by jmh » Fri Feb 07, 2025 7:14 pm
It's funny, back in the 60's, mono was it, and stereo mixes would be done as an afterthought. Then as AM faded into obscurity, some guys would say who cares about mono compatibility as everyone listens in stereo - although others think it's good practice to have good mono compatibility - and that it contributes to an overall better stereo mix or just mixing in mono before spreading it (saw isn't the easiest to use that method as the pans are really balances, so when you spread the image, the overall levels change - unless you do a whole lot of calculating). My listen back reaction generally is the diminished experience you describe going back to mono.
I've recently acquired a kick ass stereo, and one of the offshoots has been obsessive listening to Miles Davis kind of blue, which I had never got into that deeply. From what I've read, this was recorded by Rudy Van Gelder on 3 track tape and that he made the stereo mix in 1957 but with mono monitoring. I'm not sure that my information is entirely accurate, but if so it makes a great story.
I was recently speaking to a mastering engineer who is doing atmos. He said that part of the objective is to have the mix support a variety of surround formats, or collapse to stereo or even mono (I may be butchering that a bit in the retelling too). It is remarkable that a phone can have any kind of a stereo or even that some of them sound pretty decent for such small devices.
It's funny, back in the 60's, mono was it, and stereo mixes would be done as an afterthought. Then as AM faded into obscurity, some guys would say who cares about mono compatibility as everyone listens in stereo - although others think it's good practice to have good mono compatibility - and that it contributes to an overall better stereo mix or just mixing in mono before spreading it (saw isn't the easiest to use that method as the pans are really balances, so when you spread the image, the overall levels change - unless you do a whole lot of calculating). My listen back reaction generally is the diminished experience you describe going back to mono.
I've recently acquired a kick ass stereo, and one of the offshoots has been obsessive listening to Miles Davis kind of blue, which I had never got into that deeply. From what I've read, this was recorded by Rudy Van Gelder on 3 track tape and that he made the stereo mix in 1957 but with mono monitoring. I'm not sure that my information is entirely accurate, but if so it makes a great story.
I was recently speaking to a mastering engineer who is doing atmos. He said that part of the objective is to have the mix support a variety of surround formats, or collapse to stereo or even mono (I may be butchering that a bit in the retelling too). It is remarkable that a phone can have any kind of a stereo or even that some of them sound pretty decent for such small devices.
