MONO vs STEREO: Benefits (& Drawbacks) of Stereo Audio
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.ค. 2024
- What is the difference between mono and stereo audio? Are different types of audio systems required for listening in mono or stereo? Are there different recording methods for mono vs stereo? By the end of this video, you'll understand what mono and stereo audio signals are and the benefits of mono and stereo sound systems.
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0:00 - Introduction
0:27 - What Is Mono Audio?
0:50 - What Is Stereo Audio?
1:16 - The Benefits of Stereo Audio
5:20 - The Drawbacks of Stereo Audio
6:13 - Subscribe to Audio University!
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Kyle just wanna say you're a blessing to me. I'm new to audio production but your videos have been answering a whole lot of my questions. God bless you man. Keep doing what you're doing.
These are some great lessons. You need more recognition.
Thanks, @Serialistic!
I've found that I can draw attention to various tones by giving them motion around the stereo field. This makes use of our natural instinct for tracking sound. Conversely, I can pull attention away from some tones by scattering them, like frogs in a swamp. If you move an arpeggio evenly from one side to the other, it tends to draw attention. Whereas the same arpeggio that has its notes randomly placed will not.
The last point he mentions at 6:02 is very key when it comes to professional sound systems. Yet, I often see DJ's and nightclubs always making the same mistake and setting up a stereo system. When I had installed sound systems in the 90's, I always had club owners scratching their heads when they say, "Why not go with stereo?" My response was what this fellow said. It will be very rare that you would be in a position to enjoy a full stereo image. Further going with a mono system cuts down on the amount of amplifiers needed. So on a system with two speakers and two subwoofers, a DJ could use one two channel amplifier instead of two. With one channel handling the full range speakers and one handling the bass / subwoofers. Granted in these days, it isn't common to find new professional systems that do not have the amplifiers built into the speakers and given that most mixing consoles are set up to output in stereo, it is just easier to set up and take down the system. Further, you have built in redundancy as if a speaker, or the amplifier in the speaker goes bad, you still have another speaker to work with. Going with a mono system would come more into play if you have a situation in which you have quite a few speakers to play sound from such as a store in which one would use an distributed system such as a 70volt line. These systems are almost always mono.
Thanks for sharing, Diaval!
@@AudioUniversity You're Welcome.
Just because your not dead center you can still benefit from a stereo image. Stereo tracks played back on a PA system for performing sound dull and lifeless. More and more musicians that are using stereo backing tracks today play them back in stereo while performing. A band does not using a track certainly does not need a stereo PA system.
Wow best explanation so far! I really liked how you demonstrated left-right channels by showing exactly how it sounds. Great content man! Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Superb audio-visual presentation! Would love to see you tackle distortion & noise in cheap class D amps vs. more expensive class D amps. And how to work out if you need new speakers or a new amp to improve things. Good point on when to use mono - maybe worth expanding to a full video? I guess when I want music for background in kitchen then mono is the way to go - I'm not going to be standing in one place!
What a fabulous video. Impressive dedication to quality, to get the best possible presentation. Congrats.
The practical bits were awesome, great work! 👏🏻
Thanks for the explanation!
Wonderfully explained! Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks, Samuel!
very informative. Thank you audio university.
This is awesome and your start af
No words..
Thank you very happy and lucky..🤝🏼 🤜🏼🤛🏼
This video was so helpful💥
Cool video. Tnx man! Wanted to dig up some info before buying a Scarlett product and found a cool new channel. Awesome way of explaining. Subscribed.
Thanks for subscribing. Nice to meet you! I’m glad you enjoyed the video!
@@AudioUniversity :) Keep it up!
I love your content, Kyle ❤
💥Very nice video. Anyone can Acquire so much knowledge. Your channel great.💥
Amazing video
thank you-quite helpful
Glad to hear that! Thanks!
Really good video!
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!
Question, using a 5.1 surround sound system, is there an advantage to mono? Will it help identify room issues?
Thanks, really helpful
Glad it helped!
My phone has stereo speakers and I heard the difference. Love Samsung. I've mastered the stereo set up and I'm now testing a 6.0 system for both music and movies.
Thanks for the video. I would like to get your thoughts on the difference between soundstage and I imaging, and whether you can get soundstage with an all mono system.
That’s an interesting question, Joel! I think it’s possible to achieve depth in a mono mix, but I’m not sure if it’s possible to achieve width. (I’m leaning toward “no”, but still open to being corrected!)
