Mono vs stereo mix for club PA systems?

[nznexus]

what ?

[leipies]

Originally Posted by nznexus

what ?

I'm not exactly sure what part you are confused by... can you please elaborate?

[Praxisaxis]

Well, it's as you say. If you get your tune played through a system where it has been summed to mono, and there are phasing problems, then yeah it will drop in power in those sections.

It's a balance of considerations. When you're working with stereo effects, esp when you're getting a really "wide" sound it's a good practice to check your mix in mono to anticipate the problem - sometimes using a different effect in a different way can keep your sound wide, without any significant phasing issues. I'm not sure how you'll go about fixing your sample issue, where the problem is embedded. Maybe kill one channel of the sample, make it centre, then reintroduce a stereo effect like delay or flange.

Otherwise just don't worry about it - depends how much it bugs you when your tune is playing in mono.

[MoteOfVoid]

Check this here for a few more tips :

Sample sounds bad in mono.

[Serra]

don't worry too much about that, just do the mono/stereo test with your favorite tunes and you will hear the same problem, so its not something to crazy about. if you like the stereo loop, keep its magic and use it


Kill Bill / The Champ [Gung Ho! Recordings Ltd] :: Beatport
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[Praxisaxis]

Originally Posted by Serra

just do the mono/stereo test with your favorite tunes and you will hear the same problem, so its not something to crazy about. if you like the stereo loop, keep its magic and use it

Yes and no... it depends how much is getting zapped out. Well produced tracks don't normally exhibit this problem strongly... they have plenty of width without the phasing; it can be done but it requires attention. If the sample is magic, you may want to use it regardless, but as I said it depends on how much trouble it is when summed to mono. If you really can't get past the phase issue, try using just one channel and experimenting with some stereo effect on it, like delay or flange, etc.

[Teknobeam]

I used to design club sound systems in stereo on the dance floor and mono in non revenue areas and peripheral zones. Stereo sounds better on a dance floor and it's possible (but more expensive too). However, many club systems are in mono. You have to appreciate that a mono system has many advantages sonically in a large venue scenario. If listeners are positioned close to a certain channel, they don't get the other channels' program. In a club situation, nobody is going to complain. It's really more about the transducers and the way the system is eq'd.

[btfnk]

DrMS might help, it can sometimes preserve the qualities you're describing while also making it more mono compatible.

Mono compatibility is very important with club music. Many clubs are just L or just R. So you should try monitoring with each channel playing alone. If you lose part of your track, it's no good.

[audioconsult]

Originally Posted by Teknobeam

I used to design club sound systems in stereo on the dance floor and mono in non revenue areas and peripheral zones. Stereo sounds better on a dance floor and it's possible (but more expensive too). However, many club systems are in mono. You have to appreciate that a mono system has many advantages sonically in a large venue scenario. If listeners are positioned close to a certain channel, they don't get the other channels' program. In a club situation, nobody is going to complain. It's really more about the transducers and the way the system is eq'd.

i dont know a single club in germany that runs the main floors in mono.. i also never have been on a openair festival that did that.

and its not more expensive to run a system in stereo because all the components are stereo already. you dont safe a single amp or processor or kabel way by running the system in mono...except you do the dancefloor with only one center speaker...

[audioconsult]

Originally Posted by Serra

don't worry too much about that, just do the mono/stereo test with your favorite tunes and you will hear the same problem, so its not something to crazy about. if you like the stereo loop, keep its magic and use it

yes and no.. the best is to try to find a well balanced compromise. give away a little from the magic and make it work in mono at least so much that it dont looses too drastical.. its ok that it looses a little.. thats perfectly normal.. but relevant lines shouldnt disappear or get so weak that it is like disappearing..

pan the left and right channel of the loop not hard l/r.. just 50% and try to widen the stereo image again with different eq settings on the l and r channel... than it might work better in mono but is hopefully in stereo still splashy enough..

only when nothing helps ignore mono compatibility. in the end its more likely that your track meets a stereo system... your 70´s record tells you that the producer back than ignored mono compatibility already...

The advantage of self designed loops is that you dont run into such issues

[Teknobeam]

Originally Posted by audioconsult

i dont know a single club in germany that runs the main floors in mono.. i also never have been on a openair festival that did that.

and its not more expensive to run a system in stereo because all the components are stereo already. you dont safe a single amp or processor or kabel way by running the system in mono...except you do the dancefloor with only one center speaker...

Interesting.. because years ago I designed everything in stereo. Even huge cosmic bowling centers (these are huge in America)... Even on a dance floor that has four elements (one in every corner)... Stereo is better.. but mon is also good. But peripheral zones are much different. I learned this over many years. ( i was very idealistic about sound). I didn't just cheap out.. mono in subordinate zones just provides listeners with much better audio program overall. The same applies to restaurants. Needless to say larger venues such as arenas. The last two 7000 seat arena's i have designed were all mono systems with an exploded cluster / distributed / delayed approach. So...mono becomes much more appropriate when you start talking about venue size

[xanderbeanz]

Holy crap Tekno, i had no idea you designed a load of cool stuff like that!