The Importance Of Mono Reference

[KevTav]

So I have no access to the engineer I was using, or his studio.

And I have fully realized that the ability to reference quickly in mono is something that is basically a MUST for mixes. So I'm getting a mono speaker (single) with a control switch.

I've mixed songs using my Yamaha HS80s and headphones and when I take it to the car, or phone or anywhere else it lacks so much. But any mix I've had where I had the ability to reference in mono sounds good, and it saves so much time.

Just throwing it out there.

[Last Alternative]

Get 1 Avantone mixcube (active). I'm telling you that's the best way to go. And of course set it right in the middle.

[Chizmata]

mono checks on headphones help a lot

[Voyager]

I mainly use my mono monitor for checking phase issue and around main crossover and also for levelling my tracks.

[motuscott]

Get 1 Avantone mixcube (active).

I concur.

[KevTav]

Get 1 Avantone mixcube (active). I'm telling you that's the best way to go. And of course set it right in the middle.

I'm way ahead if you Bud.

[KevTav]

Get 1 Avantone mixcube (active).

I concur.

As do I

[ReasonUser]

Avantone mixcube going to work much better than just flipping the mono switch on and hearing it over the regular studio pair?

Unfortunately my computer screens are right in front of me. And some rack gear on the shelf above them. The only option would be to put it ~15" above my ears pointing downward.

[Wickline]

I just use the Anansi Mid Side Router for mono and Pongasoft A/B 12 for a pushbutton. Both free last time I checked.


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[Last Alternative]

The Universal Audio Apollo twin solo mkii has a mono button so no need for Reason workarounds anymore.

[Last Alternative]

Get 1 Avantone mixcube (active). I'm telling you that's the best way to go. And of course set it right in the middle.

I'm way ahead if you Bud.

Smart man.

[TritoneAddiction]

I always place Quadelactras Stereo Splitter at the end of the master bus chain for every song I make. Stereo Splitter has a mono button. It couldn't get any simpler than that.

I'm sure there are plenty of ways to do it though. But buying new speakers seems like a very expensive alternative when Stereo Splitter costs 9 bucks. Or am I missing something? Is there a difference?
You can even get kHs Stereo for free in the shop which basically does the same thing.

[Gulale]

Sometimes it really confuses me what the hell is going on on the Propellerheads HQ. Is there a DAW which doesn't have a mono button? why the hell people think about Rack extension for a single task like mono button? Hard going.

[grizelda]

Stereo Splitter has a mono button. It couldn't get any simpler than that.
...
But buying new speakers seems like a very expensive alternative when Stereo Splitter costs 9 bucks. Or am I missing something?

i dont mean no disrespect but i guess theyre talking about the accuracy of that particular speaker? i dont own one but im assuming thats why they recommended it

[TritoneAddiction]

Stereo Splitter has a mono button. It couldn't get any simpler than that.
...
But buying new speakers seems like a very expensive alternative when Stereo Splitter costs 9 bucks. Or am I missing something?

i dont mean no disrespect but i guess theyre talking about the accuracy of that particular speaker? i dont own one but im assuming thats why they recommended it

No problem.

So are regular (good sounding) studio monitors less accurate? What's the advantage of having a dedicated mono speaker compared to a mono button in your DAW?
I'm sure these are dumb questions, but what hell. I just want to learn.

[selig]

Sometimes it really confuses me what the hell is going on on the Propellerheads HQ. Is there a DAW which doesn't have a mono button? why the hell people think about Rack extension for a single task like mono button? Hard going.

Pro Tools (and Logic IIRC) doesn't have a mono button. This function is traditionally NOT a part of the mix bus, so is not commonly included. I can't speak to other DAWs.

A mono button would typically be a part of the monitor selector section, not the output of the main mix bus.


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[Wickline]

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Love that sig haha


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[selig]

Stereo Splitter has a mono button. It couldn't get any simpler than that.
...
But buying new speakers seems like a very expensive alternative when Stereo Splitter costs 9 bucks. Or am I missing something?

i dont mean no disrespect but i guess theyre talking about the accuracy of that particular speaker? i dont own one but im assuming thats why they recommended it

No problem.

So are regular (good sounding) studio monitors less accurate? What's the advantage of having a dedicated mono speaker compared to a mono button in your DAW?
I'm sure these are dumb questions, but what hell. I just want to learn.