Check out this video: th-cam.com/video/gk9bKVmAXSk/w-d-xo.html
Question, This is for In-Ear monitoring system. If this specific monitor is a mono monitor(Xtuga RW2080) despite it not advertising it was only Mono, but does have a left and right AF. If I use both left and right using a splitter and proceeding to at least seem like it's stereo. When panning hard left or right, will it still project as mono or will it actually pan to either my left or right?
Hopefully you'll know, cause I've never gotten any answer from other videos.
Thanks!
Thank you!
You have explained this so well, that you get an A+++++++. A child can understand this. Excellent
I have a dynamic DM h200 mic with xlr to mono male 1/4" plug,
If a buy another cable which has stereo 3.5mm male jack to female xlr cable ,will I be able to record stereo audio on my mobile
I'm having a hard time following... It sounds like you'll need a 1/4" Female to XLR Male adapter, too.
Thank u 🙏
Based on this video, why does a keyboard come in stereo but guitar and bass do not? Thanks for the video!
When you mic up a piano, you often do it in stereo. Bass and guitar cabinets are typically mono. Plus, keyboards also sometimes have atmospheric effects, which utilize stereo.
Easily explanation about stereo and mono thank you sir..
still confused..so for my purposes..i dont use real amps but record in Reaper using Neural DSP Plugins..do i need to use mono or stereo when recording electric guitar?
Thanks
?
Thanks
It’s up to you. In most cases, the guitar input will be mono and the amp simulator output will be stereo.
For a dj application When the room is big and empty I've a lot of reflections an reverb in the bottom part of the room, do you think it can sound better if I place the L/R speakers very close togheter in the middle of the room?
My system is a column array 3 channel amplifier , tops can be mounted in a single array of 8x4" fullrange in mono but I can split them in 2 part using another wire, via dsp I can select the output, dual mono or stereo, so, what's the best solution for spread the sound without room reflection?
Dual mono Placing the speakers at the ends of the room?
Stereo same position?
Stereo keeping close togheter in the middle?
I’d try to place the speakers so that they cover the room without needing to turn them up too loud. This probably means spreading them apart so that the speakers can be closer to the listeners (and therefore quieter than they would need to be if they were far away).
@@AudioUniversity If I may I would like to explain the situation better. The system is db technologies es1203, a column array system with a sub and a column composed by 2 part 8
, each have 4x4" fullrange drivers. If desired, you can split the tops in 2 part, and by adding a cable, you can play in stereo or in dual mono by setting the dsp. The room is a rectangle 20 meters long and 8 meters wide. The dj table is at the back, currently I place the speakers around the console, therefore 4 meters away from each other, with stereophonic sound. I ask you for advice: Could I have less reverb using the system in mono right in front of the dj by mounting both speakers in a single column?
Quick question, for a video podcast that consists of 3-4 people speaking would you recommend mono or stereo?
I’d almost always recommend mono for spoken word productions.
Dear Sir, thanks for your view!
I need to know that when we arrange an large orchestra we need to gain all instruments and mics to the zero level ( unity gain) as pre gaining stage?
How about the head room level of the overall gain?
Thanks!
It’s best to set the fader to unity gain. However, you should leave some headroom when adjusting the preamplifier gain. In most cases, you can set it so the signal averages at about -18 dBFS and doesn’t peak beyond -6 dBFS. In live sound, you may just want to adjust the preamp until you reach the appropriate sound pressure level in the room. I hope this helps! Thanks, Praneeth!
@@AudioUniversity thanks for your reply Sir. According to my way, First press PFL and I am getting the signal to unity gain by adjusting Trim( preamplifier gain). Ok? Thanks
You won’t be setting the signal to unity gain. You set the fader to unity gain and adjust the signal to the appropriate level (ideally -18 dBFS, but not always).
@@AudioUniversity Thanks for your reply. But when we setup Guitar, Keys and Microphone etc, normally don't we adjust the gain preamplifier to get the signal to 0 ( unity) dbu level of the mixer?
I have some confusion thing around this. Please if you can send me some study stuffs to chop via online.
Thanks
In the past, when using analog tape, it was important to record as loud as possible without excessive saturation to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio. With digital recording, the noise floor is virtually not an issue so it's not necessary to record near the limits of the system. That's for recording...
For a mixing console... When I say -18 dBFS, I'm referring to the suggested level on a digital meter. If you're using an analog console, you might aim to mix the inputs so that the master meter reads 0 dBu. That doesn't mean that each input should be set to read 0 dBu on the meter, though. The combined level would ideally be around 0 dBu, but the individual inputs should be gained to sound appropriate in the mix to accomplish that overall level.
If it's only voice not including music instrument much better to make it as mono right? so when we are using stereo speakers/headphone/headset/earphone it can produce much power like combine 2 wave from same signal?
