Analogue Mixing In The Box - Pt 3 Split That Master Bus

Forget Stereo Plugins

When it comes to mixing 'In the box' the one thing that is said to be missing time and again, compared to an analogue mix, is there's a severe lack of stereo image. I have to agree with that statement. I like many others are right in saying that a digital recording compared to that done on an analogue console just doesn't have the same separation and width. But WAIT! What if we have been doing it wrong all this time with our 'In the box' mixing?

For one have you been using a stereo plugin on your Master Bus/Main Outs?

What if I told you that was detrimental to your whole mix, robbing your mix, no matter how wonderfully you have mixed/produced it, from it's stereo width and instrument separation!

You see on an analogue console the Main Bus is not a stereo bus but in fact two mono busses, working independently of each other. Think about that for a while... not STEREO but DUAL MONO!

So with that being the case wouldn't it make sense NOT to use "stereo" plugins on our master bus whether they be compression, eq or any other stereo plugin but instead split the Master Bus/Main Outs into dual mono?

 NOT to use "stereo" plugins on our master bus.

 You see the main problem with using any stereo plugin on our 'Master Bus' is that when, for instance say a loud Tom hit that is panned left, hits a stereo compressor, inserted on our master bus, the compressor will turn down the left side to compensate but it will also turn down the right side by the same amount. That's not how things work on an analogue console. If the same Tom hit was going through the compressor on the console only the left side gets turned down and the right side is left unaffected. This is even more apparent when it comes to saturation. For the same reasons you don't want the left side effecting whats going on the right and vice versa. The left/right of the audio needs to be free of each other, both working independently and that is what gives the width and separation we've all been missing from our digital recordings.

But this isn't my idea or my eureka moment to offer to the world. No in fact it was realised many decades ago by the pioneer of 'Mixing in the Box' Mr. Charles Dye. Charles is infamous for his entirely mixed in the box number one hit by Ricky Martin "Livin' La Vida Loca," This at a time when the whole world mixed entirely and exclusively on analogue consoles.

the pioneer of 'Mixing in the Box' Mr. Charles Dye.

Charles was 'mixing in the box' when no-one knew what 'mixing in the box' actually was. He came out with one of the most excellent mixing tutorial courses ever produced to date,
"Mix it like a Record"

In the 3hr video Charles takes us on the journey of mixing and creating the analogue console in our DAW. But one of the most exceptional concepts he gives early on in the video is how the analogue console mix bus was not stereo but dual mono and that's why we should treat our digital Master Bus the same way. Don't use stereo plugins but instead split the 'Master Bus' into dual mono and use "MONO" instances of our favourite plugins on the right and left so they now work independently of each other.

Instant width and separation.

I would point out that some manufacturers (Vertigo VSC2 below) incorporate the ability to turn, at the flick of a switch or push of a button, their stereo plugin from stereo to dual mono. But having tested some myself, I have still found them to not completely allow the right and left channels to work independently. This is open for debate, try some and see but I have not found them to be 100% on the money when it comes to true separation and width.

Now fortunately some genius working for Presonus incorporated the most wonderful invention since sliced bread into Studio One, that's right the 'Splitter'. Now you can indeed split your 'Master Bus' into dual mono in other DAW's but none make it so simple to implement as Presonus do in Studio One.

So check the video below as I try to demonstrate the difference between an all digital stereo Master Bus with stereo plugins as inserts verses an all digital dual mono/split Master Bus with mono plugins inserted separately on the left and right channels.

Still sceptical? I urge you to try this out on your own digital setup in your DAW and I promise you'll be amazed at the level of separation, width and depth that was missing before is now ever so apparent. Please be sure to let me know how you get on in the comments section below.