Mixing in mono Explained, Mid Sides and Stereo Low Frequencies 101

Release Your Music Independently

In this video we talk about mono compatibility, mixing in mono,
when, how and why and we take a crack at stereolow frequencies
and how to deal with that with Mid Side processing and monitoring.

Mixing and Mastering Inquiries:

CLICH HERE TO WATCH PART 2:

[richieeffe]

The best, most informative and most importantly TRUTHFUL audio engineering channel on youtube. always recommended.

[stvlush]

I am so glad somebody is bringing some sanity to producing music with the ever widening stereo image which technology has made possible. There are many ways to push the boundaries. Some are great, some are very destructive. I worked in FM radio starting in 1972. Phase relationship between the left and right channels was critical, especially back in the old days. Why? Well, so many radios were mono. Car radios, clock radios, etc. If you didn't pay attention to phase and there were problems, people listening to a stereo FM station on a mono radio could experience anything from a slight flanging effect, to songs with the singer's vocal missing, to total dead air, all of which were bad. So listening to everything we produced in MONO, before it went on the air, was critical. It still is, If your work ever ends up on the radio, or gets played on a mono device. Granted, few mono radios are manufactured these days. However, many radios, especially car radios, have a blend function. When the signal gets weak and can no longer be resolved to full stereo because the weakest link, the stereo sub-carrier info, is dropping out, the radio will blend it as much as needed to avoid noise or sudden shifts from stereo to mono, which are annoying. If you ever listen to radio in a car, believe me, there are times when you are hearing audio summed to mono. You probably don't even notice because the advent of blend makes the transition subtle. My point is, if you don't know what your stuff sounds like in mono, you may be in for a rude surprise if you ever hear it on the radio. That's why mono compatibility is still extremely important. Some engineers are "phase deaf" and don't notice stereo images where the left and right are out of phase, but switch to mono and their jaws drop when the drums or bass or vocal or anything 180º out of phase vanishes from the mix. Trust me, I've heard it happen too many times. Granted, that's the worst case scenario, but even 90º phase differences are hideous when summed. My favorite screw up came from a commercial production house. They mixed a commercial with stereo music and a mono voice track. The music bed was in phase, but sadly for them, the centered voice track was 180º out of phase. In stereo, most people wouldn't notice, but in mono listeners heard the music bed, but NO announcer! Now how do you fix that? Well, I dubbed the left channel audio only to left and right, then called the agency so they could fix it and send out a proper mix. The music lost a little something without the right channel information, but at least the voice track didn't vanish. So ask yourself, how much of your music are you willing to sacrifice if it gets played on radio. If you don't care, don't check mono compatibility. If you do care, take the advise in this video seriously. It is great advise.

[jjones]

Just recently did this for the first time and had a "that's the sound" moment when I back to stereo. It makes so much sense really. The focus is tricking the brain to focus in the "Center" so the center should be the main pallet. Clear, present, punchy, bassy, Center. Then just pan and feel the glory.

[MartinWeeksmw]

I know this is an older video, but Man You make such great "Common Sense" out of intricacies in Production work that anyone novice or otherwise can always understand. thank You again.

[TraverseNation]

This is What's Thank you so much. You're speaking my language by how you explain the reasons why these techniques should be employed. I am now a regular viewer good Peace Out

[wowerman]

Yes, that is very true about having energy in middle and sides.I started to produce EDM and many instruments, synths, effects are very present on sides giving you those thrills when listening and you take this peasure from it.However bass lines, some percussive intruments, subsonic frequencies should have some content in mono as they travel on longer distances giving listener that warm punch feel.

[mamadousanoko]

Thank you. very very very much.
every thing you post is very logic and pragmatic. Now i' m beginning to understand the art of mixig. you have a good way to explain it's help so much.

[ClaudeYoung]

Thank's so much for pointing this out! This is probably the most important video on production of the last year, seriously! Thanks for the great

[dinmentor]

Again, thank you so much for all your informative videos, always good info and tought in a way that is no bullshit and easy to understand. kickass! :)

[patkelly]

My mixer is old. Very old. I keep it because it has a Mono/Stereo switch. Very convenient.

[shaunmaqproduction]

Thank U Sir for explaning everything everything at once ...i think iv gut it now ...

[chri_dj]

Always clear helpful advice, cheers Bro

[peterbennington]

this channel is awesome thanks for share your skills broo

[craigdaubbeats-rapinstrume]

I just started taking production seriously and am trying to learn as much as possible so I'm nowhere near an expert and my music shows. Anyway, I don't completely mix and mono. But I do EQ mainly in mono. I've found that if I can get it to sound as good as possible in mono it usually sounds really good in stereo. Everything else I do in stereo because many effects you can barely hear in mono and I'd tend to then go overboard with them trying to hear them. I do switch back and forth throughout the mixing though just to make sure it still sounds as good as possible in mono. Really I still have no idea what I'm doing. I just go with the flow and play it by ear. In the beginning I was watching tutorial after tutorial trying to learn all this stuff and all that did was led me to do a bunch of unnecessary stuff by default.
I wasn't even looking for a tutorial when I came to your video. I was just looking for a mono plugin because I just switched from using the FL demo to LMMS and they don't have a mono switch built into their mixer. I'm glad I stuck around to watch though. I like the advice you give. Subbed!

[davidmuller]

I love your videos! I have a short question:
Does the m-button on the bx_control really stand for mid AND mono? I thought that the mid signal just subtracts the sides and mono on the other hand puts mid and sides together(in a non stereo way) and it therefore is not the same thing.

[stupidusername]

i often EQ in mono as its easier to hear what i'm affecting as opposed to EQ'ing when its panned left or right.

[RJithMusic]

What vocal collapsing in the mid side? I mean if u add too much energy / low frequencies in the center? How to deal with that.
Thank u!

[SirMalikCobra]

Jewels... Thank you. Very informative!

[Stuart.Branson.]

Everyone talks about the low end but not the high end. I find that in most of my tracks (and others) the Mono version sounds a bit duller. Is this high frequencies phasing and cancelling ? Can we do anything about it or is it just how it goes ?
Many Thanks

[WideMixSoundworx]

Oh its Easy Tiger from Cambridge-mt! I love their sessions :)