Stereo widening

> Step by step 2. Boz Digital Labs and Joey Sturgis Tones SideWidener

1

There are various ways we can add and enhance stereo width, and creating stereo width from mono sources is particularly useful when mixing to stereo. SideWidener is a great tool for this purpose and although visually simple, can create some fabulous sounding effects.

2

Insert an instance on a track. Let’s have a run through the controls. The top half of the interface is occupied by a goniometer. This displays a Lissajous figure and the width of that figure goes some way to indicating the phase differences between the left and right channels of a stereo signal.

3

In the centre below this are three width Modes. Mode 1 is the most subtle effect, while Mode 3 the most extreme, and this mode introduces a lot of time domain smearing and creates an effect almost like a room reverb. Mode 2 is somewhere between the two.

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The Mode options are flanked by a Width amount and a Tone control. With Width 0, the source remains untouched, but as you increase it you’ll gradually add width. Tone meanwhile focuses on the mid range when set to zero and then gradually opens up to full frequency at its maximum.

5

Let’s try some audio. We’ve started by loading the Bass - Solid audio. This sound evolves slightly over time, but is mono. First, try Mode 1. This adds a pleasing width and we’ve increased the Width control almost to its max. Switching through the modes adds more width but we like the consistency of Mode 1 most.

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Now try the Tone setting. On this sound the Tone option is not influencing the sound that much. We’re getting the most effect in Mode 1, and with the Tone at about 20, we get a slightly more focused sound. With the other two modes, the Tone control does not have much of an impact.

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Next, let’s try the effect on our Guitar Riff audio. This sort of sound usually works very well with width enhancement, and with Mode 1 selected, simply increasing the Width to its maximum sounds great. This time the Tone control has more effect, but is still quite subtle.

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If we now try more extreme settings, will it improve the sound? In Mode 3 the sound becomes a bit metallic, and the result is not excellent. However, in Mode 2 we’ve got a great sound with Width at 80. The Tone control, which is set at 30, also brings some low mid frequency focus.

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Finally, don’t be afraid to use a widener on percussive sounds. Here we’ve loaded up our sampled snare (Beats - Snare) which is a solid but narrow sound. Once again Mode 3 is too loose and adds a flam. But Mode 1 is ideal and with the Tone set to max and Width on about 75, our snare sounds bigger.