bx_control V2 manual

bx_control V2 manual

Index 5.11 Balance meter 8

1.0 What is the bx_control V2 plug-in? 3 5.12 Correlation Meter 9

2.0 What is M/S technology? 3 5.13 Bypass 9

3.0 Why is M/S good for mixing & mastering? 3 5.14 Undo / Redo (32 steps) 9

4.0 Features of bx_control V2: 4 5.15 Settings (A/B/C/D) 9

5.0 Overview and details 4 5.16 Manual 9

5.1 Input & Output switches 4 5.17 Help section / general info 10

5.2 L/R flip - swaps left and right channels 5 6.0 How do I get started with bx_control V2 10

5.3 Phase Reverse (left & right): 5 6.1 Recording M/S microphone signals with the bx_control V2: 11

5.4 Solo buttons & solo in place 5 6.2 Using the bx_control V2 on various elements of your mix session: 11

5.5 Stereo image section 5 6.3 Using bx_control V2 in a standard L/R mastering session: 12

5.6 Mono Maker  6 6.4 Using the bx_control V2 in an M/S mastering: 12

5.7 Stereo Width Control (via internal M/S technique!) 6 6.5 bx_control V2 as a pure “Control Listening Tool”: 14

5.8 Input Gain 7 8.0 TROUBLESHOOTING 15

5.9 High resolution Peak, RMS and Dynamic Range LEDs 7

5.10 Clip LEDs  8

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1.0 What is the bx_control V2 plug-in? M- and S- microphone signals and switch it to M/S input…
For additional details about this technique you may have a look into any decent
bx_control V2 is a handy control listening tool with some built-in sophisticated audio book. Please do so if you want to learn more about this method to create
M/S features for DAW (digital audio workstation) users. It will work with any host very mono-compatible stereo-signals, e.g. when recording classical music, drums,
program that supports TDM, RTAS, VST and/or AU plug-ins. We will explain what choirs or acoustic instruments in general.
“M/S technique” is in just a second – and then take a close look at the features
of bx_control V2. In addition to the possibilities mentioned above there also is a way of separating
any stereo signal into its M (Mono Sum) and S (Stereo Difference) components,
and this of course can be done with the bx_control V2 as well.
V1 vs. V2:
bx_control V2 is a new development, improving many features of bx_control V1 bx_control V2 can also be used to serve as an “M/S matrix” to use ANY other
and adding some new features as well (Pan M & Pan S, solo in place, meters in stereo (2-channel) plug-in in M/S technique while using the unique tools and
place, etc.). features of bx_control V2, such as the Mono Maker, M/S Stereo Width Control,
Solo Buttons, etc.
Also you can now select from 2 different metering standards (AES 17 and Square),
allowing you to integrate bx_control V2 seamlessly into your studio setup.
3.0 Why is M/S good for mixing & mastering?
2.0 What is M/S technology? Well, it may sound simple, but bx_control V2 has a built-in M/S matrix that will
separate any stereo signal into its mono sum and the stereo difference signals.
Most engineers who are recording music know about the M/S microphone Thus you are able to separately control these 2 signals which can be very useful
technique (2 different microphones for stereo recordings - an OMNI or CARDIOID when you work on a stereo mix that has certain „problems“ - or if you simply want
microphone for the M (mid) signal and a “FIGURE-OF-8 microphone” for the S (side) to enhance certain elements in the mix.
signal).
Ever tried to cut high frequencies of a mix to reduce the „essing“ of the lead vocals
Recording a signal with M/S microphone technique means to create a stereo and at the same time boost high frequencies of your harmony instruments (guitars,
(L/R) signal by mixing the M and the S signals together in a special way. This will keyboards, pianos, etc… most likely recorded or mixed in stereo)?
result in a very mono-compatible stereo signal. To record in M/S you have to feed
the M-signal to the Left and Right channel of your mix and the S-Signal will be fed Well, if you use bx_control V2 to separate the M and the S parts of a mix and then
phase-correct to the Left channel and phase-reversed to the Right channel. This use some additional tools (EQs, dynamics, etc.) you can do exactly that!
means you will have to split the S-signal and use a total of 3 channels for only 2
microphones that will be mixed together to create a conventional stereo-signal.
Quite confusing?

