Mono vs. Stereo

[musicandme]

I've been doing a good amount of research on mixing techniques recently and one thing that I have realized is that I've never given much consideration towards making sounds mono rather than stereo. The most recent book I've been reading (Rick Snoman's "Dance Music Manual") has mentioned that mono sounds are allowed to take a very specific spot in the mix in contrast with hard to locate stereo sounds. This is difficult for me to comprehend, because I enjoy making huge stereo sounds with reverbs and width, and it feels like so many of my favorite records contain similar sounds.

How do you handle different sounds in regards to stereo vs. mono? Are big bass sounds/wobbles always done in mono? How about kick drums? Vocals? Leads? Pads? Any thoughts on the subject matter would be

[Hircine]

I've been doing a good amount of research on mixing techniques recently and one thing that I have realized is that I've never given much consideration towards making sounds mono rather than stereo. The most recent book I've been reading (Rick Snoman's "Dance Music Manual") has mentioned that mono sounds are allowed to take a very specific spot in the mix in contrast with hard to locate stereo sounds. This is difficult for me to comprehend, because I enjoy making huge stereo sounds with reverbs and width, and it feels like so many of my favorite records contain similar sounds.

How do you handle different sounds in regards to stereo vs. mono? Are big bass sounds/wobbles always done in mono? How about kick drums? Vocals? Leads? Pads? Any thoughts on the subject matter would be

Anything below 100hz should stay mono. Kick drums and snare drums usually sit in the middle of the mix (imagine listening to a drummer playing in front of you and you will get a idea of where the drums should sit) And many club systems are mono. TBH I don't use pan at all while doing electronic music, just stereo spreads / chorus. Also stereo sound files take more cpu, heard it somewhere. Your reverbs and width should be okay in mono systems.

[Basic A]

I've been doing a good amount of research on mixing techniques recently and one thing that I have realized is that I've never given much consideration towards making sounds mono rather than stereo. The most recent book I've been reading (Rick Snoman's "Dance Music Manual") has mentioned that mono sounds are allowed to take a very specific spot in the mix in contrast with hard to locate stereo sounds. This is difficult for me to comprehend, because I enjoy making huge stereo sounds with reverbs and width, and it feels like so many of my favorite records contain similar sounds.

How do you handle different sounds in regards to stereo vs. mono? Are big bass sounds/wobbles always done in mono? How about kick drums? Vocals? Leads? Pads? Any thoughts on the subject matter would be

Anything below 100hz should stay mono. Kick drums and snare drums usually sit in the middle of the mix (imagine listening to a drummer playing in front of you and you will get a idea of where the drums should sit) And many club systems are mono. TBH I don't use pan at all while doing electronic music, just stereo spreads / chorus. Also stereo sound files take more cpu, heard it somewhere. Your reverbs and width should be okay in mono systems.

Consider building your stereo width using true panning, its much more correlation-friendly, and will actually afford you alot more room in the mix prior to zero.

Nah, these days, most club systems are stereo, but the fact is, the best systems in the most reputable clubs are installations from the hayday of hifi, and mono was jsut plain simpler and more cost efficient then. Hell some of the most spectacular sounding club systems youll find are pre-1990 installs. Basically, the highest of the highend and the lowest in the bargian bin are both mono. Mix with mono in mind. Your tunes will end up on a mono system someday.

Dont fear bass panning, keep things correlating, on home hifi, bass panning can be used to spectacular effect, and if you pan a mono-correlating bass sound using true panning, your not going to damage the phase. Dont STEREO ENHANCE anything under 100hz. Panning isnt going to hurt, it wont benefit you live (bass cant be located that easily in space psycho-acoustically), but your home listeners will love you for it when their 5.1 goes off. KEEP PHASE IN MIND.

No stereo doesnt take more CPU thats silly, it will consume twice as much in audio applications that dont process realtime using a buffer, and will effect buffer size in those that do. But like, on bare playing back the media on your favorite player or timecode software, no, playback software are doubling the track and playing two copies to serve as l+r anyway, or else your stereo output cable would only have a signal coming through half of it, and youd need to mono your mixer/amp/headunit...

[Hircine]

I've been doing a good amount of research on mixing techniques recently and one thing that I have realized is that I've never given much consideration towards making sounds mono rather than stereo. The most recent book I've been reading (Rick Snoman's "Dance Music Manual") has mentioned that mono sounds are allowed to take a very specific spot in the mix in contrast with hard to locate stereo sounds. This is difficult for me to comprehend, because I enjoy making huge stereo sounds with reverbs and width, and it feels like so many of my favorite records contain similar sounds.

How do you handle different sounds in regards to stereo vs. mono? Are big bass sounds/wobbles always done in mono? How about kick drums? Vocals? Leads? Pads? Any thoughts on the subject matter would be

Anything below 100hz should stay mono. Kick drums and snare drums usually sit in the middle of the mix (imagine listening to a drummer playing in front of you and you will get a idea of where the drums should sit) And many club systems are mono. TBH I don't use pan at all while doing electronic music, just stereo spreads / chorus. Also stereo sound files take more cpu, heard it somewhere. Your reverbs and width should be okay in mono systems.

