MSpectralPan saves the mix

[Starship Krupa]

I was recently doing a remix of a friend's song.

Sent me half a dozen stem tracks including an 808 rhythm track with the outputs pre-panned.

Unfortunately, she had panned all of the higher-frequency percussion way to the left, which created an off-kilter mix, the kind that gives me a neck ache because I'm always turning my head trying to equalize it.

I knew I could make it better with application of mid-side EQ and pan plug-ins, but I figured that in my huge collection of FX, there must be something that would handle it all by itself. My go-to for handy/versatile plug-ins is you-know-who, and lo and behold, I saw this MSpectralPan.

Put it on, found the preset "High end autopan," and turned off its modulator. Bingo, I could just drag the EQ toward the middle, even to the right. Problem solved.

I figured that this gem must be part of the MMixingFX bundle, but no, it's in the MFreeFX bundle!

Caveat on this, an excellent reason to upgrade your MFreeFX bundle to the pro versions is that if, like me, you find a preset that's using a modulator, you can just turn it off if you want a static rather than automatic pan. The pro versions give you access to modulators. You can still enter the curve by yourself, so I could have done that, but it was faster and easier this way. Took as much time to do it as to type it out here.

(if you feel you don't have the budget, just wait for the next 50% off everything sale)

[Scotty]

Great post. I have it and didn’t even think to use it. There is som much good stuff in the Melda library.

[mevla]

Great. Thanks for sharing.

[Starship Krupa]

Great post. I have it and didn’t even think to use it. There is so much good stuff in the Melda library.

There's so much good stuff in the FreeFX bundle alone!

Like many, it was the first MeldaProduction product I paid to register, and it was earlier in my mixing career. I wasn't as well-versed in what FX did what, and with 30-some FX, I just used the immediately useful ones like MCompressor and MEqualizer.

I guess it's the same with any bundle, there will be some that are immediately attractive and others that get shunted to the side because there's no immediate application.

At one point I realized that I hadn't touched about 20 of them, so I sat down with a project and went through them one by one. One of the ones that amazed me was MComb. I'd already been exposed to Arturia's Mini Filter, so I was a little familiar with the fun you can have with an automated filter, but MComb just blew me away. I put it on a full drum mix and it sounded insane.

I'm probably due for another Melda walkthrough, since the style of music I'm making has shifted toward the electronic. I also have a few more MeldaProduction bundles that undoubtedly have gems I've not yet touched. A friend on another forum recommended MConvolutionMB, which I have in a bundle but have never touched. Convolution reverbs put me off when I first tried them; they seemed like resource hogs and I prefer the sound of algorithmic reverbs like MTurboReverble. He says that MConvolutionMB is frugal in its use of resources (being a MeldaProduction effect after all) and sounds great, so I must try it.

The takeaway from all this is, I think, if you have any MeldaProduction bundle, there are probably a few FX that you have shunted to one side that are worth revisiting. Especially now that you're better at getting into the deeper features of the MeldaProduction line . Years ago, I wouldn't have thought to find the modulator in that MSpectralPan preset and switch it off, I wouldn't have known where to even find it. When I first tried it, I probably thought it was all about the automatic panning, a nice novelty to add sonic interest. Now it's on my to-do list to make a multiparameter for the high-end panning preset I found so I can just set it with that rather than dragging the curve around.

Turns out it also functions as a vital bread and butter mixing tool once I scratched the surface. For even the full price of the FreeFX bundle upgrade, choose 5 of the most useful FX in the bundle and it would still be a heck of a deal. MEQualizer, MCompressor, MSpectralPan, MStereoscope, MAnalyzer. MPhaser, MFlanger, MComb, MNotepad, MTuner. These would be $50 packages from any other vendor and sell well.

[mevla]

I guess it's the same with any bundle, there will be some that are immediately attractive and others that get shunted to the side because there's no immediate application.

Indeed. The Melda plugins, the way they are designed and made, are a treasure trove with perhaps endless practical discoveries. The comparison I can make is with the Emacs text editor : always something to discover when one wants to.

Whichever development path Vojtech takes from now on, I consider that the money I paid for the full bundle is very little in comparison of the functionalities and support given through several years now.

Also kudos to Chandler for making the videos !

The 'cherry on top' would be modularization of the documentation (eg. all common functions in one master document with specific plugin functionalities published with each plugin better written) ... and ...

a MSequencerMB !

[sparella]

The 'cherry on top' would be modularization of the documentation (eg. all common functions in one master document with specific plugin functionalities published with each plugin better written) ... and ...

Hmm... That might actually simplify things for the writers from a document management perspective.

[mevla]

Hmm... That might actually simplify things for the writers from a document management perspective.

No new idea there. Example : Voxengo plugins. Makes the plugin-specific documentation to the point, clear and easy to use.

Also, look at any high quality documentation development and maintenance done by large software companies (preferably firmware, eg. with actual physical products) and the effect on service dept. calls.

[dmbaer]

look at any high quality documentation development and maintenance done by large software companies ...

Well, MeldaProduction is now a part of a large software company ... so, hopefully we have something to look forward to.

Seriously though, having a single detailed manual with all the common functions documented is long overdue. What we've had so far is clearly all automatically generated. Given Vojtech's prolific pace, that was probably the only way to get any documentation done. But a common-functions manual that had actual tutorial content, not just reference content, would be helpful to a great many folks.