Riverflux Audio · Practical · Correlation meter quick-read
Correlation meter quick-read: +1 / 0 / -1 in 60 seconds
Your DAW correlation needle is not a vibe score. It reports how similar Left and Right are. Use this card when mono fold thins the low end and you need a next action fast.
Download PHIXER free YouTube tutorial YouTube intro
PHIXER is free stereo phase-repair (VST3/CLAP/AU · Win/Mac/Linux) from Riverflux Audio. Continuous, frequency-aware phase rotation for leftover L/R fights. It is not a correlation meter, not a 180° polarity button, and not a sample-align delay. Read the meter first. Fix polarity and timing second. Reach for PHIXER only if a stereo bed still cancels a band on fold.
60-second decode
| Reading | What it usually means | First move |
|---|---|---|
| Near +1 | L and R nearly identical. Strong mono sum. Narrow image. | No phase panic. If it still sounds thin, check EQ/level, not phase. |
| Around 0 | Wide / diffuse stereo. Little shared energy. Mono may thin some bands. | True mono listen. Name what disappears. Do not auto-reach for imagers. |
| Toward -1 | Anti-correlated L/R. Classic mono-killer zone. | Polarity flip one path. Then timing nudge. Then null-test. Only then audition continuous rotation. |
Action card (ears still win)
- Trust a real mono fold. Sum L+R (or invert-null). Do not mute one side and call it mono.
- Name the hole. Bass body, kick punch, snare crack, vocal center, or a whole stereo bed.
- Polarity (Ø) first. Flip one path. Keep the flip that returns weight on the null.
- Timing second. Nudge a few samples or ms so attacks agree. Re-null.
- Null-test checklist. Full printable flow: Null test + polarity checklist.
- PHIXER only if the path must stay stereo, Ø + timing fixed only part of the spectrum, and a band still cancels on phone / club fold.
- Prove it. Mono A/B before and after. If the null did not improve, undo.
Meter vs tool (do not mix the jobs)
- Correlation / phase meter: names similarity. Hint only.
- Polarity invert: whole-waveform 180° flip.
- Sample / ms align: delay / mic distance / Haas timing.
- Continuous phase rotation (PHIXER): leftover spectral L/R fights on a stereo bed.
Deeper reading
- PHIXER for Multiband / crossover phase shifts and mono check
- Full correlation and phase meters guide (longer explain)
- Mid/side processing vs stereo phase rotation for mono compatibility
- Haas delay width tricks vs true phase issues
- Null test + polarity checklist: when to reach for PHIXER
- DJ edits / club mono fold
- When not to use PHIXER
- Hub · Product