Tips for Recording an Album in Mono

[Silver Sonya]

This is one of the great many ways I do not wish to emulate Phil Spector.

- c

[soundbarnfool]

Originally Posted by Silver Sonya

This is one of the great many ways I do not wish to emulate Phil Spector.

- c

Now that's funny! (OK, dark humor but still funny)

Inglewood SoundBarn

[soundbarnfool]

I'm amazed no one has mentioned "Pet Sounds" yet... BTW, just because you have lots of instruments does not mean you have to use lots of mics.

Inglewood SoundBarn

[mixmixmix]

Try and use sm 57 for that record

[donnylang]

If mono is to be the primary release, and stereo secondary (as mentioned in your initial post), then I would think it makes sense to focus on mono.

so it's simple: recording everything mono and mix mono. stereo piano can create nightmares when mixing to mono. you can always make a stereo mix with your mono sources later on -- this is how most '60s records were cut (if they even bothered with stereo at all).

[Bob Olhsson]

I can offer a couple tips from when I started during the mid '60s.

1. Use just one monitor speaker.

2. Record as much live with no headphones as you can or you'll go crazy trying to hold balances together on the board.

[chrisrulesmore]

All, I wish to sincerely thank you for the wonderful advice, some of which I didn't quite get to in time for this session, but will surely use on the next. I worked on two projects simultaneously that couldn't be more different. One was singer-songwriter folk while the other was David Bowie inspired indie-pop with a lot of experimental sounds thrown in.

If you are reading this and, like me, have never attempted a mono mix before, I highly recommend it. Honestly, I feel like I learned so much in four days from this project.

1.) As some already mentioned, this project really highlighted for me how 90% of the instruments I record are inherently mono. Mixing those instruments in stereo sounds great, but it really is a special effect (especially on drums!).

2.) Couldn't agree more about using as few microphones on a source as possible, if not only one. Whoever said that stereo miking a piano will cause problems in mono was dead on. I suppose I never realized how much purity is lost when using multiple microphones on a source. This was especially evident in hearing a live acoustic/vocal take through one microphone (Gefell UM92.1) versus hearing it combined with a second mic on the acoustic (Neumann TLM102). The single mic wins hands down, both in stereo and mono.

3.) Mixing in mono is a GREAT way to reveal aspects of a mix that don't belong or conflict. We recorded an overdub of an electric guitar that simply couldn't coexist with the piano...in stereo I can get away with it, but it sounds absurd in mono.

4.) Great tips on M/S, but I was working so quickly that it wasn't utilized much. However, I'm amazed at how much better my stereo mix sounds by simply taking mono sources through a stereo reverb. I get the clarity of the mono mix, but the spaciousness of the stereo field in the reverb returns.

Again, thanks everyone. I did get a chance to hear a previous recording of this artist that I did last year on a mono record and it really does sound timeless. Excited to see how the project ends up...I have at least two or three more sessions to complete by December for these two projects.

Some pics for your enjoyment...note the record lathe built into the desk I was using!

Best,
Chris

[Rick Sutton]

Thanks for an interesting topic.

[ducter]

"note the record lathe built into the desk I was using!"

Are you using that lathe to cut your mono vinyl master?

[chrisrulesmore]

Originally Posted by ducter

"note the record lathe built into the desk I was using!"

Are you using that lathe to cut your mono vinyl master?

Yes, though I won't be the one cutting. It has some really cool history apparently, as does the building that was constructed in 1840 and contains glass windows from the original state capital of Texas. I will confirm a few facts with the artist on it and update shortly.

[vernier]

I record and monitor in mono, but end up with dual-mono mixes. Every instrument gets one close mic, and a far mic stays on a boom in the room ...and this arrangement works for mono mixes as well as the dual-mono ones.

[Bob Olhsson]

Virtually every pop record made before the late 1960s was recorded for mono using one monitor speaker. Stereo was treated as an afterthought the same way 5.1 mixes are treated today.

[Ward Pike]

The piano micing technique may cause some phase issues. But I guess it's done now. In future, a wide cardiod over the center of the strings/soundplate with the lid removed is a good alternative. Compressed as well, I might add... hitting 4 to 6 db of compression, 4:1 ratio, medium attack and releases. This will balance the outer ranges of the strings.

[Bob Olhsson]

Multiple mikes picking up the same source all can have phase problems.

[andychamp]

The one thing I wanted to add - but you found out yourself - was: you don't need to track in stereo to get a great stereo mix later.
On the contrary: with stereo sources you're more likely to end up with a "wide mono" mix.
Mono sources make for much more interesting stereo mixes.

[ducter]

Originally Posted by andychamp

The one thing I wanted to add - but you found out yourself - was: you don't need to track in stereo to get a great stereo mix later.
On the contrary: with stereo sources you're more likely to end up with a "wide mono" mix.
Mono sources make for much more interesting stereo mixes.

With the exception of "pads" which are stereo and the "widening" is a matter of pitch-shifting, all the tracks are mono ones that are panned to various locations.

With this approach I find I can maximize the clarity of a mix, every track with its own frequency plateau and pan position .

Problems can occur with songs with "sampled" instruments or midi-triggered synths that you haven't recorded, you are just triggering something recorded or coded by someone else. But that is not going to be the case here I believe.