Bass "Mono-izer" plugins

[s28]

Klanghelm VUMT Deluxe is always on my master channel as first insert so I usually just mono the bass there unless I want to keep something stereo in the low end, then I use it on busses instead. I'm usually around 100hz ish but it depends on what works for the track.

[Stammwerk Audio]

Hi there, agree to Brainworx puts out some great tools to "mono-tize" audio.

Alternatively you can do the same with any EQ that has a M/S function..Pro-Q 3 by FabFilter is great for this purpose. If you work with Ableton, the built-in utility plugin gets the job done as well

[Butwug]

I use Alex Hilton A1Stereo on master chain from the get go, but more so for mixing purposes. Ill mix into it with the plug set to “mono”, as it helps in putting each sound in it’s proper spot on the frequency spectrum. Much harder for a mix to sound better in full mono. If it sounds good in mono, itll surely sound good with the top end stuff in stereo. The opposite isnt always true.

Once I remove it towards end of mixing stage, Ill use a stereo imager to check if any instruments are giving me stereo in low end. I usually dont have any info in stereo below 200hz. As much as I like A1Stereo, I’d rather mono-ize stuff myself. But it’s a sweet plug for mixing that for sure.

[jzero]

I just tried Waves F6 with a gentle 12db/octave HP filter on the side centered around 200hz. Sounds very good for my purposes.

[perfumer]

Again and again - several times in this thread has been said that cutting out the sides is NOT THE SAME as bringing them to mono. Yet people insist on using an equalizer to monoize!

Quote from here:
http://www.alexhilton.net/A1AUDIO/index ... reocontrol

The integrated "Safe Bass" algorithm centers all bass frequencies
below a adjustable value right back into the middle of the stereo
field.

Note the word 'centers' - that's different from 'cuts out'.


Something else I'd like to say is that 'monoizing' below a freq - i.e. creating a V shape that then turns to Y shape is not good enough for most purposes - especially mastering. Ideally, you want to have mix control AKA Dry/Wet to keep some of the bass field on the sides, because sharp monoizing sounds unnatural, especially if you've created a wide and detailed stereo field for the higher freqs.*
But I haven't seen a Dry/Wet for this anywhere......

*Several pages ago an example was given with low toms. So you have them panned to the sides but their bass freqs are in the middle. How cool is that, eh? Not.

[El°HYM]

I like these Airwindows #tools for their Accuracy & Simplicity.

https://www.airwindows.com/tomono/
https://www.airwindows.com/monoam/
https://www.airwindows.com/basskit-vst/

[Distorted Horizon]

Most daws have some stereo tool..

[AdvancedFollower]

IK Multimedia Quad Image on channels/buses, the multiband imager in Ozone on the track as a whole. I've also had good results with HoRNet ElliptiQ in some cases.

Even Waves Center has its uses, when you're trying to fit e.g. an upfront lead sound in the middle of a wide pad sound sharing the same frequency spectrum, since you can carve out a space in the "mid" part of the pad.

[mister-rz]

Atm I’m using coral 2 elliptical filter for bass and pads with nice lo end, combined with adptr for visual feedback and checking in mono. Maybe I’m imagining it, but it seems to bring in some of the sides too, especially on pads and lo-end sounds, sounds slightly fuller then high passing the sides or using something like bx control. Use the nugen mono plug, cuttertone, multipass and some of the brainworx plugs on occasion, depending on what I want to do.

[Ploki]

Again and again - several times in this thread has been said that cutting out the sides is NOT THE SAME as bringing them to mono. Yet people insist on using an equalizer to monoize!

Quote from here:
http://www.alexhilton.net/A1AUDIO/index ... reocontrol

The integrated "Safe Bass" algorithm centers all bass frequencies
below a adjustable value right back into the middle of the stereo
field.

Note the word 'centers' - that's different from 'cuts out'.


Something else I'd like to say is that 'monoizing' below a freq - i.e. creating a V shape that then turns to Y shape is not good enough for most purposes - especially mastering. Ideally, you want to have mix control AKA Dry/Wet to keep some of the bass field on the sides, because sharp monoizing sounds unnatural, especially if you've created a wide and detailed stereo field for the higher freqs.*
But I haven't seen a Dry/Wet for this anywhere......

*Several pages ago an example was given with low toms. So you have them panned to the sides but their bass freqs are in the middle. How cool is that, eh? Not.

that's not true tho. It's the same whether you cut sides with EQ, collapse to mono with gain or pan, or use an m/s imager.
observe the test here:
https://i.imgur.com/Y9wHb3z.png
Two sine waves panned hard L, hard R. (30 Hz and 60Hz), so an absolutely stereo signal.
Collapsed into mono by means of:
-ozone imager, multiband, only bottom band.
-logic's direction mixer, splitband
-pro q3, low cut, sides only
-simple gain "mono collapse" plugin

edit: just to prove a point i loaded a simple gain plugin in dual mono m/s in logic, and pulled sides -96dB. And it's the same alright.

as for your second predicament, iZotope Ozone Imager is 4-band. meaning you can adjust bass width to taste, not just "zip it".
Also Voxengo sonifomer, which is a multiband m/s processor.

[pekbro]

As far as I understood, you just encode the signal to m/s then cut the bass from the side with your eq.
Bass centered... *shrug

[PieBerger]

Utility in Live 10 is transparent enough for most tasks I find, for the master bus I use Pro-Q 3 with a 24db low-cut on the side signal.

[wakax]

I used Monofilter
https://nugenaudio.com/monofilter/
( since a long time

also MidSide
https://goodhertz.co/midside/
from time to time.

[SiliconDeath]

So I'm assuming the monofilter shows its affect to phase in-plugin (in daw environment, without using plugindoctor)? Because that's useful feature, to help determine when you can "get away" with normal non-linear phase modes.