Mastering with dual mono tracks

[Emdprodukt]

I'm really interested in this technique and want to get further into it.
Let's say I would do everything ITB:

I set up two mono tracks. I put a comp on each with a HP on the sidechain. Hard pan left/right. Now, do I want to send both tracks to the 2nd bus and go further from there or process them individually (tube/tapesaturation, gclip, gclip, ozone4 on both tracks for example)?

Now let's say I'm using some kind of uber awesome stereo outboard comp with dual mono tracks:

Since I found out how to setup external effects in cubase, I can use the outboard comp just like a plugin. Now what? Send both tracks to the compressor and print them at the same time, put it like a plugin on each track, send one track to the compressor and print it?

That's it for now. Hope someone else is interested in this, too

 

[grywolf627]

Personally, I only do my initial master 2 bus compression in dual mono. I learned this from Lasse, and use it a LOT. SSL style compression, but only taking off 2...maybe 4 dB at the max. But since I don't have an outboard compressor like Lasse that will do dual mono (well...not a GOOD one at least), I just take my stereo wav file, split it in WaveLab to two separate mono tracks, process them through the compressor plugin separately, then reopen them together in WaveLab as a single stereo file. Then from there, I proceed to saturate, gclip, limit, and whatever else needs to be done.

Not exactly answering your question...just my own roundabout way of doing things that seems to work great for me. It's not a HUGE difference in the sound, going dual mono like that. But, there IS a perceivable difference. It's just a little more open sounding without resorting to stereo wideners. At least, that's my take on all of it.

 

[Pedro Teixeira]

That's what I do actually, when I use a dual mono compressor I just split the .wav into L and R and send each signal to the outboard comp which then compresses each side, dont really find the need to do anymore than that (in terms of compression), its exactly the same as putting a plugin on your 2buss, the stereo audio material is only made of L and R anyway

 

[Emdprodukt]

thanks for the answers so far.

Lasse was the one who caught my interest with a post in another thread

 

[Lasse Lammert]

yeah, I'm only using dual mono processing during mixdown, not in the mastering.
and it's not like I invented that or anything, people have been doing that for ages (check dye's use of multiple mono AC1 in MILAR for example).

but as I said in the other thread, I'm ultra anal about setting both sides of the compressor identical, I'm using testtones and analizers to make sure both sides are taking off the exact same amount of dB and that the makeup gain is set identical etc.
that's why I'm often just using the C2 in dtereo...less trouble setting it up. but it DOES sound nicer/wider/more open in dual mono.

not sure but I think I've actually posted a stereo/dual mono - comparison somewhere on this forum some time ago

 

[Pedro Teixeira]

yeah, I'm only using dual mono processing during mixdown, not in the mastering.
and it's not like I invented that or anything, people have been doing that for ages (check dye's use of multiple mono AC1 in MILAR for example).

but as I said in the other thread, I'm ultra anal about setting both sides of the compressor identical, I'm using testtones and analizers to make sure both sides are taking off the exact same amount of dB and that the makeup gain is set identical etc.
that's why I'm often just using the C2 in dtereo...less trouble setting it up. but it DOES sound nicer/wider/more open in dual mono.

not sure but I think I've actually posted a stereo/dual mono - comparison somewhere on this forum some time ago

That is so true... I find myself almost with a magnifying glass on the knobs to make sure they're EXACTLY the same not one millimetre more or less

 

[Lasse Lammert]

That is so true... I find myself almost with a magnifying glass on the knobs to make sure they're EXACTLY the same not one millimetre more or less

yep, that's what I used to do...until I found out that it doesn't help. The tolerances of pots and parts as well as the inaccuratcy of the meters make it impossible to set both sides identically without analizers/meters in the DAW.

 

[Pedro Teixeira]

yep, that's what I used to do...until I found out that it doesn't help. The tolerances of pots and parts as well as the inaccuratcy of the meters make it impossible to set both sides identically without analizers/meters in the DAW.

Exactly, but I'm really anal about that stuff and even when the meters show them almost exact I still waste like 5 mins or more trying to get them 100% in line... its awful... being a bit ocd sucks

 

[waltz mastering]

Now let's say I'm using some kind of uber awesome stereo outboard comp with dual mono tracks:

Since I found out how to setup external effects in cubase, I can use the outboard comp just like a plugin. Now what? Send both tracks to the compressor and print them at the same time, put it like a plugin on each track, send one track to the compressor and print it?

You would only be able to use one instance of an outboard compressor for a session. Set up through a hardware insert sent out through da, returning through ad.

So you can put the left channel of the comp on one mono track and the right on another mono track. Same as running a stereo compressor on a stereo track "Un-linked"

 

[Emdprodukt]

thank you guys, I start to understand