Mid/side considerations

First developed as a technique for recording in stereo, mid/ side is a process that allows us to isolate and manipulate mono and stereo information independently. As already explored, mono sounds have exactly the same information in the left and right channels, and stereo information is the difference between the left and right channels – and a typical stereo sound will feature some of each.

In practise, a sound’s mono information is the ‘mid’, and its stereo content is the ‘side’. By using a plugin that allows independent levelling of the mid and side channels, we could turn down the side signal to decrease width and shift emphasis towards the mono component – and vice versa. Going further, a M/S equaliser allows you to boost or cut frequencies to mono and stereo information separately. By boosting treble in a sound’s side signal, its stereo information will become brighter, making the sound seem wider. Compressors, transient shapers, exciters and so on, often come with M/S capability for further stereo control.