Designed according to a 'secret recipe', Behringer's new budget stereo image enhancer is set to widen everyone's recording horizons (and their stereo images). Does it deliver the goods? Paul White finds out.
Behringer have created quite a name for themselves by producing well‑engineered, sensibly‑priced products, and though the majority of them are derived from concepts pioneered by other manufacturers, they still represent very good value. The idea of stereo enhancement is almost as old as stereo itself, but Behringer have added a nice touch by including a phase meter in the package.
The principle upon which the Edison works is said to be based on a supposedly 'secret recipe' used in American studios, and whilst the manual offers no clue as to what this might be, a quick call to Behringer provided the answer (see the 'How it Works' panel elsewhere in this article). As with most similar units, the idea is to make the stereo image appear to be wider than it would normally be, but in the case of the Edison, you can also control whatever sound is centre stage, by bringing it forward or pushing it back in the mix.
Stereo enhancement systems can sometimes cause phase problems, and though Behringer claim that the Edison produces no such effects, a phase meter is included, presumably to confirm that they're not telling porkies. In Bypass mode, the phase meter may be used on its own, rather than in combination with the stereo enhancement system. Reed relays are fitted — a nice professional touch for a piece of equipment at this price — providing a hard bypass, which also operates as a failsafe in the event of a power failure. The relays delay the connection of the audio path until the power supply has settled down, which also helps avoid thumps when you switch on.
As standard, the Edison comes with balanced inputs and outputs on stereo jacks, but if a mono jack is connected, the unit will run unbalanced with no loss of level. Transformer‑balanced outputs are available as an option. Power is provided via a captive mains lead, and there are no connections on the rear panel other than the pairs of input and output signal jacks.
Controls
The front panel is also reassuringly simple, with only five knobs, a Bypass button, and a power switch to worry about. Stereo Spread is the first control, and is used to set the width of the stereo image, which may be varied from mono to something that sounds wider than the speakers. In the centre position, the sound is unaffected.
LMF Spread also affects the stereo width, but only works on bass and low mid‑range sounds. The manual suggests that it should be used sparingly, and that it is provided to compensate for the fact that low‑frequency sounds are difficult to localise. I must confess that I found the effect of this control very subtle.
The Balance control works as a left/right pan pot for any mono components in the sound, which, in the case of most mixes, means the vocals, bass and kick drum. There's also a Centre Distance control, which allows the mono component of the sound to be pushed forwards or backwards in the mix, and appears to provide basic level control over the centre signal.
Finally, there is Output Gain, which is used to compensate for any level changes caused by the processing. If you don't match the input and output levels fairly carefully, you invariably end up thinking the loudest signal sounds best. The Bypass switch has a red status LED, which comes on when Edison is active.
The phase meter comprises a horizontal bargraph meter with a green, yellow and red display. The green left‑hand side indicates good mono compatibility, while yellow, in the centre, indicates a 90‑degree phase shift, showing that the left and right signals are largely unrelated. On the right, the red section shows that the phase shifts are high (180 degrees when all the red LEDs are on), and that the left channel is out of phase with the right. Most properly‑mixed recordings will read somewhere in the green region, but if the meter consistently reads higher than this, you should check for mono compatibility problems.
Sounds Of The Ghetto (Blaster)
The Edison creates its most dramatic effects with the stereo width cranked to full, and the centre signal pulled back slightly in the mix. This produces the impression of a curved soundfield, where the soundstage wraps around in front of the listener, though it must be remembered that pushing the centre sound back also changes the overall balance.
The effect definitely works, but having said that, I decided to compare it with the usual DIY stereo width enhancement approach, where you use two extra mixer channels and their phase invert switches to feed some of the left‑hand channel signal, out of phase, into the right‑hand signal path and vice versa. This is the same dodge used in cheap ghetto blasters to produce a wider stereo image from two speakers placed close together, but it can also produce dramatic effects in the studio. To be quite honest, although the Edison is more controllable, and does allow you to pan the centre (mono) component of the sound independently, the effect isn't that much different.
Tricks And Treatments
Stereo width enhancement isn't at the top of everyone's 'must have' list, and if you haven't yet bought a good reverb or compressor, then perhaps you should consider getting these first. On the other hand, if you have all the standard toys already, stereo width enhancement might seem like an attractive addition. Not only can you treat entire stereo mixes, but you can work more subtly, treating only part of a mix via the subgroup insert points. For example, you might want to widen just some percussion or backing vocals, but leave the rest of the mix as normal. Another useful trick is to process the stereo effects returns, so that the reverbs or echoes are as wide as possible, creating a useful degree of contrast within a mix. However, if I compare the Edison's stereo enhancement with the Wide button on a ghetto blaster or stereo TV, I'm still not entirely convinced that it isn't a case of the emperor's new clothes. The Edison does widen the stereo image to the point where you can close your eyes and imagine the speakers are further apart than they really are, but it can't perform RSS‑type tricks, where you can position a sound right out to one side, or even behind you. Edison does, however, offer the genuine benefit of an on‑board phase meter, which can be used to pinpoint all sorts of mix problems, including accidental phase reversal, or poor mono compatibility.
Summary
In short, for those who do want an instant stereo enhancement effect, rather than having to create their own from scratch, or for those whose mixers don't have phase switches, the Edison provides an accessible and affordable means of stereo width control, in a very attractive, easy‑to‑use package. And if you also feel a phase meter might be useful to you, then Edison is probably worth the asking price for that feature alone.
How It Works
We contacted Ulrich Behringer to ask him if he might describe how the Edison works. He gave the following explanation:
"The technical principle behind the Edison is not the normal means of stereo width enhancement, i.e. using mixers and phase cancellation. The Edison is based on a principle first used in a product called the B.A.S.E. from Bedinin, which costs about $4000.
"First of all, we create a mono signal (L+R) and the stereo part of the original signal (L‑R). We then start to process these signals. In order to achieve greater ambience reception, we use a program‑dependent delay on the stereo part and a low‑mid frequency filter as well, which allows boosting or cutting of those frequencies which are normally hard to perceive as being in stereo (i.e. low‑mid frequencies).
"For the mono part, we allow the user to shift the mono content from left to right in order to correct, say, a mixdown error, where, for example, the singer might not be in the middle of the stereo image. The singer may also be shifted closer or further away with the Center Distance control.
"Our customers (e.g. Hit Factory in New York), found this unit very useful in controlling their final mixes. Together with the phase meter, they find it a superior and extremely cost‑effective unit. We feel it is particularly good value as a phase meter normally costs three times the price of the whole Edison, which may go some way towards explaining why the Edison is one of the best‑selling products in our range."
Phase Meters — What Are They Good For?
It's a good idea to check any recording on a phase meter, especially if it is destined for vinyl release, as large phase differences between the left and right channels, particularly at low frequencies, can make a record very difficult to cut. Phase errors also affect the mono compatibility of a recording, and this is important regardless of the release medium, simply because many people still listen to the radio and TV in mono.
Pros
- Easy to use.
- Provides a useful degree of control over the stereo image.
- Built‑in phase meter.
- Good audio quality.
Cons
- Though more versatile, the effect is subjectively similar to what can be achieved using a mixer with phase invert buttons and a few patch cords.
Summary
A useful combination of stereo width enhancer and phase meter in a well‑engineered package, suitable for use in both pro and semi‑pro environments.