Mixing in Mono?

[Stackx]

Well I've always checked my mixes in mono and switch back n forth but I'm talking about the guys that say they do like 90% of there mixing in mono and the do the last 10% touch ups in stereo and says it makes there mixes better than mixing in straight stereo and checking mono here and there. I have gone about 50% mono and really liked the results I was just trying to get people's opinions on the subject but it looks like not to many people do it lol. I've read websites where it agrees making the songs sound great in mono and stereo is definitely a plus because most people listen in cars or home systems where the music hits there ears at different times perceiving the sound of mono instead of a quit place focusing on the stereo image of the track. Well average listeners of chorus.

[The Aristocrat]

once again folks here is the article
it lists the benefits of mixing in mono and some tips on when to use it
Q. Should I be mixing in mono? <--

it's a good read

[MarioContreras]

I think it might be personal preference and commodity as well. I mean if you know you can deliver a fabulous mix in stereo you probably wouldn't even think of checking the mix in mono or you would use tools to check for phase and whatnot.

I'm very hesitant to start a mix in mono mainly because I already have a mental pattern I want to follow ( in terms of how the product should sound) and mixing in mono will force me to make changes to some elements based on that mental image (sound actually). For example I might balance my kick and bass perfectly in mono but in stereo they will get a bit lost as the side info will be louder.

I do however listen to mix in mono in sections to hear if I'm missing something.

If it works good for you then go with it. There is no good or wrong as long as the product is great.

[The Aristocrat]

very true, since mono checks are sometimes used to hear if certain problems are present such as phase cancellation for example but you are doing programmed music then phase cancellation will almost certainly not be an issue thus eliminating the mono check..if in fact that is what you were using the mono check for.

[Glassindo]

every truly great stereo mix sounds killer in mono.

[K. Matafonov]

Ok, for example I have wide stereo tracks from producer - for example, say, dubstep or trance-like. In mono I hear collapse.. Sometimes kick collapsed too in wide hip-hop.. OK, I can mix new kick with the help of trigger.. but synths?? leads?? Should I keep only left channel? No.. Should I narrow them with S1? No... I can take left and send to Lexicon 960 - but it will be different colour.. When I try to balance all that wide stuff in mono (every producer nowadays use wide sources more or less in pop/club/hip-hop music) I feel that I just wasting my time .... Note that Euro-2012 main song sounds very bad in mono - all synths and bass just collapse! Maybe different mono mix is the solve? Ok, I am gonna check some major pop stuff one more time...

[K. Matafonov]

Originally Posted by K. Matafonov

Ok, for example I have wide stereo tracks from producer - for example, say, dubstep or trance-like. In mono I hear collapse.. Sometimes kick collapsed too in wide hip-hop.. OK, I can mix new kick with the help of trigger.. but synths?? leads?? Should I keep only left channel? No.. Should I narrow them with S1? No... I can take left and send to Lexicon 960 - but it will be different colour.. When I try to balance all that wide stuff in mono (every producer nowadays use wide sources more or less in pop/club/hip-hop music) I feel that I just wasting my time .... Note that Euro-2012 main song sounds very bad in mono - all synths and bass just collapse! Maybe different mono mix is the solve? Ok, I am gonna check some major pop stuff one more time...

OK, I am already check some references and make decision for myself - I am better will mix in stereo and when the mix is done I just check and tweak balances with single speaker (with plugin on master bus set to mono and panned to 100% left)

[knobsmcgee]

i mix in (dual) mono and do stereo checks moreso than vice versa.
ESPECIALLY drums and bass.

if everything is wide, nothing is wide.

[smoke]

Originally Posted by CharlesEdward

I think its the other way round, the advantage is producing in mono and then switching to stereo when your ready for the final mix down.

There is no right or wrong way to this. There are various methods that all complement each other.

When it comes to stereo placement, reverbs, delays, you probably do not want to do this in mono. I check in mono, but I would not produce it in mono.

I like to make sure the stereo material stay as firm as possible in mono, but I tweak very little in mono if it does sounds off or thin. I try to identify what the problem is and why, go back to tweak in stereo, THEN go back to mono to check.
I find that tweaking in mono after setting up in stereo... well you will end up chasing your own tail.

[JonnBoy]

I certainly learned something from this thread. Will be trying this tonight.

[Stackx]

I find it really nice to fix volume levels and reverb and delay and definitely the best way to eq for separation.

But your right it's definitely not something you can base a whole stereo mix on. What I've been doing recently is starting my mixes in mono on 1 monitor. From there ill adjust levels do panning eq for space between instruments determining what's in front and back of the mix. Then I'll do the rest in stereo. Then when I'm close to done ill switch back to mono and check reverbs and delays and adjust them in mono. It really helps and makes things easier to hear the depth of your mix.

[parkay909]

I wouldn't say you should do the whole mix in mono but always check in mono! Especially if you intend on your track being on FM or cut to vinyl.

The way the stereo processing happens involves transmitting a purely mono signal with the difference L-R embedded in a subcarrier. Similarly on vinyl the L-R information is cut vertically while the sum L+R is the horizontal part of the groove. If there is too much weird phase crap mastering engineers will stomp it out of the mix so the needle won't jump the groove. Also FM transmitters process both parts separately to maximize transmitter efficiency.

Just food for thought.

[smoke]

Originally Posted by Stackx

What I've been doing recently is starting my mixes in mono on 1 monitor. From

Someone explained that to me as working with the actual sound pressure of the mono signal rather than working with the phantom image between 2 mono sources.

I've actually been doing a lot of setting up in mono from the beginning lately myself. Raw kick/bass/snare and maybe a lead melody element or hit dealt with in mono.

