Using Mid-Side technique for great stereo recordings

Mid-side is a great technique for capturing wide stereo images on tape. It is great for small ensembles, guitars, or guitar duets, etc… To do this you will need two large mics, one should be a large diaphram condenser mic with that has a figure 8 pattern option and the other can be a large or small diaphram condenser mic that is a standard cardioid pattern microphone. To set up place the figure 8 microphone about 18 to 24 ” away from your sound source so that the mic is perpendicular to the sound source.  That way the figure 8 mic is picking up sound to the right and to the left of your sound source. Next set up the cardioid pattern mic pointing directly at your sound source right above your figure 8 so that they are approximately the same distance from you musician or instrument etc… Now in your DAW set up 3 mono audio tracks for recording. Set the input for the first two to receive audio from the figure 8 mic, essentially recording a duplicate of the same audio. The third track is set for input from the cardioid microphone. Now comes the magic, pan the duplicate figure 8 trax hard right and left and use a plugin or manually flip one of them out of phase after signal has been recorded. The cardioid mic is left coming in dead center. Once you have recorded something, a guitar for example try pulling the center cardioid tracks volume all the way down. Your figure eight tracks are panned hard right and left with one of them flipped out of phase. Now start raising your center track up in volume and you will be amazed as you hear the stereo image take shape. Keep raising it until you are happy with the stereo spread you get. This techniques makes use of some fancy math and creative phasing to achieve the desired sound. I use it a lot for acoustic guitars or guitar duets. It creates a great separation with out multitracking or baffling etc.. Have fun, -guitar junkie