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.
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.
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!
Hey Eric, great question. I spending 80 - 90% of my mix time in mono, double-checking my work only periodically in stereo. When I'm feeling close to done with a mix I'll finish it out in stereo.
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!
I was puzzled also on how panning in mono effects the outcome - or how can you predict or actually should you hear the difference during mono and how? You once did a video on true panning vs the default, yet here you also used the default one. hum hum hum
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😬
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.
As you said Carolus - "You are Correct, Sir!" A mono speaker would be ideal, but many of us are working in home studio environments. So we make the best of what we can. Thanks for the good vibes!
@@WhyLogicProRules But I think Carolus is right - you should only work with one monitor while really working in mono? (ie, turn down the left or right speaker to leave the other). Seems sensible, no?
@@OliFreke Absolutely! But: - if one does not have single monitor, or - if one doesn't have the means to combine the left and right signals to a single monitor, or - if one simply doesn't want to have to unplug and re-plug their monitors every time they would like to listen in mono Then the Gain plugin is a great way to simulate a mono listening experience. Both my interface (PreSonus Quantum) and monitor controller (PreSonus Monitor Station) have buttons to collapse to mono. So it's a fairly ubiquitous practice.
@@WhyLogicProRules Thanks for the reply; I didn't mean not being able to mono the signal in the DAW, that's easy. I meant, wouldn't it be better to then mute left or right channel on the mixing desk to have the mono signal come out of one box. Or do you think that literally doesn't matter (ie, mono signal out of two boxes. I'd be concerned about phase cancellation as you move you head)
@@OliFreke I understand the fear and also wish to know. Two mono monitors bouncing in a room vs actually one mono monitor, with mono ticked in stereo output. Are there advantages?
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!
No prob! I haven't tried any of those specific units, but I own a Fostex 6301B, which operates just like the units you mentioned. I think it's a great option for mixing in mono! Nowadays I just use the mono button on my PreSonus Monitor Controller.
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.
For sure! And listening in mono would be your best bet to make sure your track's phasing doesn't disappear. The Correlation Meter is also a great tool for making sure your tracks are in phase.
"Gain" plug-in to your Stereo Output an then tick "mono". Explains and shows it in the video at 2:02 , but you need to add the gain plugin to your stereo output yourself - left click on the stereo out channel strip's FX part and from the drop down, locate "Ulitities" and under there you should see "Gain".
@Robin Setty For your learning interests, TH-cam is amazing! Just go switch to either 0.25 speed, when things are very new. For me, and very few moments during this channel, I listen to ideas at 1.75 and slow to normal 1.0, when I need to compare by ear.
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."
You realise that's not the point of the video right? :) of course the mix would've sounded awful in Stereo BUT if he'd have started mixing in stereo then some of his choices/solutions for those problems may have been "Well, I'll just pan this guitar out of the way" or "I'll tuck this over here" and then you won't hear things like frequency pile-ups or something masking the vocals UNTIL you listen to it in mono.
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.
Good luck, cos once you've got through all those hours of Logic Pro X video tutorials, you can then start on the real work and find some pro tools videos.
jon A was being subtle, but the thing is - Pro Tools is like Logic Pro X, but you could learn key commands, different names for same stuff quicker if you found Pro Tools videos instead of Logic Pro X ones - although he does teach well and universal ideas of all mixing.
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.
A great way of putting it Puli!
What’s the advantage of the PM retro eq over stock EQs? Just preference?
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.
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!
Hey Eric, great question. I spending 80 - 90% of my mix time in mono, double-checking my work only periodically in stereo. When I'm feeling close to done with a mix I'll finish it out in stereo.
I've already watch some of your videos, great stuff, thanks
for sure I'll improve my mixing techniques
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!
Fantastic video, thanks man
After mixing in mono is it better to bounce the project with the gain plugin off or on?
Great channel for LPX!
Thanks so much Byron!
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?
