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Okay, when I mentioned techniques on getting the most out of reverb before there was a very positive reaction, so I thought I would provide some advice on getting a stereo sound using a Reason Rack Extension called ReStereo (which can be used with ReWire up to 192 KHz). Hopefully this is equally useful, especially in situations where people do not want to rely on reverb so much. :) Now, we all know the problem. You have a great live performance but it was close-miked in mono because the space was awful. Or you have a library that only has the sound you wanted in mono and it feels like there is no space around the instrument. You could try to solve it by adding reverb, but eventually you start to have issues with transient smearing (which may not fit well with either the intimacy or precision of your piece). You could try using one of the traditional band-splitting plug-ins that divide up the signal into a small number of bands based on frequency, but the process is imprecise and doesn't feel the same as a stereo recording. And if you start summing to mono, the you can easily end up with phasing issues that cause the frequency balance to be off (with the infamous case of disappearing bass being a prime example). Incidentally, phasing can be an issue with real stereo recordings if there were issues with the mic placement, but that is a topic for another time. So enough about what doesn't work - here is what I find does. Numerical Sound ReStereo. http://shop.propellerheads.se/product/restereo/ Since I've done occasional consulting work for Numerical Sound for a while now, I've been applying the processing in ReStereo to my tracks since long before there was an actual product. The way it works is that you take your mono sound and run it through one of the 25 stereo-fields in the plug-in, all of which give a different sense of mic placement and frequency emphasis. Since you can apply this affect without negatively affecting transient smearing, you would want to apply it before you start using any reverb. This also makes it easier to pick the stereofield that is best suited to the feel you are going for. Then you can add reverb on top of it to blend with the additional sounds (using the suggestions I offered in the previous topic). So what are some things to think about and watch out for if everything is so simple? Well, you can jump in and start applying the sound without thinking too much if you want, but there are some things worth considering. A mono sound is not an accurate representation of the way we hear things. Even a very distant sound in a neutral environment has some width in the stereo field in the real world because of the slight differences in the way our ears process it. So you typically would want at least some stereo spread. But we also know that the closer something is to us, the wider the perceived stereo-field is, so we do not want to expand the field so much that the sound feels closer than we intend. The ReStereo controls include both panning and a list of different stereofields, so first audition a few fields to find the one that most closely matches the sense of distance you intend. Then pan it into position and assign reverb. Using this order will expose issues more quickly and easily than switching the order. In addition, if you do not have a properly configured acoustic environment with monitors (or if you just happen to like headphones) be aware that one of the best ways to check stereo width and placement is with headphones. Anyway, I hope this is useful but feel free to let me know one way or the other. Happy mixing!

I wonder why each composer feels compelled to compose, and would like to hear each of your reasons for composing. For me it might be an inner need springing from my subconscious, a need to probably order and harmonize experience. And composition for me has never been an intentional act or deliberate act. I have early on felt compelled to respond in my own music to the music I heard. But presently, it is more an inner inspiration that leads me to compose. And this inspiration is mostly something whose existence is not in my hands. It might happen that I am no longer inspired after today. But still, my present period of compositional activity (in the past 6 months) coincided with getting a new software for composition (Sibelius 6) whereupon I experienced an increase in compositional activity and output, composing 37 short pieces in that 6-month period. So, from this experience of mine I can also infer that composition can be a response to external stimulation (in my case a new software program). For others (and for me also) it might be other types of stimulation that lead to compositional activity. What might these other types of stimulation be? I think new experiences, like meeting new people, doing new things could be examples of such stimulation. For example, after attending a religious conference, I wrote a short song as a march for the group. Waiting to hear your reasons for composing.