Download the version of the Stereo Tools Plug-in (PC) :

Stereo Tools VST Plug-in Zip

The Stereo Tools Plug-in for Steinberg Nuendo and Cubase and other VST applications (Premiere Pro)

Overveiw
The Stereo Tools VST Plug-in is a simple to use utility plug-in that allows you to pan or position both the left and right channels independently of one another. This is a 2 input and 2 output plug-in. It works well for stereo files that you don't want to have to convert to mono or if you want to fix a problem with the stereo file. For instance with the Stereo Tools plug-in you can MUTE one side of the file and then pan or position the other side to the center. You can then pan this file using the Nuendo or Cubase panner. You can also use the plug-in to remove the center information (voice remover), as well as sum both the left and right channels together. You can also work with files in the Mid/Side format.

NOTE: You can automate each control though the volumes and pan controls do not have ramp or zero-detection so there may be some noise generated. They are automated so you can change settings.

Volume Controls
The Volume Sliders will allow you to adjust the amplitude of a single channel. It has a range of -96 dB to +6 dB. If you select the GANG VOLUMES button both the Left and Right Volumes will move together.

The Pan Controls
The Pan Sliders will allow you to adjust the position of each channel in the stereo file. It uses CONSTANT POWER panning which can go over 0dB if you pan both the left and the right channels to the same position. If you select the GANG PAN then both the Left and Right Channels will be panned to the same position.

The Mute Buttons
The Mute buttons will when pressed mute the selected stereo channel.

The Invert Buttons (+/-)
The Invert Buttons allow you to invert the polarity of an audio channel. This is great for removing the center information or for fixing a channel that has been inverted.

The Swap Channels Button
The Swap Channels button just swaps the left and right channels.

The Gang Volume Button
The Gang Volumes button will link the left and right volume silders together.

The Gang Pan Button
The Gang Pan button will link the left and right pan silders together.

The Mono Button
The Mono button will when pressed add the left and right channels together. Before the they are added together each channel's gain is adjusted (see Volume Controls). Then both tracks are added together. The Invert and Mid/Side functions occur after they are added together as does the pan position of each channel.

The Mid/Side Button
The Mid/Side buttons allow you to work with stereo audio fles that have been
encoded in the Mid-Side format. The formula is very simple:

LEFT = (left + right) * 0.5
RIGHT = (left - right) * 0.5

This is used in tv audio production for transmission. To "decode" a Mid/Side audio file to normal stereo you need to add and subtract each channel from one another like so:

STEREO_LEFT = LEFT + RIGHT = (left+right)+(left-right) = left
STEREO_RIGHT = LEFT - RIGHT = (left+right)-(left+right)= right

Mastering Audio Using the Mid Side Format

If you are using Steinberg's Nuendo or Cubase you can Master stereo audio using the M/S format using the Stereo Tools VST Plug-in. If you are really interested in Mastering one of the best books I know of is by Bob Katz called "Mastering Audio the Art and the Science".

What is M/S ? It means Mid-Side or Mono-Stereo. It's actually a way of using two microphones to capture a stereo image with an emphasis on a wider more stable center image. The first microphone is a cardioid type that faces the sound source and a figure-8 microphone that is used to capture sounds from the sides. The figure-8 microphone is a stereo mic. These two micphone signals are then mixed together on a mixing console where the MONO cardioid mic is added (summed) with the LEFT side of the figure-8 mic, the MONO cardioid is then subtracted from the RIGHT figure-8 mic to give us our normal Left/Right Stereo. There are many field recordings (sounds effects) that have been recorded in this format.

The Kelly Industries StereoTools plug-in has an M/S encoder/decoder built-in to it. It very simple to use.

First using Nuendo or Cubase you create two stereo tracks, add your pre-mastered stereo audio file to both tracks. Make sure that both tracks are exactly aligned together in the timeline.

Next insert the StereoTools plug-in in the first slot on both tracks. Then call up each StereoTools dialog box and select the "Mid/Side" ****on (it turns red). Then on the first track position the Nuendo/Cubase Panner to the LEFT and then label this track "MID". Next pan the 2nd track all the way to the right and label this track "SIDE". Finally INSERT the StereoTools plug-in on the master stereo output probably in slot 2 or 3. Press the "Mid/Side" Button on as well.

What you should now have are two tracks one labeled "MID" and the labeled "SIDE". You should be able to play the file and here it as a normal stereo audio file.

Ok you've got the basic M/S mastering template set up. Now you can start to manipulate audio in the M/S format. Remember that the "MID" channel contains all of the center information found in the stereo mix while the "SIDE" contains what I call the difference information or "SIDE" information.

You can easily tell which is which by listening: the SIDE channel will sound reverby and somewhat muffled and disfused, while the MID channels sounds very clear.

If you bring down the MID channel by about -6dB you'll hear less center information (sounds from the center of the stereo spread).

Usually the center channel is where the voice, bass, and kickdrum are found.

You might want to compress and/or EQ before converting to M/S. You can also compress and EQ post M/S processing. When you EQ in M/S where you are effecting both sides you end up changing the stereo width and separation. If you boost at 5k you can spread the cymbals and hihat further across the stereo image without effecting the bass. Or you could EQ in the 60 to 200 Hz range and either tighten or loosen the bass.

The TC Electronic Finalizer 96k has a built-in M/S equaliser that they call a spectral imager. The only difference is they are using a multiband processing on both sides (Mid and Side). If you are using the Waves C4 Multi-Band Compressor you can accomplish the same thing as the spectral stereo imager using M/S processing.