Mongoose

Mid-Side-Prozessor für "tighte" Mixes

Eines der bestgehüteten Geheimnisse beim Abmischen von Aufnahmen wird als "Black Background"-Effekt bezeichnet. Nun, es ist insofern kein Geheimnis, als dass man ihn schon seit Jahrzehnten auf klassischen Aufnahmen hört. Wie man ihn erreicht, ist eine ganz andere Geschichte. Das Konzept ist wie folgt: Stellen Sie sich Instrumente und Stimmen als Farben vor, die auf eine schwarze Leinwand projiziert werden; der Kontrast lässt die Farben viel lebendiger und definierter erscheinen, während ein zusammenhängendes Gesamtbild erhalten bleibt.

Mongoose ist ein Mid-Side-Prozessor, der alle Frequenzen unterhalb einer wählbaren Frequenzweiche zu Mono summiert und so eine saubere, räumliche Mischung mit einem druckvollen Center-Image und fokussierten Bässen erzeugt.

Weitere Details in englischer Sprache:

Why does this happen?

Bass frequencies act omnidirectionally, whether they occur as waveforms in reality space, or as “1s” and “0s” in the digital realm. That means they permeate the stereo field. When you consider that left and right are all we really have in stereo and that the center image is an illusion, an instrument, with a preponderance of lows, even though inaudible, can unbalance a mix in a way that’s difficult to audibly pinpoint (an effect more noticeable in headphones, subconsciously drawing your attention). Keep in mind that instruments overlapping in the low- and low-mid frequency range will combine and reinforce in uneven and unpredictable ways. The result is a mix that’s smeared and muddy in the lower frequencies.

Some mixers and mastering engineers suggest using a high-pass filter on every track as a starting point, but that runs the risk of thinning out the mix, taxing CPU resources better used for creative ends, and also eating up headroom—so no net gain there. OR, you could simply put the Boz Digital Labs Mongoose on your 2-bus and you’re moments away from achieving this arcane skill of A-list mixers and mastering engineers.

Mongoose works its magic by summing low frequencies to mono so that equal levels occur left and right, which focuses them in the center image, leaving plenty of room on the sides for instruments.

Mongoose - Just the Facts:

• Sums low-frequencies to mono with adjustable crossover

• Very low CPU impact

• Focus and tighten low end while ensuring mix translation

• Create contrast with high-frequency widening

• Sculpt the width and depth of a mix

• No phase issues when summing to mono

Mon-GUI

Mongoose has a simple, no-frills interface, focusing all of your CPU resources on sound and function. The slider across the top sets the crossover point, below which, everything is summed to mono with either a 6dB or 12dB slope (your choice). Once set, its three sections, Low, High, and Master, give you control over gain and width below the crossover, above the crossover, which is the side information, and master mix, gain, and overall bypass. The Low and High sections also have a solo feature so you can hear exactly what you’re doing in each region.

While it would be perfectly legal to refer to it as a mid-side processor, what sets Mongoose apart from any other M-S device is how easy it makes it to achieve universal mix translation and mastering-quality results via a simple, but very powerful set of controls. Mongoose enables you to sculpt the width, depth, and contrast of your mix in myriad ways—and it does it without the phase cancellation that occurs in other spatial processors. Make a mix as narrow or wide as you please, sum it mono in your DAW or mixer, and your instrument balances remain intact.

Additionally, if you like to move in and out of the stereo field, for example, going wide to add excitement to a chorus, you can automate the width of both the Low and High sections.

Take on Mongoose

Keep in mind that our job as mixers is essentially the same as that of a magician: to create a satisfying illusion in the mind of the audience. So while left and right is all we have in stereo, mono bass summing focuses the center image while creating the illusion of greater space in the stereo field, which in turn simplifies the mixing process. Mongoose makes it easy to achieve a focused and punchy center image with as much width on the sides as you like.