Wider worlds

Effects and techniques that widen the stereo field are great if you’re designing background textures with plenty of high-frequency detail. However, low-mid and bass sounds often sound horribly off-balance if their stereo impression is increased. Upper-mid through treble can sound great though. Better still, by increasing width, you may well leave more of the mix’s central position uncluttered for your foreground sounds to shine through. Mid/side processors allow you to adjust these portions separately, and few do this better than Brainworx’s plugins. You can go deep, setting up separate EQs for the mid and side bands or employ a one-dial approach by boosting stereo width and trusting your ears.