I was puzzled also on how panning in mono effects the outcome - or how can you predict or actually should you hear the difference during mono and how? You once did a video on true panning vs the default, yet here you also used the default one. hum hum hum
Great how do you set up the mono mix on logic x?
I'm loving your vids! Thanks mate. 😃👑👍🏻✅🎶🎸🕺
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😬
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.
As you said Carolus - "You are Correct, Sir!" A mono speaker would be ideal, but many of us are working in home studio environments. So we make the best of what we can. Thanks for the good vibes!
@@WhyLogicProRules But I think Carolus is right - you should only work with one monitor while really working in mono? (ie, turn down the left or right speaker to leave the other). Seems sensible, no?
@@OliFreke Absolutely! But:
- if one does not have single monitor, or
- if one doesn't have the means to combine the left and right signals to a single monitor, or
- if one simply doesn't want to have to unplug and re-plug their monitors every time they would like to listen in mono
Then the Gain plugin is a great way to simulate a mono listening experience. Both my interface (PreSonus Quantum) and monitor controller (PreSonus Monitor Station) have buttons to collapse to mono. So it's a fairly ubiquitous practice.
@@WhyLogicProRules Thanks for the reply; I didn't mean not being able to mono the signal in the DAW, that's easy. I meant, wouldn't it be better to then mute left or right channel on the mixing desk to have the mono signal come out of one box. Or do you think that literally doesn't matter (ie, mono signal out of two boxes. I'd be concerned about phase cancellation as you move you head)
@@OliFreke I understand the fear and also wish to know. Two mono monitors bouncing in a room vs actually one mono monitor, with mono ticked in stereo output. Are there advantages?
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!
No prob! I haven't tried any of those specific units, but I own a Fostex 6301B, which operates just like the units you mentioned. I think it's a great option for mixing in mono! Nowadays I just use the mono button on my PreSonus Monitor Controller.
thanks, Chris - good to know! :)
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.
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?
For sure! And listening in mono would be your best bet to make sure your track's phasing doesn't disappear. The Correlation Meter is also a great tool for making sure your tracks are in phase.
Hello...What's the best and easiest way to convert stereo tracks to mono tracks in Logic Pro X?
"Gain" plug-in to your Stereo Output an then tick "mono". Explains and shows it in the video at 2:02 , but you need to add the gain plugin to your stereo output yourself - left click on the stereo out channel strip's FX part and from the drop down, locate "Ulitities" and under there you should see "Gain".
You need to know the very basic words for this and all studio programs. Channel strip, plug-in, busses aso.
Impressive! Just wish you hadn't twiddled the knobs so quickly!
Sorry about that Robin! Was a bit too immersed in the experience of mixing :)
@Robin Setty For your learning interests, TH-cam is amazing! Just go switch to either 0.25 speed, when things are very new. For me, and very few moments during this channel, I listen to ideas at 1.75 and slow to normal 1.0, when I need to compare by ear.
If you pan while in mono how the hell would you hear anything different?
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."
You realise that's not the point of the video right? :) of course the mix would've sounded awful in Stereo BUT if he'd have started mixing in stereo then some of his choices/solutions for those problems may have been "Well, I'll just pan this guitar out of the way" or "I'll tuck this over here" and then you won't hear things like frequency pile-ups or something masking the vocals UNTIL you listen to it in mono.
No Gain Staging? because?
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.
Good luck, cos once you've got through all those hours of Logic Pro X video tutorials, you can then start on the real work and find some pro tools videos.
jon A was being subtle, but the thing is - Pro Tools is like Logic Pro X, but you could learn key commands, different names for same stuff quicker if you found Pro Tools videos instead of Logic Pro X ones - although he does teach well and universal ideas of all mixing.
P.S. 38% rule.
$ 80.00 an hour for tutoring on Logic 😖
Please put a DeEsser on your voice, it is hard to listen to the tutorial
I didn't think so
This was so far the worst sound coming from your channel.