Mid-Side EQ Demystified: Clarity, Control, and Stereo Sorcery
Ever feel like your stereo mix is wide but just… not right? You might be missing one of mixing’s most underrated tools: Mid-Side EQ.
In this episode of Inside the Recording Studio, Chris and Jody wade into the murky but magical waters of Mid-Side EQ, unpacking the science, the strategy, and the occasional sonic mishap behind this powerful mixing technique.
🎧 Inside this episode:
- Where the concept of Mid-Side processing comes from—and how it’s evolved for today’s DAWs
- How Mid-Side EQ actually works in stereo, broken down into digestible chunks
- When to reach for Mid-Side EQ: mastering, reverb control, vocal clarity, and stereo imaging
- Common pitfalls to watch out for—because just because you can doesn’t mean you should
- A few of Chris and Jody’s favorite plugins for Mid-Side EQ and why they’re worth a spot in your toolkit
Whether you’re trying to tighten up a muddy low end or add air to the sides without wrecking your mono compatibility, this episode has actionable tips you can use right away.
And yes, there’s also this week’s Friday Finds and some completely unrequested but always entertaining nonsense to balance out the signal chain.
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Gear we used:
Jody’s Mic & Voice Chain: Telefunken C12 – Groove Tubes Vipre – Apollo – UA Neve 1073 – UA LA2A – UA Studer A800
Jody’s Channel Strip: iZotope RX Spectral DeNoise – iZotope RX Mouth DeClick – UA Neve 1073 – UA LA2A – UA 1176E
Chris’ Mic & Voice Chain: Slate ML1 – Apollo – UA – Slate VMR (FG12, FG73, API Eq, SSL 4kE) – iZotope RX Voice – DeNoise
Chris’ Channel Strip: Eventide Precision Time Align – iZotope RX Spectral DeNoise – iZotope RX Mouth DeClick – UA Neve 1073 – UA LA2A – UA 1176E
Master: Oek Sound Soothe 2 – iZotope Ozone Imager – iZotope Ozone Maximize.
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If you want to collaborate, sponsor a podcast, donate, or want us to review your product – contact us at: collaborate@insidetherecordingstudio.com