Polarity Optimization Best Practices (Whole Mix or Groups)

[maestro777]

The Polarity Optimization is a great feature and I've found it extremely useful in adding a final touch to my mixes but I'd like to know if there are some recommended best practices on how it should be applied to mixes.

For example... is it best used for optimizing each group individually (e.g. drums, keys, vocal groups and etc.)
OR would it yield better results if used to optimize the polarity of the entire mix at once???

I've been using it on the entire mix before export and I believe the sound I get is better than without; but wondering if this is the best way to use the tool b/c I'm thinking perhaps the result of optimizing each group vs the entire mix may produce different results.

Anyone know???

[tedma]

The Polarity Optimization is a great feature and I've found it extremely useful in adding a final touch to my mixes but I'd like to know if there are some recommended best practices on how it should be applied to mixes.

For example... is it best used for optimizing each group individually (e.g. drums, keys, vocal groups and etc.)
OR would it yield better results if used to optimize the polarity of the entire mix at once???

I've been using it on the entire mix before export and I believe the sound I get is better than without; but wondering if this is the best way to use the tool b/c I'm thinking perhaps the result of optimizing each group vs the entire mix may produce different results.

Anyone know???

This is an interesting question. I only ever "optimize polarity" at the track level within a single instrument/vocal set. So - a set of drum mics, stereo guitar mics, multi mics on an ensemble and so on. Get each instrument/source correct within itself, and then proceed with mixing. At the bus level, MTM Fuser is a good plug-in for optimizing polarity between sources that share the same EQ space, but that polarity adjustment is linear, and not simply +/-.

When you "optimize polarity" in the Edit window, I guess you're just selecting all tracks? I'll have to try this. 

Ted

[Dingo]

Polarity Optimisation works at the audio file level and in Mixbus the version we have will not optimise at the Bus stage.
I use it across tracks that have been recorded in the same space ie: where there is spill on multi mics.
The first thing I do is optimise and then start my mix.
https://rsrc.harrisonconsoles.com/mixbus...-maximizer

[maestro777]

This is an interesting question. I only ever "optimize polarity" at the track level within a single instrument/vocal set. So - a set of drum mics, stereo guitar mics, multi mics on an ensemble and so on. Get each instrument/source correct within itself, and then proceed with mixing. At the bus level, MTM Fuser is a good plug-in for optimizing polarity between sources that share the same EQ space, but that polarity adjustment is linear, and not simply +/-.

When you "optimize polarity" in the Edit window, I guess you're just selecting all tracks? I'll have to try this. 

Ted

Yes, I select all the audio tracks (excluding the busses of course). On a dense mix I'll select all the tracks from start to finish. It takes a few minutes to complete but the results are audibly better afterward. And I always use N/N because I don't want any normalization.

I'm going to look into the MTM Fuser b/c now I'm curious about it.

Thanks

[maestro777]

Polarity Optimisation works at the audio file level and in Mixbus the version we have will not optimise at the Bus stage.
I use it across tracks that have been recorded in the same space ie: where there is spill on multi mics.
The first thing I do is optimise and then start my mix.
https://rsrc.harrisonconsoles.com/mixbus...-maximizer

Thanks Dingo. I suppose I'll just have to experiment using the optimization individually on groups as opposed to collectively across all the tracks to see if the results are any different. I was just wondering if one method was preferred over the other.