Mid-Side Decoder Plugin

[sacsound58]

It would be wonderful to see a Mid-Side (MS) decoder plugin added to the CQ’s collection of FX inserts. This would allow a way to assign the “Mid” and “Side” microphones to channels 1 & 2 of a stereo pair of inputs, and be matrixed into a stereo source. Typically there would be a control to vary the amount of mid vs. side signal and thus the width of the stereo image. Having such a plugin would greatly facilitate being able to use the MS technique with two separate microphones or a stereo mic that offers discrete “mid and “side” outputs.

As a matter of fact this would be a very useful FX insert for the SQ series as well. However on the SQ there is a workaround – the create the “side” image you can assign the same input “socket” to two channels and then reverse the phase on the second input. On the CQ you cannot change the “socket source” for an input so that won’t work.

I guess a user may be able to use an external MS decoder (but have extra gear to haul around) or splitter cable (but this would eat up another input channel).

Thanks for considering this FX insert addition!

[SteffenR]

The SQ already has an M/S decoder.
But I think that the CQ isn’t the right desk for such a tool.

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[sacsound58]

Thanks for pointing out the M/S decoder on the SQ. I completely overlooked it. I’ll be using it frequently now!

I’d be interested to hear why you think the CQ is not the tool for M/S. I have other desks and audio interfaces I use in the field that have M/S decoding, but the CQ’s combination of portability and 16 inputs makes it quite attractive for a variety of gigs where M/S could come into play. I use M/S often for classical music recording, where it works great for Mains and section pickup, but it’s also a very good tool for drum overheads, piano, acoustic guitar.. anything with a strong stereo image.

[SteffenR]

It’s an entry level desk. It’s for easy use and not overloaded feature set.
Something like an M/S plugin would add another possible point of failure.

[sacsound58]

That is true. In the wrong hands, “M/S” could turn out to stand for “Mangled Sound!” However in the right hands (and with the right microphones) it could offer some nice options.
“Entry level” of course is a relative thing. This is an amazing mixer with an already-strong feature set which will fit in my computer backpack! I only recently acquired my CQ-18T but plan to use it for any number of different sound production/recording scenarios. The idea of being able to fly to gigs with this in my carry-on is awesome.

BTW, in the “General Discussions” part of the forum I inquired about using an XLR splitter cable to connect the “side” condenser microphone of an M/S pair to two inputs on the CQ. In your view would this work OK without doing any damage to microphone or mixer? I’d probably only activate 48V on one channel. I thought I’d get the CQ experts’ opinion first before jumping in with this. Please feel free to answer in the other forum if that’s more appropriate. Thanks!

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