Question about M/S mic technique decoding regarding digital or analog domains.

[philbo]

Yeah...but even so, how can you copy/convert in *real-time AS you're tracking* the M/S signals in order to get a L/R cue mix...?

I think that might be the only difference with analog M/S....it's working in real time (assuming there's a matrix set up to encode during tracking rather than done after the fact.)

You can do it easily in Reaper.
You simply arm the track for recording, and set the monitor button to monitor, and the audio from the mic(s) will pass through to the mixer. The point is: you don't have to record to hear what it will sound like.

For monitoring a MS pair:
One way - You apply the M/S decoder on the 2-channel track input, which will deliver a stereo track when recorded or monitored.
A better way - Record the mid and side mics to a 2-channel track (leaving it in mid-side format), then apply the MS->Stereo decoder to the track output. This way you can use the features of MS when mixing (adjusting the stereo width, for example).

For what it's worth: I always use plugins for MS decoders & encoders. It's just simpler, faster, and exactly the same as far as accuracy.