in the multiband plug-ins I can select 'Mid/Side' crossover.

• Should I always select two bands?
• If so, where should the split be placed (where does Mid stop and Side start?)?
• Or, are more bands useful?
• If so, why / how?
• I have left than main Channel Mode set at L+R, is that correct?

In this crossover mode, should any graphs be displayed in the Band Editor?

[jmg8]

To get a standard mid side split, you should use just 2 bands and set the crossover ALL the way to the left. Annoyingly this means that you can't click in the band to select it, but instead use the arrows to select bands. If you think about it, you can't get more mono than mono, so it had to be completely at one end of the graph. As you move to the right the differences between the L&R become greater, making them sound wider.
Loads of plugins can do MS these days, it's nothing special, so I would definitely use more than 2 bands, that's the beauty of having it in the crossover in this way.
It's fine to have the plugin in L+R mode.

[DarkStar]

Thank you. I thought that that split might be the case. And, as you say, more bands give more flexibility.

I have seen that several plug-ins can operate in Mid mode or in Side mode but have not seen any non-MeldaProduction ones that will let me control Mid and Side independently within a single plug-in instance. Any examples (for research purposes only )

PS I've only just discovered that in the Equalizers you can set each EQ Band to be applied to Left only, Left and Right or Right only (or to Mid only, Mid and Side, Side only if you set the main Channel Mode to Mid+Side).

[alexis1]

Thank you. I thought that that split might be the case. And, as you say, more bands give more flexibility.

I have seen that several plug-ins can operate in Mid mode or in Side mode but have not seen any non-MeldaProduction ones that will let me control Mid and Side independently within a single plug-in instance. Any examples (for research purposes only )

PS I've only just discovered that in the Equalizers you can set each EQ Band to be applied to Left only, Left and Right or Right only (or to Mid only, Mid and Side, Side only if you set the main Channel Mode to Mid+Side).

Have to double check, but I think Cubase's new "Frequency" EQ may ...

[jmg8]

Ableton Live's EQ8, iZotope Ozone.
Does FabFilter? Not sure.

[DarkStar]

Thank you