Is Mono Dead?

[SgtTimBob]

I've got something of an obsession with mono sound/music recordings. I can't really explain why other than the vague notion that I just really like the 'purity' of it. Somehow the idea of one signal that sounds the same no matter which speaker you are closest to just seems preferential to me. I find I enjoy mono just as much through headphones as well.

Having spent a large amount of time listening to mono mixes of songs where they are available, rather than stereo, I tend to find stereo a lot more distracting (particularly where there's a lot of stuff hard panned left and right). The weird thing is that a few years ago I would not have imagined myself saying that, because I loved stereo for it's sense of depth and space. It's only after spending hours listening to mono mixes of BB records, Spector records and dozens of other classic rock recordings in mono, that I've developed this fixation.

I've noticed that mono tends to produce an all round punchier sound, when comparing mono/stereo mixes of various songs. The trade off is the sense of space, although not necessarily depth. The difference is most noticeable when wearing headphones, of course.

But virtually nothing is produced in mono these days. So is mono over and done with forever? Are two channels of sound necessarily better than one?

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I hate mono for the most part. Humans have two ears....







Says the guy who is partially deaf in his left ear

[SMiLE-addict]

[Aegir]

I record in mono (or extreme stereo) because I'm lazy.

[I. Spaceman]

I hate mono for the most part. Humans have two ears....

I've never understood the two-ear argument. Should every film be processed in 3D, just because we see in three dimensions in real life? Mono is a definitive way of presenting music, just as valid as a black-and-white film. It crystallizes intention.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I was being half-serious. I do prefer stereo though because to me mono sounds 'squashed'. Now, there are a few songs that I do prefer in mono (I'm looking at YOU, 'I'm Waiting for the Day'!) but for the most part I prefer the 'fuller' sound of stereo.

edit

One thing to remember...I don't listen to a lot of pre-1970 music, so that colors my opinion.

Edit x2

1980? I obviously meant 1970. Yeesh.

[Gertie J.]

give me 5D any friggin' day!

[DonnyL]

It crystallizes intention.

YES.

And no, it's not dead. Some people put out mono records still. The last several releases I've put out from my small-time operation were mono. Some other (small-ish and large-ish) groups and labels do as well.

In terms of analog tape, there are some small technical benefits. A mono 1/4" recorder gives slightly more tape collateral than a 1/4" stereo deck, since no gap is required between tracks. This results in a slightly 'fatter' sound, and eliminates potential problems with crosstalk and electronic and tape head alignment, which can introduce phase anomalies.

FROM AN INTERVIEW W/ LEE PERRY:

Q: Why are most of your recordings in mono?

Well mono mean one heart, one thought, one love, one destiny, one aim, one alternative. So I defend only the one; anytime is a split personality I know then can be problem and danger and I don't support it. I support all-in-one, one communication, one Itation, one Iration, one faith, one human destiny. Anytime you come out with that, then I don't think you're parallel. You're confused, you're a mascot! And I don't defend mascot.

[SMiLE Brian]

I love mono, Phil Spector's productions were the apex of the mono sound of the 1950s-1960s. I had a LP with two really crappy built-in speakers and the Phil Spector material still is loud as hell in good quality.

[MBE]

Mono is great, especally on vinyl. Nice and thick. Though I like a lot of seventies music, especally early in the decade, most of what I play is fifties and sixties so it makes a difference.

[Les Garçons de la plage]

Works very well for a lot of 1950s/60s stuff - anything recorded with a 2-/3-/and maybe 4 track where the original stereo mixes usually have instrumentation on the left and vocals on the right channel for instance... Beatles 
But on the other hand, even if the Righteous Brothers' Just Once In My Life is like this in stereo, it is a bit more pleasant than the mono mix, where the chorus is almost drowned out of the picture so to speak.
My Bloody Valentine actually had some tracks around Isn't Anything almost in mono (with only a very few occasional elements not mixed in the center) like I Believe and Feed Me With Your Kiss, I guess for the effect on blending elements together. (Kevin Shields' appreciation of Brian Wilson's music is well known...)

[Ron]

Mono is not dead, there will always be audiophiles who push for it, like Vinyl, etc. it'll never completely go away.  Most people will be happy with Stereo, and digital files, but some will always prefer the analog stuff and mono. 

[Ron]

I hate mono for the most part. Humans have two ears....

I've never understood the two-ear argument. Should every film be processed in 3D, just because we see in three dimensions in real life? Mono is a definitive way of presenting music, just as valid as a black-and-white film. It crystallizes intention.

Yeah that's kind of how I think.  I mean, do we even hear in Stereo if we're listening to say a vocal performance?  The vocal is coming from 1 source, so we're essentially hearing it in Mono in real life.  With a poly-audio sound like a full band performing I guess you could make the argument that Stereo more accurately represents it, but I think mono done right can be just as effective and entertaining. 

[Ron]

FROM AN INTERVIEW W/ LEE PERRY:

Q: Why are most of your recordings in mono?

Well mono mean one heart, one thought, one love, one destiny, one aim, one alternative. So I defend only the one; anytime is a split personality I know then can be problem and danger and I don't support it. I support all-in-one, one communication, one Itation, one Iration, one faith, one human destiny. Anytime you come out with that, then I don't think you're parallel. You're confused, you're a mascot! And I don't defend mascot.

I'll play devils advocate.  If he's so into Mono, then why does he use a dozen words to describe 1 thing?  Hmm? 

[Les Garçons de la plage]

^plus why has he released stuff in stereo???