WORNG Electronics MidSide+ User manual

WORNG Electronics MidSide+ manual
v1.00 February 2022
Thank you for purchasing a WORNG Electronics
MidSide+ module. MidSide+ is a development of our
original LRMSMSLR mid/side encoder/decoder, which
introduced the Eurorack world to the power of
mid/side processing. MidSide+ adds a voltage
controlled through-zero width control to the MS->LR
decoder section, allowing you to control the width of
your mid-side processing from super-wide stereo,
through mono and then into negative stereo.
MidSide+ is designed with ergonomics in mind, with
user friendly controls that have plenty of clearance
for tweaking and LED feedback of modulation.
Connecting your MidSide+
MidSide+ requires 8hp of space in your Eurorack
system, and a depth of at least 25mm. Connect the
included power cable to the back of the module and
to your power busboard. The connection on the module is shrouded
and can only go one way, but is also marked with a line to let you know
which way the red stripe should be facing. The module is also
electrically protected against damage from reverse power connection,
but you should still always be careful connecting power.
MidSide+ Essential Concepts
MidSide+ uses a technique known as Mid/Side processing which
separates a stereo signal into a Mid signal containing all signals from
the left and right channels, and a Side channel consisting of only the
differences between the left and right channels. This is a classic studio
technique which is often used during mastering and while cutting
records, as it allows the manipulation of stereo signals in more
complex and powerful ways than simply processing the left and right

channels individually. In a Eurorack synth it allows not only processing,
but also the creation of incredibly wide and thick stereo signals which
can’t be created with traditional techniques.
Your MidSide+ can be
thought of as two sections,
the LR to MS section which
encodes a traditional LR
stereo signal to MS stereo,
and the MS to LR section
which decodes the MS signal
back to LR. These two
sections are normalled
together so that if you don’t
patch anything to the Mid and
Side inputs they will be fed by
the Mid and Side outputs of
the previous section. Patching
into the Mid or Side input
breaks the normalling for
that signal, allowing quick
ABing of any effect you patch
in on the Mid and Side effects
loops, as well as use of the
through-zero stereo width
control circuit without having
to patch anything between the two sections.
The MidSide+ MS to LR section contains a combined VCA and 4
Quadrant Multiplier on the Mid and Side signals respectively, and a
switchable 250Hz high pass filter on the Side signal. These specially
designed circuits allow you to control the width of your signal from
Super-wide Stereo, through to regular Stereo, to Mono, and then
through zero to Reverse Stereo, finally to Reversed Super-wide stereo.

The HPF is engaged when the switch is in the down position. It is a
-12dB/oct filter designed for minimum phase shift in the pass band to
be as transparent as possible.
Super-wide Stereo signals are those where the Left and Right channels
are phase inverted versions of one another. When played back on
headphones or speakers in a good acoustic space a super-wide stereo
signal gives a sense of impossible width without a definite sense of
positioning in the stereo field. Because MidSide+ allows smooth
control of a stereo image from Reversed Super-wide Stereo through
Mono and all the way to Super-wide stereo you can dial in and process
the exact amount of width and positioning you like for your stereo
signal.
Note that the Left input is not normalled to the Right when there’s
nothing patched to the Right input as is common in Stereo modules
which can also be used with Mono signals. This is because patching
identical signals to both Left and Right inputs results in no Side signal,
for obvious reasons. If you’re interested in processing a Mono signal
into Stereo with MidSide+ then patching to just the Left or Right input
and leaving the other unpatched with give you equal signals on both
the Mid and Side outputs so you’ll have plenty to process and create
your stereo signal.
Instead of being limited to only operating in the region from Mono to
Super-wide Stereo, the through-zero capabilities of the MidSide+ allow
you to reverse the stereo image so the Left channel is on the Right and
vice versa. This allows you to create signals that are mirrored through
the stereo axis.

The LED meter on the front of the module allows you to see the width
you’re decoding to even when dynamically modulating the width with a
CV. Fully to the left indicates Super-wide Reverse Stereo, left and
centre lit up indicates Reverse Stereo, centre only indicates Mono,
centre and right indicates Stereo and only right indicates Super-wide
Stereo. Note that depending on the levels and phase coherence of your
Mid and Side signals the levels of your Left and Right outputs will vary
as you manipulate stereo width, this is to be expected and a
demonstration of the power of mid-side processing.
The design choice was made to place the width control and HPF after
the MS processing send and return loop as this gives more power and
more control, allowing for more extreme MS effects to be patched in
and then controlled. The switchable high pass filter allows the removal
of low frequency signals on the Side input which can cause phase
cancellation issues, allowing the creation of super-wide signals in the
higher frequency bands while maintaining mono compatibility in the
crucial low frequency area. This allows the use of effects which can

create low-frequency artefacts such as pitch shifters, resonant filters
etc on the Side send and return loop without creating phase issues in
the low end.
This makes the MidSide+ not only fantastic at processing stereo
material but also a powerful sound design tool for creating thick, wide
stereo signals with plenty of wide harmonic material to process with
stereo filters. With MidSide+ you no longer just have access to the
individual Left and Right levels of a stereo signal, you also have control
of the width of the stereo image and have the ability to modulate it
through zero and at audio rates.
Patch Ideas:
Processing a stereo mix
This is the basic
functionality of MidSide+
and other Mid/Side
processors, run your stereo
mix into the Left and Right
inputs and then use the
Mid and Side processing
loops to do symmetrical
stereo processing of your
signal using mono
processors. A basic starting
patch would be to run the
Mid out to a compressor to
create glue and energy in
the main body of your mix. Increase the width of your mix by applying
some light distortion or drive to the side signal and ensure mono phase
compatibility by engaging the HPF switch. Starting in the Stereo (◀▶)
position, use the Width control to balance the width of your final mix
to taste and to make up for any level differences introduced by your
processing. You may find that a slightly wider than stereo width setting

