Creating your own "home-brew" stereo image from a monaural track.

[Oren]

Occasionally I get an e-mail from an engineer or producer about how to work with digital audio, and rather than continue to reply to the individual only, I'll post the replies here in case someone else can benefit...

This person wanted to know how to enhance a recording's stereo image when most of the tracks have been recorded in monaural...

To make your own home-brew stereo image from a single monaural track:
- duplicate the track twice, so you have three identical monaural tracks.
- position one track dead center
- pan the other tracks hard left and right.
- nudge the left track ahead (delay) a few increments
- nudge the right track ahead exactly twice that number if increments (double the amount of delay)
- lower the levels of the left and right tracks so they are barely audible in the mix, left track slightly louder than the right.
- adjust the position (delay) of the left and right tracks so that they are not perceived as "echo", but rather as a stereo chorus effect.
- continue adjusting levels and delay until the effect is pleasing and sounds natural.

I have used this maneuver successfully with whole drum kits, vocal recordings and guitar performances - from both stereo tracks and monaural tracks.

[Marc JX8P]

Interesting, though you'd probably have to watch out for phasing problems in the bass range. I think you could also use a subtle reverb effect as long as you'd remove the tail and just subly use the early reflections. A convolution reverb would probably work best to give it all some 'space'.

I would also recommend filtering the side tracks so only the upper frequencies remain; that would reduce phasing and we derive spatial information mostly from those upper frequencies.

[folderol]

Interesting - must have a look at this.

[Oren]

... you could also use a subtle reverb effect as long as you'd remove the tail and just subtly use the early reflections.
I would also recommend filtering the side tracks so only the upper frequencies remain; that would reduce phasing and we derive spatial information mostly from those upper frequencies...

Good points, well presented!

[elwoodblues1969]

This is a very intriguing thread & it makes me realize that I know almost nothing about the technical side of recording,as I've always been a hands on person...just sort of feeling my way about,instinctively.

I'm really charged over the idea of applying this "home brew" method for use with vocals,as this would make things very interesting with delay & reverb effects!


Thanks for the brain tickle,guys.


-Thom

[Oren]

Thom,

The same studio owner (who asked about the enhanced stereo image effect) got back to me and suggested the same result could be achieved by using a stereo delay effect.
I tried it, and he's right - if you have a stereo delay plug-in for your DAW, just make the adjustments to duplicate the maneuver described above. My old-school approach give you a bit more control and lets you "see" process as it is set up, but requires a bit more time and effort than just using your stereo delay.

Never a frickin' dull moment...