Using mid/side EQ in Ableton Live
Take control of your stereo sources with Live’s EQ Eight and Utility
MID/SIDE EQ IS a mixing technique that can be put to practical or creative use, and Live has what we need to apply it, via the EQ Eight and Utility audio effect devices (if using Live Intro which doesn’t include EQ Eight, keep reading, we’ve got you covered). EQ, or equalisation, is the science and art of cutting and boosting selected frequencies to improve the sound of individual tracks or an entire mix. Mid/side EQ is when we break down the elements of a stereo track signal and EQ them differently – the mid being the sounds common to both left and right stereo tracks, and the sides being the sounds that appear differently on the left and right sides of the stereo spectrum. Another benefit is that when we split mid and sides like this, we can take the opportunity to adjust the levels of these elements, and even apply different audio effects to them. It’s something we’ve used to clean up stereo field recordings, and also enhance stereo files without affecting the centre, when mastering other people’s music and the stereo files are all we have.