Increasing stereo image

[mjolnir]

In the golden era of recording, most live takes were doubled, that is performed AGAIN live and overdubbed/punched in. This creates super wideness but doesn't work for synths and drum machines unless you change something before the second take. This is really important and why it's hard to get width if you use synths unless each patch is already super wide. But then again, sometimes the patches are too wide, see?

[_leras]

Rather than mix wideners, imagers, Haas FX, etc, I much prefer working the sides with mid-side processing during the mastering stage. Properly done, this can do wonders for your mix width without the risk of wreaking havoc on the track when it's played back in mono.

Haas effect and wideners definitely have their place in sound design and can have a great effect on sounds.

m/s on the master is the mix magic though. Doesn't even take much. Raise highs on the side and reduce in the middle, lift mids in the middle reduce on the sides. Be tasteful.

[andivax]

1) Make wide instruments on the synthesis stage - synth's UNISON parameter
2) Record double tracks of the same instrument/synth and hard PAN left-right
3) Use fake doublers (I have this in my Pro-R 2 reverb presets, FX category, Wide 01 and Wide 02)
4) Use Lexicon LX480 for fake double effect (I have this in my Relab LX480 v4 presets, Wider 01-04. It is in the ESSENTIAL BUNDLE)
5) use short ambience reverb on your hard panned instruments
6) you can pan instrument hard to the left and ONLY SLAPBACK REVERB hard to the right

[osiris]

I found this plugin from Melda just called MUtility but what it does is split the audio in 2 parts and each channel can be panned independently. I used it on a track and the sense of space was very real.

[andivax]

I found this plugin from Melda just called MUtility but what it does is split the audio in 2 parts and each channel can be panned independently. I used it on a track and the sense of space was very real.

check in MONO. very often this "haas method" causes troubles in mono

[osiris]

Yes. Forgot to mention that. Did mono check (always do). Checking levels is crucial and auto panning will not work if you try to put it after.
One of the issues I have with the plugin is there is a ton of features that i really don't understand, but someone who knows audio well could understand.

[andivax]

yup. almost everytime GAIN of the signal will be decreased. And sometimes timbre will be distorted.

[osiris]

This is the thing I like about the plug is there are L/R gain controls. The Izotope is okay. Widener is good, but easy to overdo.

[andivax]

Ozone has great widener, yes.
But I found myself using LX480 or d16 Syntorus 2. Better results especially on Lows.