Tightening up my 808/sub game

Hey, guys. I'm always trying to level up my mixes. I've been paying attention to the way the music I jam has 808s and subs that sound spread out even though I know that low end instruments are supposed to be in mono; so I did a Google search on whether or not they should be in mono or spread out. Paraphrasing, it basically said do a little of both. This is how it said to do it:

Methods for spreading high frequencies:

• Mid/Side EQ: Use a Mid/Side EQ to apply a high-pass filter to the "Side" channel. This removes the low frequencies from the stereo field, effectively making your sub-bass mono while leaving the upper harmonics in stereo.

• Stereo Imager: A dedicated stereo imaging plugin can expand the higher frequencies without affecting the low frequencies. Some plugins even have a "bass mono" feature to make this process easier.

• Distortion and Saturation: Applying distortion or saturation to your 808 adds higher harmonic content. You can then use a mid/side EQ or imager to spread only these new harmonics.

Both of my parametric EQs have midside processing as well as my mastering EQ and I believe a few of my other plugins do, too. For the parametric EQs, when I select the midside parameter, and I'm able to toggle between the two sides, are both changes being processed in each side even though I can only view one channel at a time? (Keep in mind I'm a fetus at midside processing.) And how does the mid channel get processed?

Also, it says the upper frequencies should be widened. What are the "upper frequencies and upper harmonics" of an 808 or a sub? Would that be the frequencies that bleed into the low mids?

I'm an amateur. My foundation is Dylan's YT tutorials, which I follow pretty much to the letter. Some of you are familiar with "The Chef Method" that works so well. Of course, there's also the reverb and compressor tutorials. After compounding all those different strategies (including the analog plugin chain) and then doing a little of my own creative work (transient shapers, tilt EQs, tremolo, etc.), I do a crap load of processing, so after every phase up until delay, I bounce each aux so I don't run out of inserts and don't run into the problems that come from overprocessing. At what point during The Chef Method (1. Cleanup, 2. Enhance/balance, 3. Mix bus EQ, 4. Blend, 5. Tweak/touch up) do I do the midside processing, widening, and saturation of the 808s and subs?

And lastly, how do I make use of the midside processing of my mastering EQ? From what I understand - and once again, this is limited knowledge - midside processing can wreck a master, can't it?

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