Well, bx_control V2 can do all that work for you, just feed it with the separate

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4.0 Features of bx_control V2: • Meters In Place will show you what you hear.

• Individual Switches for input and output (L/R or M/S) let you determine how
bx_control V2 will work
5.0 Overview and details
• L/R Flip – easily swap left and right channels of any stereo signal or master
sum (mix).

• Individual Phase Reverse for L and R channels.

• Innovative Solo Buttons: listen to the essential “parts” of your stereo signals
phase-corrected on both speakers.
tt Select Left channel (L), Right channel (R), Mono Sum (M) or Stereo Difference
bx_control V2 – a complete screenshot
(S).

• Solo In Place lets you listen to the elements “as they appear” in the mix.
5.1 Input & Output switches
• Balance Control: balance out any mix so the mono signals that should be in the
center are centered properly.

• Pan M & Pan S: pan the Mid and Side signals seperately.

• Mono Maker: our unique tool to easily mono out your stereo signal in the bass • Input L/R: bx_control V2 will assume that the signal fed into the unit is in L/R
frequencies, adjustable from 20Hz up to 22 kHz format
• Input M/S: bx_control V2 will assume that the signal fed into the unit is in
• Stereo Width Control: M/S width, adjustable with 1 knob from “0” (mono) up M/S format
to 400% (much wider than “regular stereo”). • Output L/R: bx_control V2 will output L/R format
• Output M/S: bx_control V2 will output M/S format
• Balance Meter: will show you if your mix is well centered.
Always set the Input and Output switches to the proper format (the format you are
• Correlation Meter: will show you if the phases of your stereo signals are actually using), unless you want to use bx_control V2 for sound design or effects.
correct.
tt Use bx_control V2 as an M/S MATRIX:
• Hi-Res LED Metering: Peak and RMS and Dynamic metering, switchable L/R When you intend to use the bx_control V2 as an “M/S matrix” (to use other
or M/S, with switchable Peak Hold. plug-ins in M/S mode), simply place any stereo plug-in (actually, double mono

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units work best, so you can adjust M & S individually…) in between 2 (two!) 5.4 Solo buttons & solo in place
instances of the bx_control V2.

Plug-In No1/Insert 1:
bx_control V2 as M/S ENCODER (set INPUT to L/R, OUTPUT to M/S)

Plug-In No 2/Insert 2:
any other stereo plug-in(s) - (double mono versions are best to adjust M & S
individually) • With the Solo buttons you can listen to any element of your stereo mix (stereo
signal), mono-ed out (for L, R, M & S), phase-corrected (for “Solo S” only), and
Plug-In No 3/Insert 3: on both speakers (when “solo in place” is switched off).
bx_control V2 as M/S DECODER (set INPUT to M/S, OUTPUT to L/R)
• Solo in place will play you the elements “as they are” in your mix. No phase
tt As long as input and output formats are set properly you can use any function correction will be active for Solo S, and L and R channels can be monitored on
of bx_control V2 in any combination as the internal signal flow will follow the one speaker only.
settings logically. This will also work on either the encoder and/or decoder
when 2 instances of bx_control V2 are used as an “M/S matrix”. • You can also “extract” certain elements of your mix with these knobs easily,
for example try recording or bouncing the Solo S signal for remix purposes…
which will give you a phase-corrected mono-signal of only the stereo signal
5.2 L/R flip - swaps left and right channels (keyboards, stereo, guitars, FX sounds, etc.).

When lit, the LED indicates that LEFT and RIGHT channels have been
reversed (swapped). This way you can listen to your mix as it would
sound on a stereo system with speakers connected to the wrong
outputs. 5.5 Stereo image section
(Balance control, Pan M & Pan S)

This is the “stereo image

section” of bx_control V2.
5.3 Phase Reverse (left & right): You can use it to balance out
your stereo mix perfectly.
Individually change phases for left and right channels to check
While “Balance” tilts both
the cause of phase problems you might run into with stereo
channels, L and R, you may
files, or to test speakers, etc.
also Pan the M or S elements
of your mix to achieve a well balanced mix with a tight center image.

