Why Mixing in Mono is the Best Tool You Have For Great Mixes

Mono listening is when you combine stereo listening to only one signal straight down the center. Sound counter-intuitive? Learn how to focus with Mono mixing in this week's video.

[sjkdhgalgci]

Nowadays I start my projects and write songs in mono and I only go stereo when I'm happy with everything and can't do more. You know those videos of colorblind people seeing colors for the first time? After countless hours of mixing a mono song, that's about how it feels like when you finally get that stereo image. A good motivator for getting things finished.

[Denver_Risley]

I know everyone says to mix in mono and don't go to stereo until the very last thing. I will never doubt all the success that has come from doing this...HOWWWWEVER...I always end up with a pile of mush. I'm sure it's just the way I hear or who-knows-what but I get my levels in mono first then do everything else, EQ, compression, etc. in stereo and it comes out fresh, crisp, and delectable in a variety of output sources.

[psychedelicchango]

I've already watch some of your videos, great stuff, thanks

for sure I'll improve my mixing techniques

[sondresolstrand]

Great video! I will make sure to check my mixes in mono from now on.
However, I have a question about panning. Anybody should feel free to answer!
Why is it with panning that people (almost always) tend to pan hard left and hard right. Full -64 and +63. Not only on a couple of tracks, but many! This does not make sense to me. If "all" the tracks are panned fully, wouldnt they clash with each other? I assume it would be better to use the whole pan spectrum. 30, 40, 50, 64, 0... Am I missing something?
Thank you in advance!

[deviance]

Hi Chris, thanks for the demonstration on mono mixing. What isn't clear to me is if you are using this approach for your static mix and EQ stages, or if you keep it on mono for the entire process? In other words, at what point do you switch over to stereo? Thanks!

[andrewiglesias]

the song is pretty awesome. Reminds me of alt rock as a kid wen radio actually had a bit of variety. Had to rewind vid a few times cuz I was zoning in more to the song and not the process lol😬

[waynegomillion]

Great how do you set up the mono mix on logic x?

[TheOompahRoundabout]

I'm loving your vids! Thanks mate. 😃👑👍🏻✅🎶🎸🕺

[PaulEubanks]

Don't forget many multi-speaker club systems all play in mono all over the dance floor. For some styles of music, if it doesn't make the club bounce, you're outta work.

[ZEROxLAG]

After mixing in mono is it better to bounce the project with the gain plugin off or on?

[Williecrts]

What are your thoughts on mixing in mono but waiting to pan everything post processing? Would this mess up the balance when I finally go to pan?

[briancraig]

Now can you use stereo widing tools to move your mono audio to create a stereo sound scape ?
And if so how would you do this without phases problems?

[rheimidi]

Hello...What's the best and easiest way to convert stereo tracks to mono tracks in Logic Pro X?

[trainwrecktammy]

hey Chris, thanks so much for this excellent demonstration!
i was curious- what’s your feeling about using an active single Avantone MixCube, Auratone Cube or Behringer Behritone to test the mix in mono, and to reveal the tracks competing in the mid-range? if you've tried this method (or know of others who use them), has this method been effective, or in any way illuminating? thanks again for posting these!

[carolustharp]

Shouldn't you also use only one monitor as well? Two speakers in mono would effectively give you "stereo" early and late reflections from the walls etc. A third monitor dead center would be optimum. However, as Ed McMahon once said "You are Correct, Sir!" Great vlog and excellent knowledge! I've been using LPX since 2010 v9. Luh luh luh Love it.

[settyr]

Impressive! Just wish you hadn't twiddled the knobs so quickly!

[jellyjams]

If you pan while in mono how the hell would you hear anything different?

[williamf.]

I would have liked to have heard the stereo mix before the mono. At those fader settings I'm sure it would have sounded crap too. Then we would witness the problem solution. "Yeah, it sounds great in stereo but crap in mono. Here 's what what we do about it."

[darkemperor]

Well done after two videos I subscribed and I don’t even use pro tools, I use studio 20 with nearly 20 years experience from fruityloops 3. Pro tools seems much more mature to use it’ll take a couple of years but I’ll skim through some of these videos to get a head start until then.

[christoroppolo]

$ 80.00 an hour for tutoring on Logic 😖