TRANSPARENCY AND FLEXIBILITY FOR MASTERING TO VINYL
As vinyl makes its resurgence, cutting is becoming a required service in many mastering rooms. Thus we are offering the new Dangerous Music CUTTER, a version of our proven MASTER transfer console with its incredible all-analog Mid-Side matrix and transparent routing, now with outputs especially designed to feed a lathe.
A lathe requires two identical but separate stereo signals from the final output stage, one to feed the preview computer that determines the size and shape of the groove to be cut, and one to feed the cutting head. The CUTTER accomplishes this seamlessly and is one of the only modern devices to do so. We look forward to providing tools for the new generation of cutting engineers.
HOOKING UP WITH THE LIAISON
If the three insert points aren’t enough to handle a more elaborate mastering rig, you can use the MASTER in conjunction with the powerful Dangerous Music LIAISON to patch in even more analog equipment at the touch of a button. For example, by inserting the LIAISON’s two stereo busses onto two of the MASTER’s insert loops, you’ve expanded from three to seven stereo inserts while simultaneously introducing analog-domain parallel processing, button-enabled signal rerouting, and instant patch recalls. You’ll get the speed and ease of digital-style recall from your analog gear.
INVESTING IN THE ANALOG SOUND & WORKFLOW
While some engineers are willing to run their mastering processes digitally – or “in the box” as the familiar phrase goes – the top professionals all rely on analog mastering equipment to achieve truly successful final production masters. When you purchase top-shelf analog equipment like the MASTER, you’re making an investment that will last your entire career. Because there’s no operating system, plugins, DAW or computer to become incompatible and, thus, obsolete, your analog gear will never require expensive upgrades. As one of the centerpieces in your mastering studio, the MASTER pulls all of your analog investment pieces together into an elegant “mastering rig” with a workflow and sound quality previously only known to those able to pay tens-of-thousands of dollars for custom mastering consoles.
MID/SIDE TUTORIAL
AN INTRODUCTION TO LINE-LEVEL MID/SIDE PROCESSING
Dangerous Music’s chief circuit designer, Chris Muth, was the first person to design a device specifically for implementing Mid/Side processing for line-level audio signals, as well as the first to include insert loops for applying external signal processors like compressors and EQs. Those innovations were a vastly important step forward for mixing and especially mastering. The Muth legend continues in the Dangerous MASTER, a powerful and crystal clear mastering console complete with an all-analog Mid/Side Matrix, width control and insert loops.
In this tutorial, we’ll learn about Mid/Side processing techniques, using the MASTER’s Mid/Side configuration as our example.
Mid/Side processing, as the name suggests, allows the Middle and the Sides (L-R) of a stereo recording to be separated out from each other and manipulated independently. Sometimes Mid/Side processing is called “sum and difference” or “sum and minus,” but we’ll stick with the standard Mid/Side name.
We typically think of stereo as being made up of the left and the right – which is technically accurate – but it is equally valid to think of stereo audio as being made up of the Mid and the Sides that we perceive. It’s also worth keeping in mind that there is no exact line of demarcation between the Mid and the Sides – anyone who’s used a “pan” pot knows intuitively that the stereo field is a continuum between far left and far right. So, when we separate out the Mid and the Sides in Mid/Side processing, we end up with signals mostly in the middle and mostly on the sides. This fact doesn’t present any real-world issues when working in Mid/Side, but it may help you grasp better what’s happening as you experiment with it.
The creative possibilities that arise with Mid/Side processing are vast, and it’s considered one of the most powerful – and sometimes problematic – tools among audio engineers. The possibility of changing levels, tones and dynamics within a finished mix puts formidable power into the hands of the engineer, especially during mastering. We’re going to explore some of those possibilities, especially as it pertains to using the Dangerous MASTER, but before we do, let’s get some basics down.
UNDERSTANDING THE MID/SIDE MATRIX
Like most audio devices, you actually don’t need to understand how Mid/Side processing works in order to use it, but it’s helpful and interesting to have a basic sense of it, and of how the Dangerous MASTER’s circuits achieve the definitive Mid/Side processing in the analog domain. Many digital Mid/Side plugins are available, but they have yet to measure up sonically to the sound of Muth’s brilliant analog circuits and often introduce undesirable artifacts.
Mid/Side processing involves a relatively complicated manipulation of audio signals, and it can be used during tracking, mixing and mastering stereo recordings. We’ll leave tracking aside for this tutorial, as Mid/Side recording requires a specific microphone technique. (Note that many MASTER owners use its Matrix for Mid/Side recording). Instead, we will focus on how Mid/Side processing works in the manipulation of line-level audio during mixing and mastering.
