Mono Compatibility:
Avoid Extreme Embarrassment!

Ignore mono compatibility at your own peril!

Why even bother to worry about mono compatibility these days?

• Weak FM radio signal reception collapses to mono
• Television stations (internationally) still broadcast in mono
• Clubs play music in mono

So What?

If you want to get heard and stay in rotation in these scenarios, your mix had better be able to cut it with one speaker only.

And unless someone is listening on headphones, most casual listeners (more than you think) tend to hear your music in something resembling monophonic playback.

This is not to say a great stereo mix is no longer the goal.

But this...

When a mix is great in mono, it'll be bigger, grander, and greater in stereo!

How do you get to this level of sophistication and compatibility?!

Simple.

Monitor in Mono.

To insure compatibility when tracking with stereo mic pairs, use x/y or mid-side placement techniques.

When overdubbing multiple guitar layers to pan left and right later for that in-your-face wall of sound, you may miss frequency cancellations that are happening (otherwise known as comb filtering) if you were monitoring only in stereo. You can avoid that by moving the position of the mic; changing the mic; altering the amp settings; and so on, and monitoring in mono.

When mixing, to make sure things like choruses, or delays, really do enhance and thicken the sound rather than relying on phase inversion, monitor in mono.

Mono will highlight errors you'd miss working only in stereo.

• You'll be a better engineer.
• You'll know when you're tracking is right.
• You'll enhance your focus when mixing.

FINAL WORDS...

If your mix kicks butt in mono, there's a 99 per cent probability of it translating well to other systems, including in cars and off TV.

Imagine the humiliation you'll avoid when your great sounding mix in stereo remains a great sounding mix in mono!

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