Consider building your stereo width using true panning, its much more correlation-friendly, and will actually afford you alot more room in the mix prior to zero.

Could you please explain? Don't know if it's my english but I may not know what is true panning.

[musicandme]

I am also confused about this "true panning" term..is this different than using the pan pot on a channel?

One big thing I'm worried about is how my tracks will convert from stereo in my headphones to the mono signal used in most PA's. I enjoy auto-panning and offsetting different sounds to give a feel for space and at times cause disorientation..this will obviously be completely lost when converted to mono. Am I wasting my time by taking time to add sounds from different directions/places?

[Basic A]

I've been doing a good amount of research on mixing techniques recently and one thing that I have realized is that I've never given much consideration towards making sounds mono rather than stereo. The most recent book I've been reading (Rick Snoman's "Dance Music Manual") has mentioned that mono sounds are allowed to take a very specific spot in the mix in contrast with hard to locate stereo sounds. This is difficult for me to comprehend, because I enjoy making huge stereo sounds with reverbs and width, and it feels like so many of my favorite records contain similar sounds.

How do you handle different sounds in regards to stereo vs. mono? Are big bass sounds/wobbles always done in mono? How about kick drums? Vocals? Leads? Pads? Any thoughts on the subject matter would be

Anything below 100hz should stay mono. Kick drums and snare drums usually sit in the middle of the mix (imagine listening to a drummer playing in front of you and you will get a idea of where the drums should sit) And many club systems are mono. TBH I don't use pan at all while doing electronic music, just stereo spreads / chorus. Also stereo sound files take more cpu, heard it somewhere. Your reverbs and width should be okay in mono systems.

Consider building your stereo width using true panning, its much more correlation-friendly, and will actually afford you alot more room in the mix prior to zero.

Could you please explain? Don't know if it's my english but I may not know what is true panning.

Stereo enhancers introduce slight delay on each side, panning turns one half of the volume down and the other half up.

Using the pan knob, and using stereo enhancement, are two totally different things. Using pan is like using a volume fader. Using stereo enhancements are like using a delay pedal.

No, the pan pot is what Im talking about, stereo enhancing effects can wreck phase correlation, and having a panned signal is usually just as psychoacoustically pleasing as having a stereo enhanced one, if not more pleasing.

[Hircine]

I've been doing a good amount of research on mixing techniques recently and one thing that I have realized is that I've never given much consideration towards making sounds mono rather than stereo. The most recent book I've been reading (Rick Snoman's "Dance Music Manual") has mentioned that mono sounds are allowed to take a very specific spot in the mix in contrast with hard to locate stereo sounds. This is difficult for me to comprehend, because I enjoy making huge stereo sounds with reverbs and width, and it feels like so many of my favorite records contain similar sounds.

How do you handle different sounds in regards to stereo vs. mono? Are big bass sounds/wobbles always done in mono? How about kick drums? Vocals? Leads? Pads? Any thoughts on the subject matter would be

Anything below 100hz should stay mono. Kick drums and snare drums usually sit in the middle of the mix (imagine listening to a drummer playing in front of you and you will get a idea of where the drums should sit) And many club systems are mono. TBH I don't use pan at all while doing electronic music, just stereo spreads / chorus. Also stereo sound files take more cpu, heard it somewhere. Your reverbs and width should be okay in mono systems.

Consider building your stereo width using true panning, its much more correlation-friendly, and will actually afford you alot more room in the mix prior to zero.

Could you please explain? Don't know if it's my english but I may not know what is true panning.

Stereo enhancers introduce slight delay on each side, panning turns one half of the volume down and the other half up.

Using the pan knob, and using stereo enhancement, are two totally different things. Using pan is like using a volume fader. Using stereo enhancements are like using a delay pedal.

No, the pan pot is what Im talking about, stereo enhancing effects can wreck phase correlation, and having a panned signal is usually just as psychoacoustically pleasing as having a stereo enhanced one, if not more pleasing.

Oh, that. Didn't know the word for it, thanks Basic A.

[musicandme]

Cool, thanks Basic A. I'll keep using the pan pot and not stereo enhancements.



Another very basic concept I'm struggling with is the difference in mono and stereo in concern to sounds generated from a software synth. From what I can tell a stereo sound sends a separate signal to the left and right channels/speakers, if it's a live instrument this is done w/ two individual microphones. Mono signals use a single microphone and send this recording through both channels/speakers evenly. Please correct me if I am wrong..

In regards to software synths, say I have one instance playing a lead or pad. I leave it dead center...this should be a mono signal correct? Will adding reverb, chorus, or delay change this? A phaser will clearly make it stereo correct?

Now if I take the same lead or pad, duplicate it, and pan them asymmetrically this makes it stereo? What if I just leave one instance and pan L or R, it remains mono that has been placed in the stereo field? What will the outcome be when converted to mono?

Again, any help or thoughts would be loved..

TL/DR: Is a soft synth automatically mono unless panned or run through a stereo effect?

