M/S Encoding and Decoding

Cubase
1

I’ve recently been researching M/S processing to help the stereo fields of my mixing and mastering processes and I think I know how to encode an M/S signal within cubase, basically would like confirmation if my method is correct or someone to say HELL NO that’s totally wrong…

So here goes:

  • The source signal runs from a stereo track (this track has no bus output).
  • I add a group track and call it “mid” and send the signal there from the source.
  • I add 2 group tracks and pan one hard left the other hard right and I send the signals to both from the source track.
  • The group track that I pan hard left I phase reverse then send both hard left and hard right groups to a group called “sides”.
  • Now I group the “mid” group and “sides” group to a final group track called “M/S encoded”.

So in my theory I’ve now created a mid side signal from a stereo signal, does this sound right to anyone who has experience with M/S encoding? If so then how would I decode the signal again? Would love some feedback, thanks!

2

The group needs to be mono, or if stereo, the signal needs to be “monoed” with the stereo combined panner

Again they ideally should be mono, and one group should get the “L” signal only, the other should get the “R” signal only, not a summed signal.

Again a mono group, otherwise signal needs to be centered again.

This group is then stereo, where typically “M” is on the left channel, “S” is on the right channel…?

Via the standard M/S matrix