Effects Reference

86 Chapter 6 Imaging
Stereo Spread
The Stereo Spread effect is typically used for mastering. There are several ways to
extend the stereo base (or perception of space), including use of reverbs and other
effects and altering the signal’s phase. They can all sound great, but can also weaken
the overall sound of your mix by ruining transient responses, for example.
The Stereo Spread plug-in extends the stereo base by distributing a selectable number of
frequency bands from the middle frequency range to the left and right channels. This is
done alternately—middle frequencies to the left channel, middle frequencies to the right
channel, and so on. This greatly increases the perception of stereo width without making
the sound totally unnatural, especially when used on mono recordings.
Stereo Spread Parameters
 Lower Int. slider and field: Sets the amount of stereo base extension for the lower
frequency bands.
 Upper Int. slider and field: Sets the amount of stereo base extension for the upper
frequency bands.
A point to note when you are setting the Lower and Upper Int. sliders is that the stereo
effect is most apparent in the middle and higher frequencies, and that distributing low
frequencies between the left and right speakers significantly reduces the energy from
both speakers. For this reason, you should use a lower Lower Int. setting, and avoid
setting the Lower Freq. below 300 Hz.
 Graphic display: Shows the number of bands the signal is divided into, and the
intensity of the Stereo Spread effect in the upper and lower frequency bands. The
upper section represents the left channel, and the lower section represents the right
channel. The frequency scale displays frequencies in ascending order, from left to right.
 Upper and Lower Freq. slider and fields: Use these to determine the upper and lower
limits of the highest frequency, and lowest band, to be distributed in the stereo image.
 Order knob: Sets the number of frequency bands that the signal is divided into. A
value of 8n is usually sufficient for most tasks, but you can use up to 12 bands.