Mixing in mono vs stereo

Stereo Recording. If you record in mono, that means you use one microphone at a time on one channel. If you record in stereo, you're using two microphones recorded to two different channels.

1. Is it better to mix in mono or stereo?
2. Why mixing in mono is the secret?
3. Do professionals mix in mono?
4. Why is mixing in mono better?

Is it better to mix in mono or stereo?

But what about mixing in mono? Well, it's generally much harder than mixing in stereo, but you'll get much better results for your effort. The fact is that when you mix in mono you can really only separate different instruments by using differences in their relative levels and spectral content.

Why mixing in mono is the secret?

When we mix in stereo we can separate mix elements out in the stereo field to make them easier to hear. When we collapse the mix to mono, these different elements start to obscure each other again. The fact is, that if your mix isn't clear and punchy in mono – it just “isn't ready yet”.

Do professionals mix in mono?

Mixing in mono is a trick professionals use to ensure the songs they pump out sound amazing, no matter the speakers or where the listeners is positioned in front of those speakers.

Why is mixing in mono better?

In fact, some producers mix levels in mono throughout most of the process. This is because mono gives you not only clarity while listening, but also the ability to catch mistakes in the mix. For example, mixing in mono can help you detect phasing issues between different waveforms.