glossary
Mid-side metering shows what lives in the center of the mix and what only exists in the stereo edges.
The mid channel is the information shared by left and right. The side channel is the difference between them. Together they describe the stereo image in a way normal left-right meters cannot.
Vocals, kick, snare, and bass usually carry important mid energy. Reverbs, doubles, pads, and wide effects often create side energy.
Too much low-frequency side energy can make a mix feel huge in headphones and weak in mono. Too little side energy can make the master feel narrow next to references.
Mid-side metering also helps you see whether a widening move pushed the hook out of focus or only opened the ambience.
Check mid and side balance before and after stereo processors. If the side meter jumps while the mono fold loses impact, the width is probably costing translation.
Meter Core makes M/S balance visible alongside loudness, peak, and correlation so stereo changes stay tied to the full mix picture.