How often is it appropriate to mix in mono?

[CYSYS8993]

I've heard a lot of experts in the field say that it's advised. But recently I tried this myself and the mix just sounded crappier than through the stereo output. So I don't quite fully understand what they're talking about.

After doing some reading, I heard when the songs are best mixed in mono because most situations will play through that input; for example playing music in a store.

But let's say I want to publish a song to a label, or even a rhythm game. Will it be a different story? I'm sure the evaluators would want to access the full stereo width.

[etyrnal]

You think they put stereo systems in an elevator?

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[etyrnal]

If you don't check to see how it sounds in mono, and some game developer decides they want to stick your music and their son, and then when it's played on some Android device with a mono speaker on it and it has horrible phasing problems your music is going to sound terrible.

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[etyrnal]

The point is, you want your music to sound great in every possible scenario. If a label was going to choose between your music that was mixed beautifully and stereo but sounded terrible on mono, and another artist who was producing music that sounded great and stereo and great in mono, they're going to pick the music that can be played on more devices and in more scenarios and still sound good. Why would they choose music with limited playback. Also it will have something to do with how it sounds when it's played live. A person standing in the audience doesn't always have the luxury of standing in the exact center of the audience sometimes their way off to the left or way off to the right.

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[QVprod]

There's a misunderstanding here. You can start a mix in mono (levels and EQ) and or you can check your mix in mono to make sure it sounds decent (not losing instruments due to phasing) for mono playback systems that convert stereo to mono. A good mix will sound decent in mono but obviously not as good as it does in stereo. The idea is not to keep the mix mono. The finished product should be stereo.

[esselfortium]

I wouldn't do my mixing in mono, personally, but it is useful to have a combinator or something in your master chain that you can just occasionally enable to hear what your mix sounds like in mono, to make sure there are no egregious phasing conflicts causing instruments to disappear.

[etyrnal]

There should be a button in the master channel

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[syncanonymous]

I always check...a lot of the audio I work on ends up being dual mono
I use a Drawmer MC 2.1

Understanding what you want to be mono in your mix is critical too.

[selig]

There are many ways to use mono listening during the mix process.
One is to simply check mono compatibility near the end of the mix process, and fix any glaring issues you hear.
Another is to start the mix in mono, which is to say you simply balance your main elements without panning anything away from center. This approach can help ensure you have a solid, well balanced mix from the start.
Other folks go back and forth on a more regular basis and find the middle ground that works best in both mono and stereo.

I find myself somewhere between the second and third option, acknowledging a great mono mix also sounds great in stereo, but a great stereo mix does's always sound great in mono IMO.

[Wickline]

You're not gonna render your track in mono, just mix in mono.
Basically you mix in mono and when you're finished mixing you switch it back up to stereo and adjust any panning you need done, and it will often sound better than if you had mixed in stereo.

Export in stereo.

When you only mix in stereo, you're not gonna hear any phase/masking issues that will be present in mono. This way when a mono device plays your finished track, you know what it will end up sounding like.

[Wickline]

Dammit. It happened again. Selig answers while I'm typing. With a longer more detailed explanation. Lol

[Wickline]

I find myself somewhere between the second and third option, acknowledging a great mono mix also sounds great in stereo, but a great stereo mix does's always sound great in mono IMO.

Exactly.

[CaliforniaBurrito]

I do a quick check for mono compatibility at the end. Worrying about mono or anything technical for that matter during the creative phase is a total buzz kill.

I should also make a note that I mix as I produce and arrange so there is no defined mixing stage for me. I just worry about the technical things like mono compatibility and sometimes strapping a sub to my back at the very end.

[KevTav]

I've heard a lot of experts in the field say that it's advised. But recently I tried this myself and the mix just sounded crappier than through the stereo output. So I don't quite fully understand what they're talking about.

After doing some reading, I heard when the songs are best mixed in mono because most situations will play through that input; for example playing music in a store.

But let's say I want to publish a song to a label, or even a rhythm game. Will it be a different story? I'm sure the evaluators would want to access the full stereo width.

Of course it sounds crappier, it's MONO.