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• Balance will tilt the whole stereo image conveniently, using the L and R signals. 5.6 Mono Maker
This is a nice feature to automate panning of stereo signals, for example. (via internal M/S technique)

• Pan M will only pan the M(id) signal of your stereo mix! Try moving lead vocals A true Brainworx invention… simply adjust the threshold frequency
and drums (bass drums and snares) to the sides of your mix while the stereo with the Mono Maker knob and your stereo mix/stereo signal will
elements (guitars, keys, effects, etc.) are still audible on both channels of your be mono up to that frequency automatically! The Mono Maker will
mix. get rid of all the stereo information below the frequency you set it
to - and compensate for the potential overall bass sound loss in the
• Pan S will do the opposite… pan your stereo signal “behind” the mono elements mix automatically!
of your mix (lead vocals, bass drum, snare, bass, etc.) and balance out uneven
doubled guitars, piano sounds etc. in your final mix! In bx_control V2 the Mono Maker goes up to 22 kHz, so it is actually possible to
make or even “blend” a mix mono completely and automate this.
Pan M & Pan S are both taken from bx_digital V2, our M/S mastering EQ system.
tt What a nice effect for drum or keys subgroups..:!
To balance out a stereo mix perfectly you can monitor the balance meters (see
5.11) and adjust the balance control knob until your mix is centered.
5.7 Stereo Width Control (via internal M/S technique!)
tt the easiest way to “center” a mix is to listen to “Solo S” while adjusting the Pan • Adjust the stereo width of any stereo mix or stereo signal.
M. When all parts of the mix that are supposed to be centered (bass-drum, • Leaving the stereo width at 100% will not change the width of
bass, lead vocals, etc.) are not audible during “Solo S” your mix IS centered your stereo signal at all (=”regular stereo”).
properly! • Increasing the value (101% - 400%) will make your mix/signal
sound wider.
Most mixes that come from analogue mixing consoles or went through analogue • Be careful: setting the stereo width control too high can cause
outboard equipment (summing amps, compressors, EQs, etc.) are not balanced serious phase problems! Always watch the correlation meter.
perfectly. With bx_control V2 and its stereo image section (plus the corresponding • Decreasing (99% - 1%) will make your mix/signal less wide.
meters, see 5.9) you can easily fix that. • Setting the Stereo Width below 1% will display “Mono”. Now your mix/signal
is completely mono.

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Tips for Stereo Width Control & Mono Maker use: 5.9 High resolution Peak, RMS and Dynamic Range LEDs
tt Try increasing the stereo width (see 5.7) of a stereo signal (such as a guitar
or keyboard sub-group or FX return!) until your correlation meter (see 5.12)
indicates phase problems (it goes into the red…). Now: turn the Mono Maker
up to about 300 or 500 Hz (even higher if needed, this will depend on the
actual signal being “played”) and watch the correlation meter go back to The new Dynamic Range metering is a value calculated from your peak and RMS
green, indicating that your phases are ok again! metering. It shows you how “squashed” (aka “over compressed”) a mix is. To a
tt This way it is actually possible to spread stereo images much further than with degree this can indicate how “loud” your mix appears as well.
any other stereo expansion tool (that we knew of before inventing the Mono
Maker) – but without running into the phase problems usually arising out of There have been a lot of debates about the pros and cons of loudness, and
more or less “heavy” stereo image manipulations, or at least much less... accepting the fact that todays music has a certain loudness level that fans and
tt bx_control V2 is the “perfect weapon” to be inserted into any stereo sub-group media have gotten used to we have decided to add this new metering method to
of a mix session and will drastically improve your possibilities to increase your bx_control V2.
stereo width of any stereo signal.
Still we encourage all engineers to compress and limit the master bus with caution,
nobody needs new records in volume – especially not if that means loosing what
was great about a mix before it is just being “killed” by limiters to achieve “that
5.8 Input Gain extra half dB”…

To adjust the overall level of the stereo sound running through The metering in bx_control V2 depends on the general setting of the metering
bx_control V2 use the input gain knob. scale (AES 17 or Square), which can be found in a submenu of the HELP button.
AES 17 is the default setting and displays 3dB more RMS level than the Square
Since this is an input gain control turning it down a bit will “cure” system.
any internal clippings that may occur when Mono Maker and
Stereo Width Control are being used. A loud modern mix that is yet still “breathing” will have a Dynamic Range of about –
12 to -6 dB (AES 17). Note that values smaller than -6 usually result in mixes that
will have negative impact on the listeners´ attention as the human ear longs for a
certain dynamic in music.