What happen if playing mono audio on surround speaker, should i convert file(mono) to stereo channel?
It's not better or worse... A voice can be panned from side to side in stereo, too. It can also be panned in a surround system. In order to have true stereo or true surround, each speaker should be capable of receiving a different signal.
That depends, but generally for dictation or narration, yes, you want the voice to be center panned or mono.
This is exactly what I’ve been talking about with sound reinforcement systems. Studio tracks recorded in stereo and played back in mono will result in flat sounding audio.
True….if you mixed a damn turd!
If I have a mono recording. And I pass it in two channels so that it is stereo. Will the difference be felt? Or all mono will be heard?
That would just be a mono recording playing through stereo speakers. Stereo requires discrete channels.
thanks you Sir, i wanna buy a bluetooth speaker for casual listening to music, what's better for me a mono or stereo?
i like your question. i wish he answered
It probably doesn’t matter much - stereo or mono. That’s because you won’t necessarily be sitting in the correct position while casually listening.
What do you recommend for recording interviews? I have used both types of tracks but I think stereo sounds better for interviews.
If you’re recording one microphone, mono and stereo will be the same.
@@AudioUniversity what about for multiple people in different locations via zoom? For example I have four people I am interviewing all at once online but they’re all using their computer’s microphones to speak… thank you for your help!
In this case, I’d recommend recording each microphone separately. This would be called “multitrack”. Each track is mono though. Stereo usually only refers to left and right.
Side chain and Mid Sides Eq if you havent yet
Thanks, Leak Banga! I haven’t made a video for sidechain effects yet, but I did write this post that might help: audiouniversityonline.com/what-is-sidechaining/
Mid side is a good topic, too! Thanks!
@@AudioUniversity I support your channel, Audio engineering made simple🤟🏽🤟🏽
Yes! That’s exactly what I’m going for! Thank you!
@@AudioUniversity Shout out in one your videos??
@Leak Banga, I’ve got to make sure to stay on topic in my videos. I know you understand.
i have one ear, what do you recommend
Not to mix music. 😂😂😂
Mono or stereo which one is better for recording a song....
Most songs are published in stereo, although each component (snare drum, bass, guitar) is captured in mono. You can get pretty cool results recording in stereo. Check out this video to learn about stereo recording: th-cam.com/video/4fPWFAFwIQQ/w-d-xo.html
@@AudioUniversity according to your statement, then It would be impossible to listen to published songs via a bluetooth speaker, right? You meant to say they would suffer phase cancellations. I do understand the stereo image could be lost, but the overall sound in all cases has been present (at least in my jbl boombox2)
That’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying instruments are often recorded in mono and those mono signals are mixed to create a stereo image with various degrees of panning.
Wrong. Incomplete and missing the KEY difference. Stereo is:
1) The unique capture of impact (direct) sounds AND capture of reverberant (indirect) sounds, 2) the unique playback and cohesion of BOTH the impact AND reverberant sounds.
Stereo has two unique wave forms: "mid" and "side" channels. These are the key characteristics of "Stereo". Without them you have "dual-mono."
Enhanced reverberation and enhanced direct is what makes stereo, stereo. So ONE speaker always reproduces these key elements (assuming they are encoded) of a stereo signal. Yes, you can listen to stereo with one speaker. (Although not ideally because you need L,R mid and side to cohere properly to achieve the audio illusion of spacial dimension.). Stereo is not "2 speakers". Stereo uses unique sound waves that mono does not. See Alan Blumlien's equations for detailed information.
Don't you need 2 microphones + audio interface for example to record stereo as usually a person speaking uses only 1 microphone, therefore it makes sense to record in mono so the signal is sent to both left and right without a second mic
I'm always using mono since it sounds 100% better
The argument I always put forward is,God gave us two ears no one.
Listen to a live orchestra and how immersive it is.
When a car passes you the sound travels past you, left to right or right to left. If it's in the centre . . . RUN!
not saying much
im on mono... it makes themes from games and sound from videos sound alot better on headphones
Thanks for sharing, @Scudmaster11! I appreciate you watching!
Glad to be here
mono cassette tracks where a thing “cutting the 2 stereo tracks into 4 mono tracks” they just aren’t talked about
Good talking .but in a few simple words .left & write is Stero U making it sound way more complicated than what it is. Make it simple
4:19 made me dizzy
No sound mo audio
People with mono audio: ???
Mono audio is better, it has audio that sounds better and is louder.
Kyle just wanna say you're a blessing to me. I'm new to audio production but your videos have been answering a whole lot of my questions. God bless you man. Keep doing what you're doing.