Blog Posts

Mono compatibility: Does it matter?

The relevance of mono audio and music is a topic that has arisen a few times lately.

First, let’s define mono compatibility in this context: a two channel audio signal, recorded or mixed to stereo, in which its elements remain audible when summed to mono (the same signal in both left and right channels), causing no significant imbalance to the mix or cancelling to its parts or its tonality.

Despite mono compatibility arguably being less important than it used to be, it still matters! Ultimately it’s just good engineering practice. A few reasons, in no particular order:

• FM radio is broadcast via sum/difference signals as opposed to left/right. In situations of weak radio reception the sum (mono) is all you’ll get, as it’s the stronger signal of the two.
• Better playback compatibility and likelihood of a cleaner cut for vinyl.
• In general, lossy encoders will handle the signal better (as more signal is common to both channels) with less sonic artefacts than a largely uncorrelated “out of phase” signal. Try bouncing out a mono mix, convert it to, say, 256kb/s mp3 (not that we’d ever condone doing such a thing). Then go back to that mix, polarity invert one channel and convert that to the same bit rate (256kb/s). Compare the two results and the amount of masked lossy artefacts in each! (Leave a comment below).
• Often, music simply sounds most “engaging” when its sense of depth is retained. This usually comes from a strong front and centre sonic image, with a sense of foreground/middle ground/background, which also helps create contrast and separation with the right amount of stereo width elements.

Of course, in a true stereo recording, mono compatible means phase-coherent, which in everyday terms simply means a more realistic sound – truer to the source.

• There are no guarantees on how a permanently installed sound system in a venue, etc, may be set up, (e.g.: how far apart ceiling speakers may be). The more common the left and right channels are, the less loss there will be in such situations.
• Ever seen people sharing ear buds, or listened to a streaming service or radio station via a smart phone speaker?

If your music is mixed to sound great in mono it will likely sound great in stereo, whereas the reverse is less often true. If it sounds good to you in mono, with no parts or tonality significantly cancelling/disappearing, then it should be fine, but any such errors really should be addressed at the recording and mixing stages.

The main thing is that you’ve checked for it and corrected it where needed. And it’s inherently part of what we check for in mastering.

As for mastering with stereo width processing? Honestly, I’d have to say I’ve used that maybe twice in as many years – and for the sake of bringing overly wide sounding mixes inwards a little to better match other tracks!

What are your experiences with mixing music for mono?

– Adam Dempsey

Kudos to our clients who, with the help of their fans, made it into the Triple J Hottest 100 national radio countdown for 2012:

Along with these tracks, in the “Second-Hottest 100” the following week were:

#110 Seth Sentry – ‘My Scene’

#142 Gossling – ‘Wild Love’

#173 Sticky Fingers – ‘Clouds & Cream’

We thought we’d recap on a diverse array of recent mastering projects, as many of us hit the ground running again this year. No Top 10, 50 or 100 of 2012 here. (Like that would be possible anyway).

Tony “Jack The Bear” Mantz has mastered releases for Eddie Bravo, The Big City, Captcha, Peking Duk, Electro Mafia, Waking Eden, Ben Caruso, DJ Rubz & Sherlock, Rattlin Cain, Anna Johnson and finishing off Dirty Three’s Mick Turner’s solo album. He has also started The Jack the Bear Foundation, offering mastering for a donation one day a month, with 100% of proceeds in aid of various charities.

Getting the analogue mastering treatment with Adam Dempsey: an album for vinyl release from Matt Bailey (The Paradise Motel) produced by Brent Punshon at Head Gap, two albums for acclaimed jazz saxophonist and clarinetist Adam Simmons’ Origami trio engineered and mixed by Myles Mumford, also The Pierce Brothers engineered and mixed by Fraser Montgomery at The Aviary, The String Contingent, and Melbourne funk/soul artist and producer Dru Chen.

Andrei “Ony” Eremin mastered releases for The Honey Badgers, Brightly, Rat & Co and House of Laurence.

Best wishes to all of our valued clients for a healthy, happy and musically abundant year ahead.

Acclaimed Australian music artist Jeff Lang has taken out the 2012 ARIA Award for Best Blues and Roots Album ‘Carried In Mind’, out via ABC Music. Our congratulations to Jeff for the well-deserved recognition, and to all involved.

The album was recorded by Dave Manton at The Enclave Recording Facility Melbourne, Australia (except “Fisherman’s Farewell” recorded by Colin Wynne at 30 Mill Studios). Mixed by Colin Wynne, assisted by Rohan Kay at 30 Mill Studios and mastered by Jack The Bear.

Check out our podcast with Jeff Lang on Episode 10 of the Raging Headfest here, in which we chat all things music and beyond, and Jeff plays us some tracks.

Busy times as usual at Deluxe Mastering with a huge diversity of projects, all of which we recommend checking out, and with thanks as always to the music makers involved…

Tony “Jack the Bear” Mantz has been mastering releases for Dirty Three’s Mick Turner, Matt Van Schie, Prequel, The Immigrant, D-Cup, The Neighbourhood, Mercian, Crash Tragic, Alex Anonymous, Paradise Found, Boom Temple, Bass Kleph, tyDi and more.

Adam Dempsey has been mastering the Australian tribute album to the classic ‘Nuggets’ compilation of garage rock/punk/psychadelia for Warner Music Australia, along with releases for Courtney Barnett, Sticky Fingers, Houndsteeth, OSH10, Tinsmoke (featuring members of Howl at the Moon), Canvas, Sway Resistor, The Weeping Willows, and 2012’s NMIT Bachelor of Music double album compilation ‘We Went Down to the River’ Vol 4, produced by Greg Arnold (Things of Stone and Wood), Peter Farnan (Boom Crash Opera), Cameron McKenzie (Horsehead), David Haberfeld (Honeysmack), Shane O’Mara, Andy White and more, and mixed by Dave McLuney at Atlantis Sound.

Andrei “Ony” Eremin has mastered a myriad of new electronic releases, including a new EP for I’lls (with legitimate musical content going right down to 28Hz), Naysayer & Gilsun, Lower Spectrum, Flight Tonight and Alex Albrecht, as well as rock and indie material from I Told You I Was Ill, SMILE, Mouth Tooth, Return To Youth, Written In Ruins and Sleepy Dreamers.

Acclaimed Melbourne singer/songwriters Jen Cloher and Courtney Barnett have each released cool new videos of their latest singles, set also for double A-side 7 inch vinyl release. We were happy to play a role in mastering these gems.

Jen Cloher’s ‘Mount Beauty’ (the vibey run-through was the take!) was recorded and mixed by Nick Huggins at Head Gap studios, Melbourne. Courtney Barnett’s ‘History Eraser’, recorded by Simon Cotter (and title-inspired at Head Gap) was mixed by Dann Hume. Both tracks were mastered by Adam Dempsey especially for digital release, vinyl, CD, and for the videos. Both videos directed by Bec Kingma. Watch for Jen and Courtney’s cameo appearances in each others’ clips.