Using a single monitor for mono has advantages over using two speakers. For one, you get a 'phantom' mono center image with stereo speakers, and it's not as accurate as a single monitor (due to subtle comb filtering between the speakers). For another, you get a true 'single source point' monitor

Using an Avatone mix cube is another concept, that being to get rid of the crossover and focus more purely on the mid range frequencies.

Yes, you can use a mix cube as a mono check, but you may miss some data by using such a 'focused' frequency range.

IMO it's more important to have a single point source monitor (turning off one speaker) when checking in mono than it is to have a specific brand of speaker for mono check. But OTOH, it's ALWAYS a good thing to have more than one monitor choice when mixing!

FWIW, I use a Roland Mix Cube for mono check, which has the ability to create the mono signal internally (no need to have a mono button anywhere, just need a speaker switcher).



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[Oquasec]

I use a music bullet with some 300$ studio monitors lol.

[TritoneAddiction]

Stereo Splitter has a mono button. It couldn't get any simpler than that.
...
But buying new speakers seems like a very expensive alternative when Stereo Splitter costs 9 bucks. Or am I missing something?

i dont mean no disrespect but i guess theyre talking about the accuracy of that particular speaker? i dont own one but im assuming thats why they recommended it

No problem.

So are regular (good sounding) studio monitors less accurate? What's the advantage of having a dedicated mono speaker compared to a mono button in your DAW?
I'm sure these are dumb questions, but what hell. I just want to learn.

Using a single monitor for mono has advantages over using two speakers. For one, you get a 'phantom' mono center image with stereo speakers, and it's not as accurate as a single monitor (due to subtle comb filtering between the speakers). For another, you get a true 'single source point' monitor

Using an Avatone mix cube is another concept, that being to get rid of the crossover and focus more purely on the mid range frequencies.

Yes, you can use a mix cube as a mono check, but you may miss some data by using such a 'focused' frequency range.

IMO it's more important to have a single point source monitor (turning off one speaker) when checking in mono than it is to have a specific brand of speaker for mono check. But OTOH, it's ALWAYS a good thing to have more than one monitor choice when mixing!

FWIW, I use a Roland Mix Cube for mono check, which has the ability to create the mono signal internally (no need to have a mono button anywhere, just need a speaker switcher).

Alright. Thanks for the reply, appreciate it.

[KevTav]

I always place Quadelactras Stereo Splitter at the end of the master bus chain for every song I make. Stereo Splitter has a mono button. It couldn't get any simpler than that.

I'm sure there are plenty of ways to do it though. But buying new speakers seems like a very expensive alternative when Stereo Splitter costs 9 bucks. Or am I missing something? Is there a difference?
You can even get kHs Stereo for free in the shop which basically does the same thing.

I'm looking into everything mentioned in this thread

[Gorgon]

tl;dr

Anyway, what I heard about mono checking, is that you can really zone-in on certain mixing issues and get unwanted frequencies out. Is that right, Selig?

[KevTav]

Even my Izotope Ozone 7 suite has a Mid/Side ability to get extra clarity but I feel I truly need a real EXTERNAL reference like a Mono Cube. Splitters help, mono buttons with certain plug-ins seem to help, but nothing feels like it does when I actually had access to a real SPEAKER in a studio setting. It doesn't feel like 'real' mono.

If that makes any sense.

[KevTav]

I just wish somebody would invent a one step plug in to compare Mono signals to a single/preset "Calibration" standard of Mono. That would make this whole thing much easier.

:/

[selig]

tl;dr

Anyway, what I heard about mono checking, is that you can really zone-in on certain mixing issues and get unwanted frequencies out. Is that right, Selig?

I'm not sure about that quality (get unwanted frequencies out), but what a mono mix check does for me it to hear what the simplest form of the mix sounds like, sans any stereo 'trickery' etc.

I can also be important in that in some rarecases you may be listening in mono (for example, an FM radio broadcast that is getting too far out of range to effectively transmit the stereo signal, which then defaults to mono).

But IMO you can definitely zone in on mixing issues, similar to how the "next room" mix-check works (walking into the next room and listening as your mix plays). It distills the mix elements down to the raw essentials, in a way giving you a 'worst case' scenario that IF you can sound good in THAT particular stress test you'll probably sound good in every other case.



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