Waves S1 imager Mono Loss

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Menaji-trois

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Hey, not sure if I just don't know what I'm doing but when I use the S1 imager or other similar widening plugins, whatever sound I use the imager on almost always starts to disappear when I switch my track to mono, with more and more loss happening as I push the plugin harder.

I think the S1 produces a "widening" effect by incorporating phasing, since my PAZ analyzer shows that my sound starts to bleed in to the "anti-phase" region of the stereo field as I turn the widening up, and I'm assuming that since Mono combines the L/R channels, these anti-phases cancel each other out? But if that's the case then how in the world can you even properly use the S1???

In the meantime I'm using the P22 Spread instead, since it doesn't really produce this issue, although it's also not perfect...I've also started duplicating tracks, panning them hard L/R and pitching them up/down by a few cents, and that also helps, but again, not exactly the same/perfect.

Help?! Thank you
 
Once you switch the mix into mono, you're negating the processes of the S-1. You have to switch back to stereo in order to hear what the plug is doing.
 
Yes ^^^^. Simple misunderstanding of terms. "mono" is short for monaural, as in, one combined signal that comes through your speakers sounding at the "center," or centralized, regardless of whether you have one speaker, two, or fifty. "Stereo" is short for stereophonic, or two separate speakers with a mix that includes not only varying volumes of each source in the mix, but varying amounts of panning (placement in the stereo image or soundstage from left to right). Regardless of what stereo effects, panning, and widening plug-ins you use on your mix, in mono, it will be mono. No stereo effect whatsoever. BUT, you should always check your mix in mono to make sure that in certain situations, if mono playback is required, you don't lose information in your mix. So when you hear the loss of certain sounds the more you increase the widening effect in mono, you are actually hearing the results of what that mix will sound like on a PA system or on their crappy iPhone speaker. So don't overuse widening, or any other stereo effect, and make sure you check your mixes in mono before settling on a final version.

GJ
 
Sorry, I think I may have asked the wrong question. Thank you for taking the time to reply but what I actually meant to ask was, how can I use the S1 to widen certain aspects of my mix (aka lead synth, background sweeps, etc.) without losing mono compatibility?? The only idea I could think of was making a copy of the audio and layering one with with an S1 and one without? Unless there is a better way of doing this...or simply don't use the S1 and do something else instead?
 
Well, there are certainly such things as a "mono mix" and a "stereo mix;" that used to be the norm, actually. But it's also important to make sure that your stereo mix sums to mono in a credible way. So again, the easiest answer is-- check your mixes in mono, and don't overuse stereo effects.

I am not a fan of widening plug-ins, but they have their uses. If it's something that you really love, just be aware that if you really overuse it, it can effect your mono sum, and in certain situations, you will lose sounds when the mix is played in mono. And, really? If you wanted the guitars all the way L and R, you could just mix them that way to begin with. I've heard overuse of widening plug-ins at the mastering level destroy decent mixes, so maybe I'm the wrong guy to ask...

GJ
 
Gotcha. Thanks for the help this has actually been really beneficial!
 
I guess you could run it in parallel with a track compleatly mono (there are many free plugins to do that)
 
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