[Today]

no, afaik most plugins say whether the instance is mono or stereo as you're instantiating it
and most default to stereo... i know Massive and Kontakt can open in mono but not the other NI products

also i find if i keep certain things mono, panning them sounds better than if it were stereo. panning Stereo channels just lowers the volume on either one side or the other so you're just losing some of the L or R
panning a mono channel actually moves the entire signal across the stereo field

[musicandme]

Got it, thanks Today. Still confused about one last thing, say I open Massive in mono mode, then add a reverb or other stereo effect. Will this change it to a stereo signal?

Also, are mid-range bass tones and wobbles primarily done in stereo or mono?

[tavravlavish]

Got it, thanks Today. Still confused about one last thing, say I open Massive in mono mode, then add a reverb or other stereo effect. Will this change it to a stereo signal?

Also, are mid-range bass tones and wobbles primarily done in stereo or mono?

I think if it is a mono channel it stays mono but has a stereo effect that just moves around in mono... if that makes sense?

mid range bass is done in both, probably nowadays with more stereo effects n stuff more simple mid range wobble is probably usually mono? Just an assumption I don't know what I'm talking about really, I have never gotten my facts straight with audio stuff or anything for that matter.

[Today]

The Mono instance of massive will stay mono. its built in effects will just process the signal on one channel (mono). i have no idea, though, how something like the dimension expander would sound. And i also don't know whether or not it will make a difference using Chorus vs. Mono Chorus. But, the instrument channel will remain mono unless you insert a mono-to-stereo plugin after it.
I believe most mid-range spectrum sounds are recorded in stereo. the ones i prefer in mono are generally percussion, because of the whole pan-pot thing. I like to be able to locate little clicks., hi-hats, rimshots etc across the stereo field with very sharply defined locations. to me, this can't be done in stereo as it just sounds like i'm turning down the right or left channel.
BUT everyone's ears are different. .. so, go figure.. just try it all

[daeMTHAFKNkim]

How would you go about mixing in Mono? I've heard it is best to mix in mono. I use FL Studio btw.

[jrisreal]

How would you go about mixing in Mono? I've heard it is best to mix in mono. I use FL Studio btw.

I'd mix in stereo and do a separate mixdown in mono if the track gets big or something so that people can play it in clubs without problem...not saying this is the best advice, because I've never been put in that situation.

[daeMTHAFKNkim]

How would you go about mixing in Mono? I've heard it is best to mix in mono. I use FL Studio btw.

I'd mix in stereo and do a separate mixdown in mono if the track gets big or something so that people can play it in clubs without problem...not saying this is the best advice, because I've never been put in that situation.

I meant like hearing it in Mono through your headphones while mixing but it's still stereo/you just gotta disable the Mono setting however you do that. If ya know what I mean :F .

[jrisreal]

How would you go about mixing in Mono? I've heard it is best to mix in mono. I use FL Studio btw.

I'd mix in stereo and do a separate mixdown in mono if the track gets big or something so that people can play it in clubs without problem...not saying this is the best advice, because I've never been put in that situation.

I meant like hearing it in Mono through your headphones while mixing but it's still stereo/you just gotta disable the Mono setting however you do that. If ya know what I mean :F .

That's how I meant it, too.
If the final output of the mix is going to be in stereo, mix in stereo. If the final output of the mix is going to be mono, mix in mono.

[daeMTHAFKNkim]

How would you go about mixing in Mono? I've heard it is best to mix in mono. I use FL Studio btw.

I'd mix in stereo and do a separate mixdown in mono if the track gets big or something so that people can play it in clubs without problem...not saying this is the best advice, because I've never been put in that situation.

I meant like hearing it in Mono through your headphones while mixing but it's still stereo/you just gotta disable the Mono setting however you do that. If ya know what I mean :F .

That's how I meant it, too.
If the final output of the mix is going to be in stereo, mix in stereo. If the final output of the mix is going to be mono, mix in mono.

Lol oh. Well I guess but I just wanted to try it. Some artist named Laidback Luke had a video and he says he mixes/masters with his headphones and he puts it in Mono because it's more accurate than it being stereo with headphones on because the perceptions are off or something like that. Then he does the finishing touches in Stereo mixing. o_o

[skimpi]

How would you go about mixing in Mono? I've heard it is best to mix in mono. I use FL Studio btw.

I'd mix in stereo and do a separate mixdown in mono if the track gets big or something so that people can play it in clubs without problem...not saying this is the best advice, because I've never been put in that situation.

I meant like hearing it in Mono through your headphones while mixing but it's still stereo/you just gotta disable the Mono setting however you do that. If ya know what I mean :F .

That's how I meant it, too.
If the final output of the mix is going to be in stereo, mix in stereo. If the final output of the mix is going to be mono, mix in mono.

Lol oh. Well I guess but I just wanted to try it. Some artist named Laidback Luke had a video and he says he mixes/masters with his headphones and he puts it in Mono because it's more accurate than it being stereo with headphones on because the perceptions are off or something like that. Then he does the finishing touches in Stereo mixing. o_o

That might be because when using headphones the stereo field is exaggerated do you essentially having a speaker in each ear, rather than having them spaced infront of you. So he may do his main composition and mixing in mono when using headphones at home or whatever. Then do the last few things such as panning and stereo processing, in stereo with some monitors.