Converting MONO to STEREO

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beedub1

New member
I'm looking for any tips on converting a mono audio signal to a stereo signal... I have some mono live music recordings and I'm just trying to give them a more expanded stereo feel.

What I've done:
1. convert the file to stereo by simply copying the signal into both left and right channels

2. delay one channel... i believe this is the key here. i applied a 5ms delay and output 100% effected (delayed) signal... i'm not sure what the delay time should be... any ideas?? or any standard practice?? please offer up any insight

3. then i "expanded" by using the pan/expand process in sound forge to make it sound a bit wider...

Please let me know if this is a good procedure to follow and offer any suggestions to help. Thanks!!
 
Keep in mind that simulating stereo is almost always going to cause phase problems.

Keeping that in mind...

Try making two copies (a total of three).

Pan the left one (1) to the left, the middle one (2) to the middle and the right one (3) to the right.

Cut 1 & 3 off with a high-pass at around 2.5kHz.

Cut 2 off with a low pass filter around twice the high-pass (5kHz).

Delay 1 by a few milliseconds - Pick a prime number just for fun (3,5,7,11...)

Delay 3 by a different number - A different prime is fine.

Adjust the HPFs on 1 & 3 to get the highs sounding "natural" while tweaking the LPF on the center channel. You might find that 5 & 10kHz works better. Or not. Depends on how wonderful the highs are.

Check in mono and perhaps adjust the delay(s) to minimize cancellation.
 
thanks Massive....

The phasing problem is a result of delaying the signal, correct? Also, is the significance to using "prime number" delay times to avoid channels 1 and 3 to occassionally "overlap" or "sync?"
 
Some frequencies are always going to be a problem depending on the delay time. At least this way, you have similar problems "clashing" with each other.

You'll be able to hear the frequency shift each millisecond you move. The trick is to get the right combination of delays that give you the depth you're looking for while compromising that shift. The mono check at least stops you from getting out of hand with too much time.

For the most part, if you actually make the adjustments while IN mono, it may well be easier to get a nice setting.
 
You can play with some fuck around tricks... but the reality is that you have about as much of a chance of turning mono into stereo as you do of turning water into wine... if you're sucessful, make mine a Merlot... :o
 
I'm hoping to just get him a swig of some MD-20/20... Probably Banana-Red. :D

Sure, it's not "real" wine, and it leaves a weird taste in your mouth, and anything more than a swig will give you a headache... Still, it makes you feel more classy than Boon's Farm...

The analogies are incredible... :eek:
 
the trick with the 3 tracks using HPF and LPF's worked out pretty well! It's a lot better than simply using the "expander" in Sound Forge... I tried it last night, and now I need to give my ears a rest before I revisit and compare to the original mono source. we'll see who's buying who what
 
Massive Master,

Adjust the HPFs on 1 & 3 to get the highs sounding "natural" while tweaking the LPF on the center channel. You might find that 5 & 10kHz works better. Or not. Depends on how wonderful the highs are.
Click to expand...

What do you mean by "HPFs" and "LPF"? Are they initials of something(I'm portuguese)?
 
There's a cheap & quick version of a horrible sounding mix on my "Audio Samples" page (I believe it's actually the 2nd page) of a mono file with simulated quasi-stereo techniques applied to it... I probably should've mentioned this before...

Yup - Page 2...

http://www.massivemastering.com/html/audio_samples_2.html

It would be "SAMPLE SEVEN"

Obvously, don't pay much attention to the overall sound quality - That's not what this particular study was about for the most part... This one was truly an example of a "salvage operation."
 
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