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I've heard or read somewhere that there is a benefit in producing a mono mix from your DAW in order to assess if any tracks get 'lost' in the mix, muddied etc. Does anyone use this technique to monitor a mix you're working on, and is it for the above reason you doing this or is there another benefit(s)? If so, how do you listen to the mono mix - headphones, studio monitors - does it make any difference? Do you have any 'war stories' of what this revealed for you on one of your mixes? I've not done this so looking to see if there is some benefit. #FOMO  Andrew
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always worth checking it in MONO
for what?
anything that stands out
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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We test the stereo mix and then the master on Kali monitors, Apple AirPods; our living room system with a sub and in our vehicle. I started mixing in the mid 60’s and see no reason revert back to mono. 😀 And, yep, I’ve read the advantages of it. Assuming you create a mono mix and a stereo mix obviously the mono mix with everything stacked would need significantly different volume levels than the panned stereo mix. Yeah you could convert the stereo track to mono but that’s not a mono mix IMO. I never have gotten this. Perhaps somebody here who uses it can explain the plus side of it in context of it being worth the effort. And I apologize for high jacking the post Andrew. 😀 Just my rambling and if it works for you get it.
Bud aka cantankerous octogenarian
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Yes, I listen in mono both in monitors and headphones. If it sounds good in mono, that is I can hear every track, then panning into stereo generally isn't a problem.
Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.
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always worth checking it in MONO
for what?
anything that stands out If it sounds good in mono, that is I can hear every track, then panning into stereo generally isn't a problem. Thanks rharv and Mario! So if anything stands out and I don’t want it to, I am assuming I adjust back in my stereo mix. Same as for anything that disappears that I want to be more present? I am assuming that by taking panning out of the equation, mono causes the person mixing to focus on volume and frequency clashes? Assuming you create a mono mix and a stereo mix obviously the mono mix with everything stacked would need significantly different volume levels than the panned stereo mix. Thanks Bud! In my newbie mind, there are three main tools I am using in mixing (okay, there’s more, but…): volume, frequency and panning, so taking panning out would mean I focus on the volume and frequency/EQ, so I can see that taking one mixing element away might focus more on the other two, but if my ultimate aim is a stereo mix, might I adjust something based on the mono that is unnecessary to adjust in a stereo world? Maybe I’m overthinking and should just trust my ears. I found this Reddit thread when researching the Reaper mono button: Why should you mix in mono? Because if you are listening to playback of your mix (especially on headphones) in stereo, the directional separation of audio information to left and right side can give you false sense of separation of frequencies. If you have two instruments with similar eq curves, say two guitars, panned hard left and hard right you might be able to hear each well because they’re not actually overlapping in any audio space. But if you put your mix into mono (hit that switch on the master channel) you’ll probably find that they are now clashing for space in the mix and you can’t hear them both clearly. Mixing them in mono allows you to make some better decisions about how to eq elements of the mix to give them frequency separation, instead of just space/panning separation.
Now, why shouldn’t you mix in mono? Because literally no one listens to music in mono. Even crappy laptop and phone speakers are in stereo, so there is absolutely no point in trying to make a mix sound good in both mono and and stereo. When stuff is panned it automatically loses volume when you switch it into mono mode, so any volume decisions are going to be thrown waaaayy off. So mixing exclusively in mono is bad (unless you’re making a mix which will only ever be heard in mono), because if you try to make a mix sound good in mono, it won’t sound as good in stereo.
