Best Ever Albums

Re: Mono vs Stereo

TrekkiELO — Wed, 3 Apr 2013 00:31:03 GMT

Author: TrekkiELO

Posted: 04/03/2013 04:31

Stereo

Re: Mono vs Stereo

GoJetsGo — Tue, 2 Apr 2013 21:19:35 GMT

Author: GoJetsGo

Posted: 04/03/2013 01:19

This hurts my head. I like stereo. I think.

Re: Mono vs Stereo

Facetious — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 06:17:05 GMT

Author: Facetious

Posted: 03/28/2013 10:17

Ochurch25 wrote:

To me, Taxman sounds horrible in stereo.

I've never felt that way for some reason. Probably because I listen to the stereo more anyway.

Re: Mono vs Stereo

Anonymous — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 04:26:13 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 03/28/2013 08:26

Eggman/Walrus/Taxman wrote:

I usually prefer stereo, but mono is nice for some rock and roll tracks I guess (The Beatles' early albums for example, as has already been pointed out).

To me, Taxman sounds horrible in stereo.

Re: Mono vs Stereo

RoundTheBend — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 02:03:58 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 03/28/2013 06:03

I guess a test would be do you like listening to your music through one speaker/headphone or both?

A mono recording can be applied to a stereo mix and is all the time. If you can't hear a certain part of the song when your headphones are on, that track is in mono. It is usually put in mono to separate it from the "mix" to let it stand out a bit more. Like a vocal track, solo, etc. Also it is often that when mixing drums for example the bass drum is omnipresent (as bass frequencies are) and therefore will be stereo, but he snare drum will be on the right channel as you would hear it in a live setting, or at least leaning to the right channel.

But I think the question is directed at do you like listening to the older recordings that were originally released in mono or the re-release in stereo. Listening to the Beatles on headphones kinda annoys me to be honest because of this issue. Even the stereo re-releases, they kept a lot of tracks mono. Outside of headphones sometimes I prefer this as it brings attention to certain parts, and other times I get annoyed by it...

Simple answer... you have two ears, so you like to hear things in stereo.

Re: Mono vs Stereo

Facetious — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 00:37:49 GMT

Author: Facetious

Posted: 03/28/2013 04:37

Noise Pollution wrote:

I can't think of any instance where mono is better.

Please Please Me is unbearable in stereo for me, but I can usually listen to a few songs off it in mono.

Re: Mono vs Stereo

Noise Pollution — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 00:33:11 GMT

Author: Noise Pollution

Posted: 03/28/2013 04:33

I can't think of any instance where mono is better.

Re: Mono vs Stereo

Facetious — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 00:32:09 GMT

Author: Facetious

Posted: 03/28/2013 04:32

I usually prefer stereo, but mono is nice for some rock and roll tracks I guess (The Beatles' early albums for example, as has already been pointed out).

Re: Mono vs Stereo

MrFrogger — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 00:11:30 GMT

Author: MrFrogger

Posted: 03/28/2013 04:11

creator wrote:

I prefer stereo recordings unless it's The Beatles.

Re: Mono vs Stereo

creator — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 23:33:16 GMT

Author: creator

Posted: 03/28/2013 03:33

I prefer stereo recordings unless it's The Beatles.

Re: Mono vs Stereo

Anonymous — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 23:27:39 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 03/28/2013 03:27

Mono is essentially when all the soundwaves coming from a given source (e.g. guitar) are in phase; stereo is when the soundwaves coming from a source are slightly out of phase. Imagine mono as being recorded with a single mic in a room, so all the soundwaves reach the mic at the same time; imagine stereo as being recorded with several mics around the room, so the soundwaves reach the different mics at different times. What stereo sound produces is a feeling of space; just like music sounds different as you walk around a venue during a live performance, music will sound different if you walk around your house if you have two speakers playing stereo. On the other hand, if you were to walk around your house as music was playing mono through two speakers, it would sound the same, except that volume would change based on your proximity to the speakers. Almost every recording of the past four decades is in stereo.

I of course prefer stereo. However, there are some albums that have either abused stereo or tried to use mono to replicate a stereo effect (I can't tell). You can hear this on some albums when you listen to a song with both headphones on/in and can hear everything perfectly, and then you remove a headphone from one of your ears and certain aspects of the song become incredibly quiet or become inaudible completely. This usually happens on albums recorded in the late 60s and early 70s (though I've heard it on albums as recent as the 00s), but the only example that comes to mind right now is VU's White Light/White Heat.

Re: Mono vs Stereo

SquishypuffDave — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 23:25:35 GMT

Author: SquishypuffDave

Posted: 03/28/2013 03:25

Mono = same in both channels. Stereo has slight differences in each channel, and can include different instruments panned to different sides of the mix. Also, recording in stereo gives a more spacious, three-dimensional sound.

Re: Mono vs Stereo

Jasonconfused — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 23:02:26 GMT

Author: Jasonconfused

Posted: 03/28/2013 03:02

I might be coming off as ignorant here, but can someone explain to me the difference?

Re: Mono vs Stereo

SquishypuffDave — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 21:40:29 GMT

Author: SquishypuffDave

Posted: 03/28/2013 01:40

I prefer Revolver in mono, but that's about it.

Re: Mono vs Stereo

Anonymous — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 19:44:04 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 03/27/2013 23:44

Why would anybody ever prefer mono? If music is meant to be listened to that way the artist will produce it that way.

Re: Mono vs Stereo

Mercury — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 19:38:26 GMT

Author: Mercury

Posted: 03/27/2013 23:38

The most one-sided poll ever.

A better question (if nonsensical) is Mono Vs. Bono?

Mono all the way in that one too.

Re: Mono vs Stereo

RFNAPLES — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 19:35:45 GMT

Author: RFNAPLES

Posted: 03/27/2013 23:35

Stereo

Re: Mono vs Stereo

Cymro2011 — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 18:25:19 GMT

Author: Cymro2011

Posted: 03/27/2013 22:25

Stereo

Mono vs Stereo

Anonymous — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 18:23:00 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 03/27/2013 22:23

Which one generally sounds better?