Mono vs. Stereo for Club Systems

[tylerblue]

Safe,

When you're mixing down a tune, how do you like to treat your stereo width for properly playing on loud club style systems? For example, which elements do you feel need to be mono (aside from everything below ~120hz)? Do you have anything mid/high range in mono? Will you mono percussion and pan it accordingly? Perhaps there aren't any hard and fast rules for mixing down a tune for a club system, but perhaps someone can point me in the right direction.

Overall I'd like my mixdowns to be a more controlled and I feel like it may be time to mono certain sounds and pan them rather than having weird stereo effects fluttering around everywhere. Does anyone else do this?

[Ldizzy]

most clubs are mono,

regarding that logic...

think of the things u wouldnt want to see disappear from your track or loose significant volume... and center them...

thats the first thing id do

[Basic A]

It shouldnt be a big deal above sub range, if it is, 99% bet youve made a brostep tune with just plain to many effects (Im guilty as sin)

Just check everything in full mono while you work, remember to switch back to stereo but as you add elements, stop occasionally, mono the track n have a listen. if anythings going phased, you at least have time to fix it.

USE YOUR DAMN EARS.

[futures_untold]

Scrolling down about ten threads in the list of threads in the production forum would have revealed http://www.dubstepforum.com/topic42895.html

[Depone]

All i do is make my tune, Use my sonalksis stereo tools to check the stereo field/correlation, and then hit the mono button to check the mono summed. If it sounds banging... its all i need doing. You shouldn't make tunes with club systems being mono in mind. You should always strive for the best stereo sound, but make sure it translates ok to mono.

In my honest opinion.

[sully_harmitage]

^^^
I would disagree. If you make music for the club then work with that in mind.
It won't sound as rich on a hi-fi but does that always matter?

[Depone]

^^^
I would disagree. If you make music for the club then work with that in mind.
It won't sound as rich on a hi-fi but does that always matter?

to me it does

[sully_harmitage]

and more power to ya!
depends on the intended environment...

[tylerblue]

If it sounds banging... its all i need doing.

Fair enough, and I guess I'm concerned about losing that banging dance music sound with my highs running around all over the place. But your tunes don't seem to have that problem. I take it you don't mono (or close to it) your hats/perc and pan them accordingly?

most clubs are mono,

regarding that logic...

think of the things u wouldnt want to see disappear from your track or loose significant volume... and center them...

thats the first thing id do

Isn't there a difference between mono and center panning?

[Ldizzy]

If it sounds banging... its all i need doing.

Fair enough, and I guess I'm concerned about losing that banging dance music sound with my highs running around all over the place. But your tunes don't seem to have that problem. I take it you don't mono (or close to it) your hats/perc and pan them accordingly?

most clubs are mono,

regarding that logic...

think of the things u wouldnt want to see disappear from your track or loose significant volume... and center them...

thats the first thing id do

Isn't there a difference between mono and center panning?

there is indeed.. i didnt want to imply it was the same... i just said its the first thing i would care about... but i def saw the potential confusion... and then went like ''fuck it'' and clicked submit mehehehehehhee...

ill rephrase that : say, ur kick is stereo.... it prolly wont sound exactly the same thru a mono system, but if its centered it wont vanish!

[Depone]

If it sounds banging... its all i need doing.

Fair enough, and I guess I'm concerned about losing that banging dance music sound with my highs running around all over the place. But your tunes don't seem to have that problem. I take it you don't mono (or close to it) your hats/perc and pan them accordingly?

Nope, i make my tracks full stereo with panning, widening and all. I just check that it sounds ok/ish in mono at the last stage, so that it would have a leg to stand on in the club.

Remember around %80 of digital music sold is going to listened to on ipods, home hifi's etc... only a handful will be actually played out in a club. To a lot more people granted, but think about your target audience.

[press]

All i do is make my tune, Use my sonalksis stereo tools to check the stereo field/correlation, and then hit the mono button to check the mono summed. If it sounds banging... its all i need doing. You shouldn't make tunes with club systems being mono in mind. You should always strive for the best stereo sound, but make sure it translates ok to mono.

In my honest opinion.

i agree.

[Basic A]

Remember around %80 of digital music sold is going to listened to on ipods, home hifi's etc... only a handful will be actually played out in a club. To a lot more people granted, but think about your target audience.

Why do i doubt this?

I mean, youve more experience in sales field then me man, but my predictions/mindset always had me assuming the only people actually buying tunes were djs. before I mixed i know all i did was download sets and get what i could off pirate sites. djs have that motivation that if they buy it now they can get it sooner then the pirates/normal listeners, and also creative motivation(this will mix perfectly with...)

IDK, doesnt seem the ordinary listeners would be your market in edm is all. Could be all wrong though.

[samkablaam]

If it sounds banging... its all i need doing.

Fair enough, and I guess I'm concerned about losing that banging dance music sound with my highs running around all over the place. But your tunes don't seem to have that problem. I take it you don't mono (or close to it) your hats/perc and pan them accordingly?

most clubs are mono,

regarding that logic...

think of the things u wouldnt want to see disappear from your track or loose significant volume... and center them...

thats the first thing id do

Isn't there a difference between mono and center panning?

there is indeed.. i didnt want to imply it was the same... i just said its the first thing i would care about... but i def saw the potential confusion... and then went like ''fuck it'' and clicked submit mehehehehehhee...

if everything in your song is centre panned, the tune will be mono.

[staticcast]

if everything in your song is centre panned, the tune will be mono.

Not if you use stereo samples.

[stompzi]

Can anyone recommend a free/affordable plugin I can stick on the master that has a togglable "mono button" I could use while mixing a track?

Sonalksis stereo tools is a bit outside my price range for what it does and I don't really know what I'm looking for to search.

[Sharmaji]

All i do is make my tune, Use my sonalksis stereo tools to check the stereo field/correlation, and then hit the mono button to check the mono summed. If it sounds banging... its all i need doing. You shouldn't make tunes with club systems being mono in mind. You should always strive for the best stereo sound, but make sure it translates ok to mono.

In my honest opinion.

this is how it works. check that your tune works in mono; if it does, great, if it doesn't, fix the problems.

[tylerblue]

Can anyone recommend a free/affordable plugin I can stick on the master that has a togglable "mono button" I could use while mixing a track?

Sonalksis stereo tools is a bit outside my price range for what it does and I don't really know what I'm looking for to search.

What DAW are you using? The Utility audio effect in Ableton will work if you take the widening down to 0%.

[RmoniK]

Alright, so i have a question. Most people who make commercial music have their highs set very very wide. This results in an extreme lack of lows when you solo the mid channel of a song. You can hear this too, just import a commercial house or dubstep song and solo the mid channel on an eq or whatever.

Now my question is, doesn't this matter for clubs? As far as i know, club systems are always mono. Doesn't the lack of highs and even high mids ruin the song when it's played in a club? Cause it sure ruins the sound when it's played in mono at home...

[Barka]

Club systems being mono is becoming more and more a myth as very few club systems are actually mono nowadays. But remember, that even on a mono system, mono ≠ mid signal. Mono is the two channels (left & right) summed to one, so it includes the sides except things that get left out due to phase cancellation.