Dance music masterclass

Enhance the stereo imaging on your dance music project and hear it shine!

Sara Simms

Sara Simms is an acclaimed DJ and producer from Toronto who’s played some of the world’s most prestigious venues and festivals alongside artists like Carl Craig, Victor Ruiz and more. She owns her own record label, Simmetry Sounds which releases cuttingedge techno and house tracks crafted by the next generation of electronic music producers

The well-known practice of individually applying EQ to the mid and side channels is called mid-side EQing. EQs that use the midside (M/S) mode convert a stereo sound into mono and stereo channels. The mid (mono) signal contains the information that’s the same in the left and right channels. The side signal contains audio information; that is, the difference between the left and right channels on a stereo track. Mid-side processing gives producers the ability to sculpt mixes far beyond conventional stereo processing.

Once the audio is converted into M/S, the mid information can be processed independently from the side information, then the audio is converted back into stereo left and right channels. In dance music production, mid-side EQing can be used to create remarkable stereo imaging results. This month, we’ll explore how mid-side EQing can enhance your mixing. For best results, you’ll want to reference your mix using speakers that are positioned correctly in a studio environment, and/or a pair of good quality headphones.