A FEW QUICK DEFINITIONS
Mid – The middle of the stereo image. We perceive the Mid as a mono audio image in the middle of the stereo field, but is actually a “phantom image” created by the left and right speakers delivering the exact same source at the same volume and at the same time.
Sides – The Left and Right sides of the stereo image.
Matrix – Using a relatively simple formula, the Matrix is the processor that encodes the L/R signal into separate Mid and Side signals and then decodes the M/S signals back into L/R. (The MASTER uses an audiophile-grade, all-analog Matrix.)
Insert Loop – On the Dangerous MASTER, there are three insert loops, and one of them can utilize the Mid/Side matrix, meaning that you can use this insert to process the Mid and Sides of a stereo signal separately.
Width Control – Not found on all Mid/Side processors, this control is an essential part of the MASTER that allows the user to quickly dial in the relative level of the mid and sides, effectively changing the perceived width of the stereo image. Even when not using the Insert Loops, pressing the MASTER’s Mid/Side button engages the Matrix, allowing use of the Width Control.
POSSIBILITIES FOR MASTERING WITH MID/SIDE
De-Ess the Vocal – By inserting a dedicated de-esser or other dynamic EQ unit on the Mid, one can control an ess-y vocal while leaving the sides alone. This is often desirable when there are problematic esses, but the sides require an open top-end that the de-esser might interfere with. Especially given the resurgence of vinyl, ess-y vocals can be a particularly nasty problem when cutting vinyl, while maintaining an open stereo image is essential.
Open Up The Wings – It’s not uncommon during mastering to use shelving EQs in the top end to “open up the mix.” (The Dangerous Music BAX EQ is a particularly musical tool for this.) By applying a high-shelf EQ to only the sides of the mix, elements that are commonly panned wide, such as cymbals and guitars, can pick pick up a great deal of high-end energy without causing excessive vocal sibilance, snare splashiness, or other undesirable results that the EQ might cause in the middle of the mix.
De-Ess and Open The Wings – It is not uncommon to use these two techniques in conjunction.
Rebuild The Middle – Another useful technique during mastering is simply turning the sides down on a mix where the engineer has “overpanned” and sucked the center out. This is why the Width Control on the MASTER goes in both directions, allowing you to narrow the mix and emphasize the Mid as needed.
Pump the Middle – Got a rhythm section down the center that’s begging for some hard compression, but you don’t want the sides to start breathing, or pumping, with the beat? Send the Mid into your favorite compressor and dial in edge and sustain up the middle without affecting the sonic elements on the sides. A powerful strategy for music with a heavy beat that needs to hit hard.
Match the Image – Sometimes there’s a track on an album that just doesn’t fit in due to its stereo image (compilation albums are notorious in this way). By using the width control on a unit like the Dangerous Music MASTER, you can dial in a stereo image that sits convincingly among the other tracks on the record.
Targeted EQ’ing – If you’ve got a lead vocal that needs some drastic EQ’ing, a kick drum that could use shaping, or a “snotty” snare that’s dominating the mix, simply use a parametric EQ to process those crucial elements in the middle while leaving the sides alone. Or, what if the middle sounds great, but there are some side elements that need individual attention – just patch an EQ channel to the Sides and go to work. Even more powerful, use individual channels of a stereo EQ to separately carve the Mid and Sides while maintaining consistent tonality from the EQ’s circuits across the stereo field.
Surreptitious Reverb Processing – Whether they openly admit it or not, many mastering engineers will use reverb to help get a record over the line. With Mid/Side processing, you can target the areas of the stereo image that you’d like to add reverb to, allowing you to use more in that specific area rather than bleeding it into the entire stereo image. Add a touch of extra space around a vocal or a solo horn in the center, for example, and let the sides remain unaffected. If you’re the type not to tell your clients you’ve added reverb, you’ll get away with even more!
Orchestral Sound Stage Manipulations – Many an audiophile will obsess over the realism of the soundstage in an orchestral recording, but what many of them don’t know is that those images are often derived quite artificially through the use of Mid/Side processing. Orchestral recording techniques often boil down to just a few simple microphones, and Mid/Side processing – even just control of the width – can add or subtract many yards/meters of perceived soundstage width and depth. Add in some EQ and a touch of additional reverb and you’ll feel like you’re controlling the architecture of the concert hall.
POSSIBILITIES FOR MIXING WITH MID/SIDE
Any of the above mastering techniques can be used during mixing. By running any stereo source through the Matrix, you’ve got control over the Mids and the Sides separately. Whether it’s a single stereo recording like a string quartet or a drum overhead pair or something more elaborate like a stereo subgroup of dense background a drum mix, Mid/Side opens up a whole world of possibilities for the creative mixer. Below are just a few possibilities to help get the creative ideas flowing.