You should be CONSTANTLY referencing in Mono, or quite simply you're wasting your time mixing/mastering any song. By the time you upload it anywhere or convert into any digital file, you're going to realize that stereo is only half the mix and you're going to have to start all over.

Learn Mono summing and referencing now, or pay the price later.

Learn sound fields and space ("The Box")

Learn RESONANCE of each instrument/sound

Learn Stereo Width and when not to do it.

Learn how to shape and cut frequencies (related to resonance again)

[CYSYS8993]

Okay then, another question regarding mono mixing:
What mix problems can I detect and fix through mono referencing?

[QVprod]

Okay then, another question regarding mono mixing:
What mix problems can I detect and fix through mono referencing?

Phasing is the only real problem you'll notice in mono. That's something you would want to fix if it's there. If a track is phasing then in mono it will sound like its significantly lower in volume than in stereo or it will disappear completely.

Other than that, other uses for mono mixing are workflow based but aren't necessarily essential. Setting levels and EQing in mono at the beginning of a mix is a technique some use because it can help you hear masking frequencies better which influences your EQ decisions. Simply checking towards the beginning and end of the mix is perfectly fine as well.

[motuscott]

Basically it's the phasing of stereo instruments/sounds when collapsed to mono.
Collapsing to mono is out of your hands once you've released the material.

[theshoemaker]

There should be a button in the master channel

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Go to your Master Section > Programmer > Click on the Patch Browser Button and go to the Factory Sound. Search for "Stereo Flip"

Then you can assign a keyboard shortcut. Mine is "M" and I save this shortcut in my templates for mixing ... besides the mastering templates.

Mono/Stereo Mastering

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[CaliforniaBurrito]

Since we're getting all specific up in here now I think the Quadelectra Stereo Splitter is worthy of a mention and can do much more.

[aeox]

Since we're getting all specific up in here now I think the Quadelectra Stereo Splitter is worthy of a mention and can do much more.

I actually just purchased this. Couldn't pass it up for 9 dollars and I'll have a million uses for it.

[CaliforniaBurrito]

Of course it sounds crappier, it's MONO.

"Crappy" and "crappier" can be misconstrued words but I just want to point out the mix should NOT sound crappy in mono. Pull up some professional reference tracks, hit that mono button, come back and tell me how "crappy" they are.

[KevTav]

Of course it sounds crappier, it's MONO.

"Crappy" and "crappier" can be misconstrued words but I just want to point out the mix should NOT sound crappy in mono. Pull up some professional reference tracks, hit that mono button, come back and tell me how "crappy" they are.

Wrong. I said crappier. ANY Mono field is going to sound crappier by default than stereo to your ears.

Open any PAD with high ends sides, play that in MONO out of the gate, Voila...CRAPPIER

Which is why I make sure all my tracks are almost near what comes out of the stereo field.

If mono sounded 'as great', you and I woulnd't be replying to a thread about MONO

[KevTav]

Okay then, another question regarding mono mixing:
What mix problems can I detect and fix through mono referencing?

Get this https://www.bozdigitallabs.com/product/panipulator/

A Free VST, us it on every track/channel strip. Reference it continually.

Or if you have the Izotope Ozone EQ in your future, use the MONO summing to check the overall reference.

Or invest in one of these for your studio. http://www.avantonepro.com/Avantone-Act ... itors.html

Or do all 3

[CaliforniaBurrito]

Wrong. I said crappier. ANY Mono field is going to sound crappier by default than stereo to your ears.

Open any PAD with high ends sides, play that in MONO out of the gate, Voila...CRAPPIER

Which is why I make sure all my tracks are almost near what comes out of the stereo field.

If mono sounded 'as great', you and I woulnd't be replying to a thread about MONO

WRONG. We are replying to this thread because the mix is supposed to sound good in mono! You even contradict yourself when you say you try to get your mono tracks to sound as if they were stereo. Does that mean crappy to you? The meaning of crappy to me is when you're losing information and the mix is imbalanced. This should not be the case of course. I don't like that word crappy because it carries a heavy negative connotation which can be confusing for the OP.

Edit: Sorry KevTav, didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Carry on without me.

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[Oquasec]

That is a tricky thing. I heard about clubs using mono speakers.
Some say mono sounds similar to stereo, not sure if panning affects mono negatively