>Step by step

How to recognise and fix phasing issues in your recordings

1

While I’m using Logic Pro X for this tutorial, these tips can be applied in any DAW. I have a project with two recorded bass parts: one was run through an amplifier and the other through a DI box. Although they are recordings of the exact same take, the two tracks are out of phase.

2

An easy way to listen out for phase issues is to isolate your takes whether they be bass, vocals, guitar etc. The two tracks should sound louder and fuller together. If the takes are out of phase, the combined sound will be thinner. So solo the two tracks together at first and then one after the other to see how they sound.

3

In the case of my takes, I can hear that the combined sound is weaker together. If I zoom in I can also visually see that when the waveform of my first track is at the start of a cycle, the track beneath is at the opposite stage. It’s essential that the issue is handled now while these two tracks are separate.

4

So what next? One thing you can do is use a plugin. Most DAWs will have some version of phase inversion that can be applied. This will just flip the waveform so that it matches the cycle of the other track. It should immediately sound fuller. You can A/B the inversion button to hear the difference with and without.

5

Next, there’s a much easier manual way of sorting out the issue. It just involves nudging one track on your timeline to match the cycles of the other. While one track is on a positive (upwards) curve in its waveform cycle, the other is on a negative (downwards) curve.

Here, you’re using your eyes as well as your ears.

6

By zooming in and nudging one of the tracks, you can match them so that the waves are both at the same positive and negative points throughout. Again, try soloing one of the tracks to see how it sounds alone and together. Don’t forget to play both tracks with the other components in your mix, too.

7

On a couple of sound engineering jobs, when a client has sent stems to me, I’ve found that their favourite guitar takes have been comped already and had phase issues. On these occasions they had done a single take but using an X-Y dual microphone setup. At one point a mic stand might have slipped or something as the sound became notably thinner.

8

This is tricky to deal with as the sound in one portion of the recording was fine. I used a spatial processing tool called DrMS that allowed me to adjust the midside of the recording. It lets you alter the stereo field to widen or narrow. In this case, I narrowed the side so that the track wasn’t heavier on one side (mono).

9

I also added more gain to bring the latter portion of the recording that suffered phasing issues much closer in volume to the portion that was in phase. Another trick is to add a bit of delay to the guitar track to help mask the issues.

10

The wet signal, with the right amount of mathematical delay, tricks listeners’ ears and makes it harder to pick out the larger phase problem that it suffers from. Once other components of the track are added in, it becomes that much more effective to mask the issue completely.

11

An additional trick that can be used, depending on the instrument or vocal, is panning. Using more of the stereo field to pan sound in a particular direction or a couple of different ones can really be effective when combined with the other elements of your track. For vocals, this can be especially useful where adlibs or backing tracks are concerned.

12

While I’ve suggested panning as a way to mask phasing on a track that you don’t have separate recordings for, the reverse is true and it could mask issues for tracks where you don’t want them to occur. Be careful to check before mixing. Also be careful with stereo widening plugins, as you can introduce issues by going too far.