All you need is two channels to record MS. To matrix this to stereo, the 'S' channel is duplicated and phase inverted, creating the third channel. The two 'S' channels are panned opposite directions and combined with the M channel which is panned cneter. Varying the relative balance between the 'M' channel and the 'S' channels allows you to adjust the width.

hi, David,

is the matrix process automatic or do I have to manually do this?
and how do I adjust the balance between M and the S channel if the S channel is mixed into the M channel?

thanks

is the matrix process automatic or do I have to manually do this?

Check your recorder's manual and see if it had a built in MS matrix. Some do, some don't. If not, you can set up the matrix yourself after dumping digitally into your favorite DAW.

how do I adjust the balance between M and the S channel if the S channel is mixed into the M channel?

The channels are separate, but you route them out of the same bus. You have one 'M' channel and a pair of 'S' channels as I described before. Play the 'M' channel at 100% and then bring in the 'S' pair until you think it sounds right. If these three channels are sent to a stereo bus, then they are now stereo and you can export or record the output of this bus as your finished stereo mix.

You can also have a look at MSED, a free plugin, to get a better understanding how the whole process works.

[[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.voxengo…"]Link[/]="http://www.voxengo…"]Link[/]

and info
MSED is a mid/side encoder/decoder plug-in which encodes (splits) the incoming stereo signal into two components: mid/side or, alternatively, mono/stereo pair, and vice versa: decodes mid/side signal pair into stereo signal. MSED is also able to work in the in-line mode with the ability to adjust mid and side channels' gain without the need of inserting two MSED plug-ins in sequence.

Take care

Looking at the information at http://www.paia.com/msdecwrk.htm helped me to finally figure out how it all worked.

Sometimes I just need a picture.

thanks the explanation everyone, I think I am finally got it through this thick skull of mine. :D

James
that links a bit more technical, I found another link that explains it pretty straight forward:
http://www.transom.org/tools/recording_interviewing/200106.stereomicrophones.jtowne.html

thanks guys!

hey,

I am also looking into field recording via MS stereo recording, and I have some questions I hope you kind folks can help me with. :lol:

I've heard that you can't can't monitor the incoming ms signal unless you have a decoder to decode the signal into stereo, but if you use the decoder to decode the incoming signal into stereo does the portable recorder capture only the decoded stereo signal or does it still captures the original MS signal?

It should capture the MS. The decoding should be done just through a monitoring path.