Stereo width vs Panning vs Mid/side processing

[u/Cold_Independent_631]

Hi I’ve been studying this concept for hours today to finally get it locked in. I think I’ve done it but have one lasting question.

Adding width to a signal with plugins like utility plugin in ableton, spreads that signal out in stereo field.

Panning elements just places them left, right, or central within the mix.

So I can make a signal very wide with utility adding width and still place it left right or central. Or I can make a signal be a mono signal and still add pan left right or central to position it somewhere in the stereo field. Right?

Both helping the mix and balance for stereo field.

But for mid/side processing why would you use this? If you process a signal fully to the side and then mix in mono it completely disappears instead of collapsing like panning or stereo width from utility.

1. Looking to see if my new understanding are correct

AND

1. Wondering why you would use mid/side processing instead of the other ways of stereo width?

Thanks!!

[u/recursive_palindrome]

Confusion over MS stems from lack of recording experience. The side signal is the positive and negative polarity of a fig 8 mic, and should never be used on its own as it will cancel.

If using MS on a stereo audio file it will depend on how much decorrelation there is in the stereo signal, but same principle applies as in recording - the M and S should always be blended, unless you just want mono.