Going from stereo to Mono

[sureno]

My Mackie Big Knob has a Mono button which as you probably guessed it combines both L & R into one, i know this is no high end bit of gear but what is the benefits of this?

Cheers

[Dave Boulden]

It allows you to check if your mix has any phase cancellation problems if the track is played back in mono. It used to be to check it would sound right on TV's and transistor radios, but these days the most likely mono playback system your mix will encounter will be a nightclub PA system.

[Khazul]

Listen for some sounds suddenly getting very quiet are just sounding plain wierd.

Its a quick way to check for common blatent problems that can result from spacial effects etc as well as a quick for phase reverseal in one channel on a part etc.

It can also be very useful to switch to mono when working with EQ settings and even mix levels etc.

Some people still say its important to make dance music sound good in mono too due to dodgy club PAs etc.

[Khazul]

Ive actually test to encounter a mono PA - however in many smaller clubs you can end up getting mono due to speaker placement and if the result of standing next to one speaker is that it sound like half of it is missing, then that not good

[Monarch]

Dave and Khazul are spot on. More on the subject here...

[sureno]

thanks guys lovely response, i wasn't sure about the reasons but thought it might have something to do with phase cancelation but just wasn't sure

Thanks again guys

[EdRyan]

It's not just down to speaker placement in a club.

A lot of venues also run stereo systems as mono-bridges to get more bang for their buck. It's somet I disagree with, but I can see why mono is sometimes used (and works) in clubs.. providing the tracks are mixed properly it doesn't sound all that different. Yes, you lose the spatial element of effects, but chances are that due to the layout of most clubs, they wouldn't be heard as they were intended anyway. I remember playing at one club and the system was effectively turned around 90 degrees...pans from left to right, went from front to back. Although that was from my ears....if you were stood sideways on the dancefloor it worked' as intended'. All about perception folks !