Simulated Stereo Question

[dismuke]

I have had some very impressive sounding results from processing a mono file into a stereo file using the "simulated stereo" function. However, I have a question. If the simulated stereo file is played back later on through a mono-only sound system or radio, will the results be acceptable when the two channels are merged back into one? Or will there be be a sort of "echo" sound to it as a result of they way the simulated stereo was achieved?

[Craig Maier]

Re: Simulated Stereo Question

As with a real stereo recording, playback in mono will sound differently compared to playback in stereo. The degree of deviation will depend on the technique used and the amount of seperation that you instill onto the wavefile. I always minimized it by applying the Channel Blender as the last process in the chain.

[DJBohn]

Re: Simulated Stereo Question

If your are looking to preserve the original mono signal unaltered from stereo simulation, check this out. Several years ago (before Diamond Cut) I had a need for a stereo synthesizer. At the time I ended up purchasing a professional unit (an Orban 245F) that created what they called "Psudo Stereo". It utilized a five band equalizer simply opperated by Low Band, High Band & Seperation controls. The way it worked was this. Any equalization change implemented in one channel to create the stereo effect, the exact opposite was done to the other channel. No matter how exagerated the settings were, combining the channels still would result in the original un-altered mono source. The same approach could be done with DC-5 utilizing the graphic or more creativly the paragraphic equalizer. Just be sure that any amplitude changes of selected frequencies in one channel are exactly the opposite amplitudes in the other channel - frequeny & frequency bandwidth of the changes have to be identical.

[dismuke]

Re: Simulated Stereo Question

What I have been doing is simply using the preset "Mono To Stereo Simulator" under File Conversion in DCart 32. When I use it the "time offset" setting autopopulates with the number 3.70. Does this mean that the stereo effect is created by having one channel play a very slight bit ahead of the other? I guess my question is this: using this technique, would the simulated stereo recording played back over a mono radio sound significantly worse than if I were to have simply used the original mono recording and had never converted it to stereo in the first place? Also, is the channel blender you mention available in DCart 32 - or is that something found in a more recent version?

[DJBohn]

Re: Simulated Stereo Question

I have to apoligize. I had totally forgotten DC32 didn't have the independent channel processing ability, thus my previous response wouldn't do you any good. I am also sorry to say DC32 doesn't have the blender either. Both are available in DC-5 but not your DC32. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]
In answer to your question I would say the original mono would sound better in mono playback equipment, but lowering the offset number would make it better & still allow you stereo when you want it. Let your ears be the judge as to how much offset is acceptable for mono use. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]