Kinda tough though because my display is in the middle, so I do the best I can to adjust my seating and face the direct signal.

[HSLand]

Can someone elaborate on this 'depth' thing while mixing in mono? Is creating this depth something you do with high or midrange EQ?

[Stackx]

Originally Posted by smoke

Someone explained that to me as working with the actual sound pressure of the mono signal rather than working with the phantom image between 2 mono sources.

I've actually been doing a lot of setting up in mono from the beginning lately myself. Raw kick/bass/snare and maybe a lead melody element or hit dealt with in mono.

Kinda tough though because my display is in the middle, so I do the best I can to adjust my seating and face the direct signal.

Yea same here if you start with the mix in mono before you pan everything and make your eq cuts to create space for each instrument after you switch to stereo and pan everything the space and clarity is amazing.

[Stackx]

Originally Posted by HSLand

Can someone elaborate on this 'depth' thing while mixing in mono? Is creating this depth something you do with high or midrange EQ?

Well when you listen to your whole track in mono with 1 monitor your hearing everything in the middle from front to back. So the loudest thing you hear in mono is going to be the most forward thing and not necessarily the loudest. N the things you barely hear are gonna be in the background. Therefor, when adding reverb it's much easier to hear and understand in the space and depth it's giving your mix.

[JonnBoy]

So I've just tried this, after reading the initial post. I put some recent stems from a couple projects I just mixed in stereo in a new project and remixed from the ground up in complete mono. I got it to sound as good as I could in mono before even thinking to switch to stereo, and I must say I was kind of taken aback by the results. The level balance was so much more spot on right away, the kick sat exactly where it needed to be, and all my EQ decisions translated without flaw. It wasn't necessarily miles beyond what my final stereo only mixes sounded like, but I got from point A to point B a lot faster with the dirty work, and was able to focus on the cool stereo stuff and creative side of the mixes more. Also a good tool if there are any of you here mixing on headphones, because it definitely seemed to help the translation to monitors from my headphones a bunch.

[The Aristocrat]

Originally Posted by HSLand

Can someone elaborate on this 'depth' thing while mixing in mono? Is creating this depth something you do with high or midrange EQ?

By depth we mean creating the illusion that certain elements of the mix are placed differently than others. For example making it seem like a drum set or a piano is placed farther back in the mix that say the synth. If you are in a live scenario a lot of the whole "depth" perception is ingrained in the recording because those relationships are actually there so the recording is just capturing that relationship. Not so in the scenario we are talking about, more or less it is the same effect, but we are recreating it.

For example using the haas effect to give the illusion of a wider stereo image.

If you are more interested in psychoacoustic effects here is an article definitely worth reading.

Moulton Laboratories :: Principles of Multitrack Mixing: The Phantom Image

As for creating it you can use a combination of anything from EQ's to filters to reverb.

[The Aristocrat]

Originally Posted by JonnBoy

So I've just tried this, after reading the initial post. I put some recent stems from a couple projects I just mixed in stereo in a new project and remixed from the ground up in complete mono. I got it to sound as good as I could in mono before even thinking to switch to stereo, and I must say I was kind of taken aback by the results. The level balance was so much more spot on right away, the kick sat exactly where it needed to be, and all my EQ decisions translated without flaw. It wasn't necessarily miles beyond what my final stereo only mixes sounded like, but I got from point A to point B a lot faster with the dirty work, and was able to focus on the cool stereo stuff and creative side of the mixes more. Also a good tool if there are any of you here mixing on headphones, because it definitely seemed to help the translation to monitors from my headphones a bunch.

[HSLand]

Do you guys think I should invest in another monitor for a Center position? I'd hate to keep turning and looking at my left or right one constantly.

[CharlesEdward]

Originally Posted by HSLand

Do you guys think I should invest in another monitor for a Center position? I'd hate to keep turning and looking at my left or right one constantly.

hell yes

[HSLand]

I'm going to look into this for sure. Two problems will arise when getting one though: I'd probably have to find a single monitor of the exact make/model, and I don't have much room for it.

[beat you down]

i want this:

[3nterprise]

Never tried it but ill definitely give it a go...

[Dangerous]

Did anyone know that mono is not true mono? I had someone tell me this recently but cant remember the full details i will ask them and try and re post their answer.

[Dangerous]

Imbeded in mono are the four directions in what is scalar math. There is left/right, Up/down, forward/recessed. So if you do a left right swap with pans or patches you get this a big hole in the center. I use this with audience response to make room for the music in the middle.

[Stackx]

Well a stereo track will never be true mono unless you change it to mono which is easy to do. But even if you keep it stereo all you have to do is remember the -3db panning law an keep that in mind when your setting levels. Personally I'll level all my mono stuff in mono first then deal with stereo tracks when I flip back to stereo. But I will flip everything to mono from the very beginning just to create space for everything before I start panning and leveling.

[The Aristocrat]

Originally Posted by HSLand

Do you guys think I should invest in another monitor for a Center position? I'd hate to keep turning and looking at my left or right one constantly.

would definitely be a worthy investment.

[lemonsquash]

I rather listen to a well balanced mono mix than an average stereo mix. Using the SP1200 my tracks are mono but I apply stereo reverbs and delays on a send track to spread them a bit. I sum usually 6 mono tracks and one stereo track to final mixdown when I mix my instrumentals.

[808boyz]

Is there a mono plug in? I like mono mixing for eqing but im using mixcraft pro studio now and cant figure out how to listen in mono.

My solution is this mono version of some isotope demo that cuts out every 30 sec and thats getting old