will work well for your mix, but be sure to listen to the imaging to make
sure you don’t go so wide that you lose a sense of the pan position of
the elements of your mix.
As always, experiment with different processes and techniques to find
what works for you, but be aware that processes that change the
phase and time information as well as amplitude (EQ, phase shifters,
some filters) may give unexpected results when used with Mid/Side, as
the decoding of the signal back to Left Right stereo depends on the
phase relationships between the Mid and Side signals.
Through-zero stereo ring mod
A classic patch from the
LRMSMSLR, now perfected with
the specifically designed VCA
and 4QM through-zero stereo
width processing circuitry of the
MidSide+. Patch an oscillator to
either the Left or Right input, set
the Width control to Mono and
then modulate with another
Oscillator patched to the Width
CV input. The modulation of
stereo amplitude through zero
will create very wide and thick
sidebands in the stereo field
which can’t be created with other techniques. Experiment with the
tuning of the oscillators, as they approach harmonic multiples of one
another beat frequencies will appear that stretch right through the
listener’s head. To begin with use an oscillator waveform (such as a
Saw) with a lot of harmonics as the carrier (Input) wave, and a
waveform with few harmonics such as a Sine for the Modulator (Width
CV) wave, but try experimenting with different waves to see the
differences in effect you get with them. With more complex modulator
waveforms it can be effective to limit the amount of modulation to

between Stereo and Reverse Stereo with the Width CV knob, for a
sense that the signal is panning rapidly.
Thicker through-zero stereo ring mod
This is a variation of the
Through-zero stereo ring mod
patch above, with a third oscillator
patched into the Right input. Make
sure that there is some timbral
difference and detuning between
the oscillators patched to the Left
and Right inputs, so that the Side
signal being modulated morphs
and breathes creating thicker
moving sidebands. This technique
excels at producing stereo drones,
but also can create thick stereo
waveforms perfect for creating stereo voices to be processed with
stereo filters.
Wide stereo from a mono signal (“Faux Stereo”)
A common use of Mid/Side
processing is to create a wide
stereo signal from a mono one,
sometimes called “faux stereo”
although the signals you create
are just as stereo as any other.
Because Mid/Side processing
uses phase and level differences
to manipulate the stereo image,
processing which alters phase
and level differently at different
frequencies can be particularly

effective at stereo widening. Patch your mono signal to the Left input
and then take the Side output and run it through a phaser, EQ with
extreme cuts and boosts, or short delay (5-25ms) set up to create comb
filtering. Start with the Width control set to Stereo (◀▶) and then
increase if necessary until your signal sounds as though it’s spread
across the stereo field. You can use the Width CV to dynamically
modulate the stereo width, for example rhythmically with an LFO or
Envelope or by using an envelope follower on your input signal, so that
as the signal you’re inputting increases in level the width of the stereo
effect increases. You may find that this processing creates too much
width in the low end causing phase coherence issues, if you encounter
this then the HPF can be engaged to remove low frequencies from the
Side signal, fixing the problem.
One-spring wide mono to stereo reverb
This classic patch comes from the
ARP 2600, which creates a wide
reverb effect using Mid/Side
processing. Patch your mono
signal to the Left input and then
take the Mid out and patch to a
spring reverb. Return the 100%
wet reverb to the Side input and
monitor the Left and Right
outputs, you will now have a
centre-panned mono signal
surrounded by a wide stereo
reverb. Use the Width control to
adjust the wet/dry levels of the reverb to get the correct balance for
your tastes. A digital reverb can also be used for this patch but must be
set to 100% wet to work correctly. Because digital effects introduce a
small time delay any dry signal which comes though will recombine
with the original signal causing unwanted comb filtering.

Dynamic complex CV processing
MidSide+ is DC coupled
throughout, allowing for the
processing of CVs as well as audio
signals. MidSide+ can act as a
collection of mixers, polarisers, a
VCA, and a Four Quadrant
Multiplier to combine simple CVs
into much more complex and
musically interesting
combinations. Given four CVs (A,
B, C, and D) patched to the Left
(A), Right (B), and Side (C) Inputs,
as well as the Width CV (D) input,
the following combinations are
created at the following outputs:
- Mid out = 𝐴+𝐵
2
- Side out = 𝐴−𝐵
2
- Left out = (1−|𝐷|) 𝐴+𝐵
2
( )
+𝐶𝐷
- Right out = (1−|𝐷|) 𝐴+𝐵
2
( )
−𝐶𝐷
While the maths involved may look complex, all you need to know to
make music is that MidSide+ will create different mixes of the A, B, and
C inputs and that D will crossfade between them. Try different slow
moving modulations in and patch them to differing destinations so as
one output goes up another will go down, morphing modulation in and
out of your patch. If you only have three modulation sources available
then you’ll still get good results using only the A, B, and D inputs. Don’t
forget to mult the Left and Right outs and use a copy of them to
modulate the speed of modulation going to the Left and Right inputs
for some seriously complex mod patching.

Care and Warranty
WORNG Electronics modules are designed in Australia and built in the
USA with the utmost care. In the extremely unlikely event you have any
issues with your module, get in touch with us at
[e-mail] and we’ll repair or replace it for you.
Your MidSide+ has a matte black panel which we think looks great, but
over time it may develop an inconsistent finish due to oils from your
hands collecting on the panel. To clean simply use a soft cloth and a
little isopropyl alcohol and your module will look good as new. Always
spray the isopropyl onto the cloth and then wipe the module, don’t
spray directly onto the module.