How to check my tracks in mono

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Music

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I'm wondering how I can check my tracks in mono. I have two faders in the output section of my Mackie mixer. Are my tracks played back in mono if I pull down one of them?

Thanks for your help.
 
Pan both tracks to center and leave the faders up.
 
Is there another way pherhaps? I have no panpots on the output/master section.

I have the Mackie 1404-VLZ.
 
No... there's no other way - you don't have a mono switch that you can engage on that unit, so you'll have to run the tracks you want to check to faders with pots......

The limitations of a small-format mixer, I'm afraid...!
 
I have a similar mixer.....


I see what your saying about pulling one of main faders down..... Whats going to end up happening is the stuff you panned to the left will disapear....If it is the left one you pull down.... and same for the right.. And theres other issues too... So that won't work... Bruce is right, your sort of screwed.... Is there not a button on your amp/receiver?

Im using NAD and there is a mono switch on it..
 
Unfortunally I haven't such a knob on my amplifier too.

When do I have to check if my tracks sound right in mono actually? During the mixing process or during the mastering process? I guess I'm lucky if I need it to do during mastering, because I use Izotope Ozone for that and it has a mono option.

Thanks!
 
During your mix check in mono... make sure fequencies aren't canceling each other out... and overall it's a great way to check your levels...

Sometimes, I go to mono, and turn down real quiet, and walk out of the room, and then back in, and it's like a little clock radio going, and I learn amazing things about my mixes like that...

Usually, the vocals, are too loud or the drums are too loud... or one of the overhead drum tracks is cancelling the other out...:eek:

Joe
 
I'll do a mono check anytime I'm messing with short delay effects and want to verify that nothing's getting messed... that's during tracking and/or mixing...

A mono-compatibility check should be done on a song during a mix -- if youo wait for the mastering stage what are you going to do if you need to change something and you've reset your booard for another project -- you won't be able to set your mix up completely identically...

OTOH, do you even need to care about mono-compatibility? Are you planning on having your material play on TV regularly? (pretty much the last remaining regular mono source...)

If not, I wouldn't worry about it too much..........!
 
I'm glad it isn't so important.

Thanks for the great help guys!

Ben
 
If you have a phase problem in your final mix there isn't much to do while mastering.... so to save extra work you should check it in a mixsituation. If you feel this is important, just make a new piece of cable where you put your L/R together and use it during your check.
 
Blue Bear Sound said:

OTOH, do you even need to care about mono-compatibility? Are you planning on having your material play on TV regularly? (pretty much the last remaining regular mono source...)

If not, I wouldn't worry about it too much..........!
Click to expand...

Very good point!...


And, I might add....

Some stuff is out of phase by plan.


Trente Reznor made the snare out of phase on "Happiness in Slavery"....

In fact the album has a disclaimer... "Warning" do not listen to this album in Mono"

Seriously.
 
Music said:
I'm glad it isn't so important.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't say that exactly -- it IS actually important, for certain applications....

However, for a majority of the HR crowd, it isn't critical........... (this isn't a slight, or a put-down -- simply a fact...)
 
Ok I'll gues I need a bigger mixer. But before I have it I would like to try it with that cable if it isn't dangerous for my equipment. How/where should I connect it?
 
Depending on what type of connectors you have on you master return on your mixer.
Why don't you check out a hi-fi or video supply store, they have a lot of phono combinders that could be used. Two phono female into one male will give you mono into one monitor input.

Just wondering...what do you expect to hear by doing this???

good luck
 
I just want to check if my tracks sound good in mono.

Thanks for your help.
 
Maybe I don't quite understand your problem, because the answer seems so simple. It doesn't matter if you don't have panpots on your master outputs. You have panpots on your mixer channels, right? Just pan all the mixer channels straight up and you'll hear what your mix sounds like in mono.
 
Oops! Sorry Bear!

next time speak up a little - i must be getting hard of hearing!
 
I have thought of this too, but I have some stereo channels on my mixer, so I thought it is only possible listening to those channels in mono if I use a mono knob.
 
one or two monitors???

When checking in mono, would there be any advantage to using one monitor versus both? I would think it wouldn't matter if the 2 speakers are positioned equidistant from the listening position, but what does everyone else think?

-marcus
 
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