Question: Narrowing stereo width of sounds before Spatialization

Hi, I’m new to FMOD so this might be basic (if so sorry I missed it). Is it possible to alter the stereo imaging of a file in FMOD before it hits Spatialization? I’m trying to partially narrow (not fully collapse) the width of stereo files without having to go back and rebounce them. Is this possible? I’m basically just hoping for the equivalent of an imaging plugin - or even something as complex as a mid/side EQ (whatever will do the job) - that I can run as an insert inside FMOD before the Spatialization stage.

Thanks! :slight_smile:

You can also narrow the stereo field in the Spatializer itself. The smaller you set the Size of the panner (via User settings) the narrower the spread will be (until the object is so close that the listener is inside ‘size sphere’). If you set Size to 0, the sound is reduced to mono.

You can also set the output of the track the sound is on to L/R Surround and adjust the width, then force the master track to input in stereo. The narrowed surround track will mix to narrower stereo before arriving to the Spatializer.

In any case if the stereo image of the sound asset is not optimal for use it’s better to fix it in the DAW and re-render the asset. Monofying the bass goes a long way. If you have a mid-side EQ plugin available in the DAW, just high pass the Side to set the bass to the middle, this usually helps the most for sounds that have confusing positioning due to stereo spread.