It is possible to go down to a dynamic range of –4 or even –3 dB with modern

digital (multi-band) limiters, but try to be reasonable. A compressed rock or club
mix sounds “heavier” than an uncompressed mix for most people, but an over-
compressed mix can greatly reduce the overall enjoyment for the listeners.

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• The meters will display Peak, RMS and Dynamic Range output levels of either 5.10 Clip LEDs
the left & right channel (L/R mode) or the mono sum & stereo difference (aka “over” LEDs)
signal (M/S mode).
• Red lights will indicate internal clipping.
• You may switch the meter between L/R mode and M/S mode with the Reset them by clicking red LEDs
“Meters M/S” knob. A blue LED will indicate the meters displaying M/S
signals. This will also be shown by the labeling on the left side (next to the • Bright red LED: signal is clipping
LEDs, L/R vs. M/S). right now
• The meters will always display the full stereo output signals, unless you check • Dark red LED: one or more
Meters in place - which will actually show you what you hear (depending on the clippings have occurred since last
“Solo” and “Solo in place” settings this can be just one channel playing). LED reset.
• The Meters will follow the Output Switch (L/R or M/S, see 5.1) whenever the • All LEDs grey: no clipping has occurred, signal level is fine.
Output Switch is being toggled – but you can always change to the opposite
metering manually. • Clipping may occur when using the Mono Maker or Stereo Width controls
with normalized signals (0dB), because these functions may boost levels,
• Toggling between L/R and M/S metering will not affect the output signal. This depending on their settings (see 5.6 & 5.7 for details).
way you can monitor M/S levels while listening to L/R mixes, monitor M/S
while listening to M/S signals or any other possibility. • In case of clipping, turn down the Gain knob (see 5.8) and reset the Over LEDs.
• Peak Hold: when switched on (default setting) the LEDs will display the • The upper LED is the Master Clip LED. It will be “glowing” when either the L or
maximum values for 3 seconds before getting internally reset. Peak Hold can R clip LEDs show alerts. Reseting the master will also reset the other (L & R)
be switched off manually. clipping LEDs. L and R LEDs may also be reset individually.
tt The little red marks above and underneath the RMS meters are placed at -6
dBU (AES 17 metering) or –9 dBU (Square metering). Usually any stereo mix 5.11 Balance meter
that is permanently louder (more compressed) than this level will sound very
aggressive and in most cases too “squashed”. • The Stereo Balance Meter will indicate if
Even with the LOUDNESS WAR going on out there try to be reasonable with your mix is well balanced – or louder on one
your overall levels. Sound first, please… channel (left or right).
• You can adjust the stereo balance with the
tt It´s not about how loud you get it.. it´s about how you get it loud… Stereo image section (balance, Pan M, Pan
S) - (see 5.5).

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5.12 Correlation Meter 5.14 Undo / Redo (32 steps)

One of the new features of bx_control V2 is the
32 step Undo/Redo function.

• A standard correlation meter tool to monitor the phases (and potential phase Now you can just experiment and Undo whatever you don´t like. Together with the
problems!) of your stereo mix/signal. new A/B/C/D settings and Copy/Paste (see next section), this is an engineers
dream.
• -1 means your mix/signal is “out of phase” (180°).

• +1 means your mix/signal is “in phase” (0°). 5.15 Settings (A/B/C/D)

You can now
• “0” (zero) means that there is either: store up to 4
tt no signal present Settings of bx_control V2 without using the audio sequencers “Preset window”
tt signal on only one channel (most of them are not really fast and intuitive to use…).
tt phases of L&R channels are shifted exactly 90°.
Start with one Setting (A by default), copy it to B (press “copy”, click B, click “Paste”,
• A regular (and proper) stereo mix will make the correlation meters oscillate done!), then compare A and B. The same goes for C and D, of course. You can also
between 0 and +1, and short flashes of the red LEDs (negative values) can reset single settings.
usually be ignored.
Using Automation in mastering can be helpful to get the maximum out of your
• Permanent red LEDs will indicate heavy phase problems in the mix/signal and mixes. Maybe your mix needs different Stereo Width settings for various parts of
should be taken seriously! the song?