Simple Width Control – With a device like the Dangerous Music MASTER’s straightforward width control on hand, adjusting the width of a stereo signal within a mix couldn’t be easier. It’s an effective way to help tracks either fit together, or distinguish themselves, within the bigger picture. Especially helpful when managing dense, layered mixes, where a bit of extra space can help.
Fake Stereo: Delay and Modulation – By “multing” (duplicating) a mono signal and routing it into both the left and right channels and sending it to the Mid/Side Matrix, one can do all kinds of interesting things. Put some short delay (start around 5 to 15ms) on one channel feeding the Matrix and you’ve suddenly got a whole world of slight differences between the Mid and Side content to play with. Modulate that delay with a chorus effect on the Sides, and you’ve got subtle movement in pitch and time with the center staying clear as a bell. This can create a “fake stereo” effect, adding depth and width to your mix. Very useful on pads and guitars.
Fake Stereo: Comb Filtering – Comb filtering occurs in real acoustic spaces when a signal and its reflection are arriving at the same point after having travelled different distances. The interaction of the two signals causes sharp peaks and dips across the frequency spectrum. This is called “comb filtering” because the peaks and valleys resemble the teeth on a comb. The human auditory processing systems use comb filtering to help “localize” a sound source in space. We can recreate comb filtering by choosing a predictable boost and cut pattern on the Mids and the exact opposite on the Sides, thus creating some very convincing artificial stereo effects. Add in a slight delay on one channel (start around 5ms and experiment from there), and the possibilities get quite interesting.
Rhythmic Delay Processing – In electronic music, many of the drum machines and older samples that have become so iconic are typically mono. It’s no secret that adding delay to your drum tracks has become a common production technique that wakes up those mono drums and converts them into wholly new beats. What’s less known is how to use Mid/Side processing to create these effects. For example, using the Dangerous Music MASTER’s Mid/Side send the sides of your drums out to a funky analog delay set to a subdivision of the song’s beat and the center will stay rock solid while the sides rock to an all new rhythm. Incredibly effective, and unique.
Drum Stereo Pair Work – Many simple stereo-pair drum recordings can leave you without options while mixing, and a common problem is splashy or harsh cymbals. EQ’ing the stereo-pair often leaves the center of the kit lackluster – the snare loses its cut, or the kick feels too muffled. By EQ’ing and compressing the Sides of the stereo pair, one can gain control over those cymbals while allowing the center to remain snappy and alive. Or, if you’ve got the opposite problem, EQ and/or compress the Mid while letting the Sides sizzle and crack. Mid/Side processing can make a stereo-pair function like a multi-mic recording.
Pitch-Shifting For Depth – Perfectly pitched recordings often lack character and depth (and are more common in today’s machine driven musical landscape). The magic of music is often found in the slight discrepancies of pitch and timbre. It’s been a long-known trick to shift the pitch between Left and Right order to create a sense of width – just tiny changes, a few cents to start and adjust to taste, sharp or flat, often some of each blended into each side. With Mid/Side you can apply this same technique and, rather than obtaining width, you can get front-to-back depth to emerge. Try this on “gang vocals” or a choir of background vocals, a horn section, or any string pads, and see if you can get a more 3D sonic image.
Reverb Sends – Experiment using the Sides as the stereo send to a reverb while leaving the center of the source dry. Subtle differences in how reverb is triggered by the Sides will often create a greater sense of space and interest around a vocal. Experiment with long pre-delay times in the reverb, and even try slightly modulating or pitch-shifting the send to the reverb for more miasmatic effects.
SPECS
- All connections are Balanced XLR, +4dBu nominal operating level
- 2 stereo inputs, 3 stereo outputs (one for monitoring)
- 3 insert loops
- 2nd insert capable of MS matrix operation
Input and Output controls:
+ – 5dB in 0.5dB steps
Input Monitor Offset:
-2 to +8dB in 0.5dB steps
Width control:
-4 to +6dB in 0.5dB steps
Attenuator accuracy:
> 0.01dB
THD+Noise in audio band:
< 0.0018%
IMD 60Hz + 4kHz 4:1
< 0.0025%
Crosstalk rejection:
Better than 111dB @ 1kHz
Headroom:
> +27dBu, +23dBu in the matrix under worst case conditions
Frequency response:
Better than 0.2dB down @ 1Hz and 100kHz
Noise floor:
< -92dBu total energy in the audio band
Warranty:
Free 2 year extended warranty with online registration.
Standard Warranty:
90 days parts and labor, subject to inspection. Does not include damage incurred through abusive operation or modifications/attempted repair by unauthorized technicians.