i'm trying to mix in mono first and then check everything in stereo if it sounds good

[for]

(please note i'm not asking if this is a correct method right now)


i'm trying to mix in mono first and then check everything in stereo if it sounds good (or pan things out later on etc)

i just wanted to ask

is there a particular panning mode i should be using for this case?

or all the defaults are ok for this case?

because i think there's some volume difference between each panning mode when u make it stereo?

i'm not too sure about anything i say above, just checking

thanks

[nicholas]

Presumably then you'll be setting the Master output to mono?

For tracks I would use the project default pan mode.

[Heart Doctor]

Originally Posted by for

i'm trying to mix in mono first and then check everything in stereo if it sounds good (or pan things out later on etc) ...
is there a particular panning mode i should be using for this case?

In this case you should use the "equal power" pan law (-3dB at center).

Click [File] > [Project settings] and select the "Advanced" tab.

- Set "Pan law" to -3.0 dB
- Set "Pan mode" to "Stereo balance / mono pan (default)"
- You may also activate "Gain compensation", but this is not mandatory

These project settings make sure that all tracks will use the specified pan law,
unless you decide to override the default setting of a track.

The -3dB setting ensures that the perceived volume of a track will not change much
when you move it from center position towards the L or R side. This means that a
change in the pan position does not require you to adjust the fader accordingly.

If "Gain compensation" is activated, your center pan position will be at unity gain
no matter which pan law is selected. In this case your mono mix (all pans at center)
will not change if you decide to select a different default pan law later on.

There is some debate which pan law is best for stereo mixes, but the equal power law
is generally accepted to be a good choice.

Now you can start with a mono mix, and after the mix is finished you can move certain
instruments away from the center position.

Or, as suggested by Nicholas, you may start with a stereo mix right away and use the
mono button in the master output to check the mono mix on a regular basis.

As a general rule, a good mono mix is more difficult to achieve than a good stereo mix,
and multichannel mixes are even more easy to do. In a mono mix you must avoid clashing
frequencies carefully because all sounds are located at the same position. In a stereo
mix you will be able to move instruments with clashing frequencies away from each
other, and in a multichannel mix there are even more directions to separate clashing
sounds.

This means that it is good practice to check your mix in mono. If your mix sounds good
in mono, the stereo mix will generally be very good. The opposite is not true. A stereo
mix that has not been tested for mono compatibility may sound good in stereo, but it
may suffer when it is collapsed to mono. This is because clashing frequencies or phase
problems become obvious now.