• Try the Mono Maker to cure any phase problems you might find listening to tt Settings are the way to go… you don´t have to do it.. but you can…
your mix or monitoring the correlation meter. The higher you set the Mono
Maker frequency the more mono your mix will be, and the less phase problems tt Presets: (in your audio sequencer host program)
should occur in your stereo mix/signal. All 4 Settings of bx_control V2 will be stored with each Preset!

5.13 Bypass
5.16 Manual
With the bypass button you can bypass the whole bx_control V2
plug-in to compare your original mix and your corrections/improve- Press Manual to open the PDF version of the manual which will be
ments with the bx_control V2. saved on your computer during installation.

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Shortcuts:
5.17 Help section / general info
Click here to get info about bx_control V2 (version no, shortcuts,
etc.) and to adjust settings & preferences.

There are 4 “splash screens” to select from: • Shift/Mouse Click on any knob will change the bx_control V2´s knob behaviour
(toggle between linear and circular)
Main: • Alt/Mouse Click: will reset any knob to its initial value
• Apple key (MAC) or Ctrl key (PC) plus Mouse Click (or Scroll Wheel Use above
any parameter!) will allow for fine tuning of any knob.
• Scroll Wheel Control: place your mouse above any knob and turn the mouse
wheel to increase/decrease values.
This window shows you the general credits and info about the plug-in, such as the
plug-in format. You can also see the version number / release number in this • Typing In Values into your plug-ins will save you some time:
window (the example shows 2.0.0 beta). General Typing:
10.000 Hz can be typed in as “10k”, 12.000 Hz would be “12k”, etc.
Preferences: • Individual bypass: click on any feature label to switch it on (white letters) or
off (grey letters). This is a very useful feature for comparing your settings
with the unprocessed signal, e.g. to monitor the meter tools while adjusting/
comparing your settings.
tt Also, any bypassed feature of bx_control V2 will not use any CPU power. (TDM
Here you can select the behavior of the knobs and how the meters of bx_control systems work differently).
V2 work. You can choose from 2 metering systems:
Updates:

Sine (AES 17) style: displays RMS levels 3 dB higher than the mathematical result. Clicking here opens the Brainworx download website, so you can check if there is
Therefore the the peak and RMS meters will show identical values with sine wave a newer version out than the one you are currently using.
input signals.

Square style: displays the mathematical RMS value. Peak and RMS meters will 6.0 How do I get started with bx_control V2
show identical values with square wave input signals. in a typical mastering, recording or mixing session?

Recording, mixing and/or mastering music is all about hearing objectively…

and enhancing musical performances if possible… or it is (often enough…) about
correcting mistakes that have been made in a prior stage of the production… this

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sounds basic, but we do mean it literally. after bx_control V2!) before converting to L/R with a second instance of
bx_control V2 at a later stage in your signal flow.
We assume that most if not all people who have purchased bx_control V2 are
familiar with using a standard dynamic tool or other tools as a plug-in in their
sequencer host program, so we will skip the total basics of “how to use a plug-in” 6.2 Using the bx_control V2 on various elements of your mix
and go on with the possibilities of using this specific plug-in. session:
bx_control V2 is a great tool to control the multiple elements that a stereo mix
Inserting bx_control V2 into any “stereo plug-in-slot” of your sequencer or editor
usually contains of:
will be done slightly different depending on which host program you are using, and
• Try it on sub-groups (aux inputs, etc.) for controlling the stereo width of:
we are (well, at least “almost”!) sure that you already know how to do this with your
tt Guitar groups
host software…
tt Keyboard groups
tt FX returns, etc.
• Spread the stereo image of only some parts of your mix without affecting the
6.1 Recording M/S microphone signals with the bx_control V2:
phase correlation on the whole mix.
You may record the signals of your M (one ore several M mics are possible!)
& S (one S-mic only, please!) microphones individually and route them straight
into the bx_control V2. Either do this in real-time with a proper routing or record Routing in mix situations:
the microphones individually and route them into bx_control V2 after you have
recorded (e.g. during mixdown). • Simply insert the bx_control V2 into any stereo insert slot of your host program
and run it in “L/R in – L/R out” – mode.
tt Check the latency of your system! bx_control V2 will not add extra latency
for its operation! With most modern DAW systems you will be ok to record
“through” bx_control V2 “on the fly”… Input & Output switches in mix sessions:

