Anyone mix in mono?
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@gubna Feb 2022
I have been having one of my monitors go out and have thought, what if I just mix in mono?
Anyone familiar with this? -
@jmadison Feb 2022
I remember reading once that mixing in mono is a good way to balance eq's. Makes sense to me.
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@chinacat Feb 2022
Worked for The Beatles
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@whispermouse Feb 2022
I try to mix in mono up until the very end to make sure panning isn't masking some problem. Also, my room isn't exactly acoustically perfect, so I can't be sure I'm hearing the relative balance of left vs right properly.
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@jwhanberry Feb 2022
It is recommended to at least make a few passes in mono because phasing issues will show up i.e. stuff will disappear if it's out of phase.
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@nadine Feb 2022
I sometimes switch to mono via plugin when I have super dense arrangements. I don't want important tracks to disappear completely.
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@chroes Feb 2022
I too switch to mono occasionally to get a good impression of the mix. It's very helpful, but I couldn't mix the whole song that way.
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@headfirstonly Feb 2022
All of the above, particularly concerning phase. If you have a signal that's exactly out of phase, it'll sound weird in stereo but it will completely disappear when summed to mono.
So it's a good idea to listen to each mix you do at least once in mono. Not just to make sure that it doesn't completely alter the character of your song (which can happen) but also to check that nothing's gone missing!
I have a musician buddy who releases CDs that are always mixed in mono. He's deaf in one ear, and he feels his music should be heard the way he hears it. It's still great music. -
@tcelliott Feb 2022
No, but I should. I usually check in mono, though. It's easier to set levels in mono, I've found.
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@dasbinky Feb 2022
Usually I'll switch to mono briefly at the end of the mix for a quick check, but I start building my stereo field pretty early in the process, and my recording style isn't particularly prone to phasing issues. It's a good tool/trick to keep in the toolbox, but I've very rarely made changes to the mix because of something I've heard in mono.
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@mikeb Feb 2022
I check my mixes in mono (before release, not for FAWM) to make sure there are no phase issues, but how do you pan stuff accurately unless you have 2 speakers?
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@guatecoop Feb 2022
I REALLY need to build this into my workflow. I often times have to go back (because I don't check in mono) and remix because the L-R balance isn't there....or maybe that's my hearing after all of these years playing drums and loud rock....hmmmm... yeah, mixing (or at least checking) in mono has been something that I've thought would be a great addition, but haven't done it. Today is the first day! Thanks for the topic!
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@nadine Feb 2022
Experience and meters can help. I have a workflow and preference which instruments to place. But the room and reverb stuff can't be done with one speaker only.
