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True to the Music
®
OVERVIEW
The Decoder is a multi-channel microphone preamp and M/S stereo
matrix that allows the user to easily create M/S recordings without having
to configure a recording console. The Decoder can be used for traditional
M/S recording with two microphones, or with three microphones for a
unique approach. It can also be used to Reamp pre-recorded tracks
through its M/S matrix during mix-down.
MID
+
=
SIDE
+
-
CARDROID
FIGURE-8
WHAT IS MID/SIDE?
Mid/Side is a stereo microphone technique that has been around since
the 1930's, and has been used on countless stereo recordings ever
since. The idea is that a cardioid or Omni-directional MID microphone is
aimed directly at the source to capture the direct sound, and a figure-8
SIDE microphone is pointed 90° off axis to capture the ambient energy.
The SIDE mic is then split into two separate channels, and the phase is
reversed on the second channel. While it all sounds very complicated,
reversing the phase of the copied signal simply allows the user to hear a
left and right stereo image as it is captured by the front and back of the
figure-8 microphone.
The result is a stereo image that can be manipulated by adjusting the
levels between the MID and SIDE microphones. Raising or lowering the
level of either will change the width of the stereo image, and the MID
microphone will act as a center channel, keeping the source focused and
present. The engineer can quickly tailor the balance between MID and
SIDE to create a stereo image that is perfect for their application.
M/S is also popular in broadcast as it allows for better mono compatibility
than any other stereo mic'ing technique. Because the SIDE channels
are out of phase with one another, they cancel one another out when
the mix is collapsed to mono. While other stereo mic'ing options tend
to disappear in mono mix downs, M/S allows the source microphone to
become more focused and present in the mix. The center is never lost!
3
Radial Engineering Ltd.
Decoder Mid/Side Matrix
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