How Much Width is Too Much Width?
Modern mixes must be wide to compete – but can you push width too far? Here we’ll tell you where you should use a narrow focus and when a broader width can be a mix masterstroke.
It’s no secret that music has evolved over the years, and not just stylistically. Technically, music and the way we consume it has changed drastically too. One of the most notable changes is in the width of modern music; until the 60s, most commercial music was in mono.
You can’t dispute that stereo audio (and now spatial audio) is great for creating a more immersive listening experience, but is there such a thing as too much width? The answer is yes, your mix can be too wide, and in this article, we’ll explain why that can be problematic, as well as how you can wrangle your mix’s width.
Why is Stereo Width Important?
Let’s start by delving further into the importance of stereo width and what it means for your listeners. As we briefly mentioned, stereo audio allows us to create a more immersive experience for our listeners by placing certain elements in different positions across the X-axis. It also allows us to create more interesting and dynamic mixes by moving instruments around the stereo field dynamically.
The majority of contemporary music is now created, mixed and consumed in stereo, so it’s important that you consider how your own music will stack up against others. In the same way that you want your song to be as loud and full as another song in a similar style, you should also consider its relative width.
How Can You Achieve More Stereo Width?
There are many ways to give your mix a greater sense of width, but not all are created equal. Let’s take a look at some ways of enhancing stereo width, their uses and implications.
Panning
The most rudimentary method of achieving stereo width is panning elements across the stereo field. For example, panning a hi-hat and shaker track in opposite directions will create a sense of width and immersion.
While your DAW has some basic panning functionality, a plugin like S1 Stereo Enhancer grants you more control over your stereo image. The Asymmetry and Rotation controls let you rectify off-center panning, or you can reposition mono elements to achieve greater stereo width.
Stereo effects
Usually, instruments such as vocals and snares are kept in the center of the mix so that they retain their impact. However, there are some circumstances where you might wish to add a sense of width to these elements, such as if you want to make your overall mix sound wider.
To accomplish this, send your instrument to a return channel containing a stereo effect. Reverb and delay are particularly popular for this technique, as they can be used sparingly to add some subtle stereo width. Applying stereo effects via a return channel leaves the dry signal intact while helping to add width, space and character to your mix.
Stereo wideners
In addition to the techniques mentioned above, there are also dedicated stereo widening plugins that are designed to help you create wider mixes. S1 Stereo Imager’s Width control alters the width of the stereo input signal, with values above 1 increasing the perceived width of the audio signal.
PS22 Stereo Maker works similarly to S1 Stereo Imager, but lets you apply stereo widening on a frequency-dependent basis. This is particularly useful for elements with a broad frequency range such as pianos or busses, as you can apply the stereo widening to only the upper frequencies. This helps you to avoid phase issues and retain mono compatibility.
How Wide is Too Wide?
Now that we’ve highlighted some ways to get a wider mix, you might be eager to put those new techniques into practice. Before you do that, let’s consider the implications of having too much width in your mix.
What are the technical considerations of too much width?
Have you ever listened to your favorite song with just one earphone in, and wondered where that guitar line or hi-hat has disappeared? This issue perfectly demonstrates the risks of panning something too aggressively. While most people consume music in stereo, placing too many elements too far away from the center of the mix can cause issues at the listening stage. For the same reason, you should avoid panning any core elements too aggressively, such as the kick, snare or lead vocals.
Other technical considerations include the potential loss of impact when panning too many elements away from the center. When an instrument is in the center of the mix, the left and right signals’ phase and level are aligned, which our brains interpret as a more robust and loud signal. This is another reason to keep core instruments front and center.
It’s also worth considering the importance of retaining stereo contrast in your mix. If every single element in your mix is hard panned, or you apply stereo widening to the master, then none of the elements will be centered and therefore nothing will sound wide. You must have some narrow elements for others to be perceived as being wide.
Phase is a relatively complex subject that sits outside the remit of this article, but it’s an important consideration when applying stereo widening. We perceive width through a difference in the left and right signal, whether that’s a difference in volume, tone or timing. When we offset the timing between the left and right signals, we can disturb the phase of a signal which may cause it to lose volume or impact. Going overboard with stereo-widening effects, or applying it to bass frequencies can result in unwanted phase issues.
What are the artistic considerations?
We’ve looked at the technical considerations around stereo width, but what about the other side of the coin? Arguably, the artistic motivations for aggressive or unconventional stereo width might outshine the technical reasons not to.
One major factor when considering how much width is too much width, is the musical style you’re working with. For example, a classical piece with a full orchestra is likely to need a considerable amount of quite extreme panning in order to translate well on a stereo sound system. A dancefloor-oriented electronic music track on the other hand, is more likely to be played on mono sound systems at clubs and festivals, and so maintaining mono-compatibility is paramount.
We often consider panning as a technical tool reserved exclusively for mixing, but stereo width can be a valuable creative tool too. For example, we’ve touched on why you might prefer to keep your lead vocal in the center of the mix, but what if you want to emphasize an artistic concept within your production? Panning can help you to reinforce a number of artistic production concepts including call and response, complex rhythmic patterns and sweeps.
How to Manage Stereo Width
Okay, so we’ve identified some potential dangers of going wild with width, but what can you do to remedy the situation or avoid it in the first place?
Use phase-friendly stereo widening tools
When mimicking width with stereo-widening plugins, it’s important to use tools that have been designed to avoid producing unwanted phase issues. Like many Waves plugins, S1 Stereo Imager and PS22 Stereo Maker are equipped with phase correction functionality, meaning you can push the stereo widening without causing phase incompatibility or other stereo issues.
Use reference tracks
Phase is a relatively complex subject that sits outside the remit of this article, but it’s an important consideration when applying stereo widening. We perceive width through a difference in the left and right signal, whether that’s a difference in volume, tone or timing. When we offset the timing between the left and right signals, we can disturb the phase of a signal which may cause it to lose volume or impact. Going overboard with stereo-widening effects, or applying it to bass frequencies can result in unwanted phase issues.
Try loading a few similar productions into your project, and listen to how wide (or narrow) they sound compared to yours. You can also listen in to specific instruments or frequencies to hear how each of them has been positioned across the X-axis.
Tweak the balance between the center and sides
If you’re relatively deep into your mix and you’ve realized you’ve overdone it, all is not lost. Ideally, you’d go back and undo or at least dial back some of that stereo widening, but if that’s not an option there is another solution. Waves Center gives you the ability to fine-tune the perceived width of your stereo signals by independently adjusting the level of the center and the sides.
You can even use the Low and High controls to tweak the stereo width according to frequency. This makes it a great tool for adjusting the width of buses or elements with a lot of frequency information.
Mix in mono
Suggesting mixing in mono in an article about stereo width might seem paradoxical, but bear with us. One of the main uses for stereo width is to create separation between the various elements within a mix, and so the usefulness of panning may discourage us from using alternative methods such as equalization and leveling. Try starting your mix in mono and see how much separation you can achieve with EQ and balance before resorting to stereo widening.
Monitor on multiple playback devices
You might have a primary playback source such as a pair of studio monitors, but it’s always good practice to listen to your mix on as many different playback devices as possible. Headphones tend to accentuate a track’s stereo width when compared to studio monitors. It may also be useful to listen back on a range of consumer-level playback devices such as laptop speakers, a mobile phone or a Bluetooth speaker.
Now that you’re armed with this essential mix width knowledge, check out our Stereo Imaging plugins to help you dial in the perfect width in your productions.
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