• Set both switches (input & output) to L/R

Routing for M/S recordings:
• The stereo image section controls (stereo width, balance, Pan M, Pan S) and
• The M microphone(s) is routed into the left input of the bx_control V2. the Mono Maker will still operate using M/S technique.
• The S-mic is routed into the right input of bx_control V2. • No need to worry about anything at all… just monitor the phase correlation
meter and balance meter, and use the Mono Maker to make sure you´re not
Input & Output switches for M/S recordings: overdoing the stereo imaging… and enjoy…

• Definitely switch the input switch to M/S!

• Set the output switch to L/R if you want to output a “regular” stereo signal.
• Set the output switch to M/S as well if you want to go on processing your
signals in M/S mode (that is possible with any additional stereo plug-in chained

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6.3 Using bx_control V2 in a standard L/R mastering session: meter and balance meter, and use the Mono Maker to make sure you´re not
overdoing the stereo imaging… and enjoy…
Mastering regular L/R stereo signals in L/R mode

tt For mixing files or master bus groups 6.4 Using the bx_control V2 in an M/S mastering:
99 bx_control V2 in “L/R in – L/R out” – mode
tt Insert other tools between 2 instances of the bx_control V2 to make them
Basically, mastering stereo music in L/R mode is not much different from using (the other tools) operate in M/S mode as well
the bx_control V2 on single elements of a mix sessions (sub-groups, etc., please tt For mixing files or master bus groups
check 6.2. above!).
Mastering in M/S takes a little time to get used to because eq-ing 2 separate
Just insert bx_control V2 into the main stereo mastering signal path and leave mono-sums is quite different from eq-ing conventional L&R-signals, but it´s a very
input & output switches in L/R mode. musical way of working, and there IS a reason why some of the top mastering
studios in the world have been working like this for years with custom-made
Mono Maker, Stereo Width, Pan M, Pan S and Balance will operate as you´d M/S-boards - without really telling anybody…
expect them to do, and the M/S technique is still being used internally due to the
chosen L/R format of the inputs and outputs. M/S-mastering might be the key for your music to sound just as big yet still open
and clear as productions often referred to as being „BIG“…
Routing in standard L/R Mastering Sessions
Many people who have used the M/S-mode for the first time told us that they had
99 bx_control V2 in “L/R in – L/R out” – mode the impression of a “3D-like” depth in their mixes after processing the M- and the
S-signals individually.
Simply insert bx_control V2 into any stereo insert slot of your host program and
run it in “L/R in – L/R out” – mode. We suggest you put bx_control V2 as the Although using the M/S-technique for mastering does affect your phases in the
second last plug-in into your plug-in chain, while the last plug-in would be a brick stereo-signal we do not see this as a big problem. In M/S mode altering phases is
wall-limiter. This way you make sure to be able to use the Solo buttons after all done intentionally. Of course, though, M/S mode works best if you want to correct
other tools you might use are being processed and avoid clipping at the end of small mistakes in your mixes… for adding or cutting away big amount of general
your signal-chain. bass or treble signals you might be better off working in L/R-mode…

Input & output switches in mastering sessions: tt Do not let anybody tell you that changing stereo signals in M/S mode can´t
be done or shouldn´t be done at all because of phase problems… it´s like
• Set both switches (input & output) to L/R somebody telling you your Marshall guitar amp is broken because it distorts
• The stereo image section controls (stereo width, balance, Pan M, Pan S) and your guitar sound… :-)
the Mono Maker will still operate using M/S technique.
• No need to worry about anything at all… just monitor the phase correlation Anyway, just like you wouldn´t turn all the Marshall knobs to the right all the time be

