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Re: Digital stereo synth

Subject: Re: Digital stereo synth
From: Rob Danielson <>
Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 11:34:25 -0600
>Bernie,
>
>Waves, I think, either have a plug-in for synthesising stereo from a mono
>source, or a setting for their Q10 graphic EQ. Either way, what it does is
>split the frequency bands of the sound between 2 channels (ie band 1 to
>left, band 2 to right, etc).
>
>Have you tried this technique? I've never experimented but would expect this
>to generate an illusion of space in the recording at the expense of audio
>fidelity - which may or may not sound OK. Might work for an installation
>where the 'feel' is more important than absolute frequency integrity.
>
>Geoff.
>

A home-patched, more sound-specific variation of the Wave's eq based 
synthesis that sometimes works pretty well is to create eq that 
"dries up" or reduces the prominance of the most resonate frequencies 
in the original mono track. This takes some careful listening and a 
multi-band parametric eq plug like Eqium.  Place this eq on the 
channel that one wishes to render in the stereo field as closer. 
Place the original on the other channel and insert sample delay and 
eq. Play with both variables to create a stereo field. The volume of 
the original (more resonant) side usually needs to be lower because 
its placed further away with this technique.  Use hard pans only. If 
this field lacks luster, a tricker technique is to phase cancel sum 
these two channels and bus this sum with its own eq and very modest 
space-appropriate reverb to the center. This last step can create 
some oddities that require filtering but if you are patient in 
removing them with eq, it can add "depth" that is more spatially 
defined than reverb alone. I've also used Tom Erbe's plug that Mark 
suggested to create a mono sum for the center inserted with eq and 
mild reverb. If  the stereo file is headed for broadcast, its 
probably a good idea to insert Waves S1 at the output stage. S1 uses 
m-s processing and will usually make it mono compatible. I haven't 
tried it, but if you put S1 in the chain from the start, you could 
tweak it too as you proceed with the other adjustments. I'd up 
everything to 24 bit at the outset. Rob D.



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