Tldr: it’s a useful tool to use periodically to help make some eq decisions. But don’t mix entirely in mono, or spend time adjusting levels in mono.The thread poster’s first paragraph on ‘why should you …’ makes a good case for reviewing a mix in good monitors and not over-relying on headphones - something you espouse, Bud - rather than listening to a mono mix. The thread also mentioned something about phase issues of, say, two guitars panned left and right. Yeah you could convert the stereo track to mono but that’s not a mono mix IMO. I never have gotten this. Perhaps somebody here who uses it can explain the plus side of it in context of it being worth the effort. Uh oh - there’s fake mono and real mono? My DAW Reaper has a mono button, so I assumed I could just push that to listen, then turn mono off and render in stereo. And I apologize for high jacking the post Andrew. No problem at all, Bud. To some extent, you are voicing my questions - and it’s still on-topic. Thanks for everyone’s responses! Andrew
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It's a tool, not a method.
Use it to check.
I disagree with the part that even phones/laptops are in stereo; are they, really, when the speakers are more than twice as far away than the speakers are separated (unless you have earbuds)?
Like I said, it's a tool that *can help with mix issues, but not always
Last edited by rharv; 08/31/26 03:20 PM.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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A few reactions:
Yes, it's worth checking. Test your mix on everything like Bud said. And Bob is right: it's just one more tool to use.
If nothing else, you are looking for surprises in your mix.
Somebody out there is listening in mono. When I do work on an outdoor project, I broadcast my music with my FM transmitter and tune in with my Dewalt work radio. It's mono.
[Aside: although I don't think there is a difference between monaural produced by a mix and monaural produced by pressing the Mono button (I have one in the software, but also one on my speaker control), I can't say I'm absolutely sure. I just think they work the same. I'm interested if someone can show me otherwise. And Bud's subwoofer is almost definitely a mono signal (bass is very difficult to locate direction, and the right and left signals are likely combined). Nevertheless]:
The bad/wrong condition that a mono mix checks is phase cancellation. Theoretically, if you invert the phase of one mono channel in a stereo mix where the left and right channels are the same, you should hear nothing at all! The wave forms out of phase cancel each other out. In practice, with monitors (speakers) what you hear is a washed-out weakish sound and you hear each speaker distinctly in an artificial way with a hollow middle, not the natural sound reinforcement of stereo you want where your senses tell you that you are awash in the mix. Test this on monitors by reversing the polarity of the speaker cables on ONE monitor. By testing your mix in mono you can hear certain sounds that are incorrectly eliminated, or sometimes worse, artificially amplified. You can also have the case of two instruments panned left and right that occupy the same register and sonic space. Panned apart, you can hear them both clearly. In mono, it might just be mud. Mario and Bud were alluding to this.
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I often check in a mix in mono but not always. Like others above me, if something sounds wrong in mono, I adjust it in mono and then revisit it in stereo.
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Thank you to all contributing to this thread with your own experience and thoughts. It seems most are saying it is worth a check in mono, but probably using studio monitors to listen.
Andrew
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I use mono for 2 reasons: - Mono shows phase issues. In the worst-case scenario, an instrument could disappear entirely.
It also shows whether you're relying too much on panning when separating instruments. - When I get stuck and just can't seem to get a mix to work, I switch to mono and adjust the balance there until the main instruments work well together.
It puts the brain into a completely different mode.
Then I'll switch back to stereo.
That's faster than starting from scratch in stereo.
For me at least.
For the mono test, I use a shἰtty old mono radio with a line-in jack. It's always a good idea to check a mix on speakers that suck.
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I use mono for 2 reasons:
[list]
[*]Mono shows phase issues. In the worst-case scenario, an instrument could disappear entirely.
… This! I only use monitor controllers that have a Mono switch. So many do that brand is unimportant. I know instantly without having to disturb my DAW. I haven't used an ORTF array since the first time I did such a compatibility check—the phase distortion is that bad.
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
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It’s time to celebrate! Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Band-in-a-Box® is here, and we've got 200 brand-new styles coming your way!
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In this PAK you can find: dulcet folk ballads, funky gospel country, Brazilian jazz fusion, upbeat 1980s pop, classic Americana, a plethora of breezy bossa novas, indie singer-songwriter, scintillating synthwave, exuberant electronica, and many, many more!
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
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