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sensitive and reasonable when using M/S technique with stereo mixes. Like many Insert 1:
other audio effects, M/S must be used in differing amounts in different situations.
Many beginners can use such effects excessively when they start learning to mix, tt bx_control V2 as an M/S Encoder
and then later on use them in more subtle and appropriate ways. 99 Set Input to L/R, Output to M/S
The M-signal will be put out on the left channel of bx_control V2.
Once you are used to the basics of M/S you might want to try more sophisticated The S-signal will be put out on the right channel of bx_control V2.
functions… try balancing out a mix that is not centered 100% (most mixes that
come from an analogue desk with inserted compressors, EQs, in the main stereo
Insert 2:
insert, etc. are not balanced 100%!), by soloing the S-section and adjusting the
stereo image section until all the things that should be centered (like bass drums, tt Any other stereo plug-in(s)
snares, lead vocals, bass, etc.) in your mix disappear completely. If that´s the case 99 Double mono versions are best to adjust M & S individually
you can be sure that your mix IS balanced! Apply all changes that should effect the M-signal to the left channel of the
“inserted” plug-in(s).
Make your whole mix or elements of your mix (subgroups, stereo channels, etc.) Apply all changes that should effect the S-signal to the right channel of the
sound wider than they originally were by increasing the Stereo Width control to “inserted” plug-in(s).
more than 100% - without losing the center of your recordings! You will NOT lose
bass drum power or vocals by making your mix wider this way… and it will not
sound different played back in mono at all! Insert 3:

tt bx_control V2 as an M/S Decoder

99 Set Input to M/S, Output to L/R
Routing and Input & Output Switches in M/S mastering sessions: bx_control V2 will now “fold back” the M-signal (from the Left input) and the
(2 instances of the bx_control V2 operate as a “M/S Matrix” for other stereo tools S-signal (from the Right input) to a regular stereo signal (L/R). Eventually
while still offering the internal M/S features). turn down the Input gain on the second bx_control V2, as summing the M/S
signals results in a higher level of your signal.
When you intend to use bx_control V2 as an “M/S matrix” (to use other plug-ins in
M/S mode), simply place any stereo plug-in (actually, double mono units work best,
so you can adjust M & S individually…) in between 2 instances of bx_control V2. !! As long as Input & Output formats are set properly you can use any feature of
both of the 2 bx_control V2 instances used in this setup in any combination,
as the internal signal flow will follow your Input / Output settings logically and
automatically.

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 bx_control V2 manual

6.5 bx_control V2 as a pure “Control Listening Tool”: 7.0 PRO TIP: GUI modes
Insert bx_control V2 into the Master buss of your DAW sessions all the time, switch the upper or lower unit of bx_control V2 on / off.
and you´ll be able to check your overall phases, stereo balance, etc. of your mix
anytime. Use the Solo buttons to check how small changes in your mix sessions
Switchable GUI windows:
effect the M, S, L, R of your main stereo mix, etc.

!! To save CPU power and/or screen place use units individually …

or

or

!! Bypassed functions or switched-off units will not use CPU power!

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 bx_control V2 manual

8.0 TROUBLESHOOTING
!! Incomplete signals
?? You might have clicked on one or (or more) Solo-buttons of one section (L/R
or M/S), so you only hear parts of your signal. Hitdorfer Straße 10
99 Make sure all Solo buttons are switched off to hear your stereo mix. Click 40764 Langenfeld
Reset! Germany
!! Your signal sounds MONO? info@brainworx-music.de
?? Stereo Width set to very low values?
?? Mono Maker set to very high values? www.brainworx-music.de
?? Is Solo M active? www.brainworx-usa.com

!! Wrong panoramas
?? If you hear parts of your stereo signal not properly in place panorama-wise
you might be working with the Input or Output switches set to wrong modes!

!! No sound
?? Check bx_control V2 is being given input

ENJOY WORKING WITH bx_control V2!

tt For more information and a video demo please visit:

www.brainworx-music.de
www.brainworx-usa.com

VST is a trademark of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH

RTAS is a trademark of Digidesign, a division of Avid Technology, Inc.
AU is a trademark of Emagic/Apple.

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