Mixing Techniques - Mid Side in Ableton

In this video learn some creative Mid/Side Mixing Techniques In Ableton Live.

This is a mid side in Ableton mixing technique. We can separate the mono field from the stereo field in our music to treat these two signals independently and come up with some creative mixing techniques.

Start the mid side in Ableton principle using a track from track mauler. We can visualize the spread of the signal across the mono and to still your field using a vector scope. (The video is using a free vector scope from Flux). Using the utility in AP live, you can separate both the stereo and the mono field. The width controller at the bottom will let you achieve that. Place it at 200 width and now you have gotten rid of the mono field. The vector scope now only displays a horizontal line. Now place the width at 0% and you have gotten rid of the stereo field in your left vertical line on the vector scope.

Next, to rack the utility by right clicking and use the group function. Click on the chain icon to display the chain and duplicate it. You now have two identical chains loaded with the same utility plugin. When you place one of these chains with a utility at 200 width it is called “the side”. Obviously, the other one is at 0 width and will be called “the mid”. If you save this frack, you will never have to create it again and it will come in handy in many different situations.

If you solo one chain, you only get the stereo field. If you solo the other chain, you only get the mono field. You can now apply different processes to one chain or the other. For example, use an auto filter and load on one side. Start by soloing and you can hear the filtering happening but this filtering is not applied to the mid. Place both of them together now. You can hear this lovely, sweeping happening on the side of the mix but not in the mid. If you place that filter on the mid, listen to what happens. Interesting, but not as interesting as having it just on the mid. So, you see truly some doors are opening here.

Apply the mid side in Ableton techniques with a classic drum beat (i.e. kicking hats). Typically, the kick can sometimes struggle to cut through the wall of sound you are playing over it. The kick is still cutting through because the path has not many (or any) bass frequencies. However, as soon as you raise the bass, the kick will start struggling. Place a sidechain compressor right behind all these sounds, it would probably get a strong effect but maybe not as subtle as you would it to be. You have the kick back but everything is being pumped and maybe a little too much. Grab the mid side in Ableton treatment and place it on the channel. Instead of having a filter, move the compressor to the side. Pump the side of the mix with the kick drum. You can hear the pumping, but maybe still not the effect you are after. However, if you place the compressor on the mid, you get the kick back. The mid is being strongly side chained, but the side is not side chained and is intact. This creates a subtle effect on the sidechain and gives the kick back.

You can get more creative with the mid side in Ableton. Instead of placing a sidechain compression, use a sidechain gate and target the drums. You should hear the side of the mix being side-chained and triggered. If you place that gate on the mid, behind the rack, and sidechain the whole of the signal, it might not be exactly what you are looking for but you see that you can get extremely creative with mid side in Ableton mixing techniques.