Stereo or Mono?

[mastertracks]

Hi,
I am looking for some good advice on which instruments to record in stereo and which instruments to record in mono.

 

[Elton Bear]

How I do things...

Everything mono. If you want stereo, use two mono channels. Stereo things usually include anything using more than one sound source, ie. a Drm Kit, Brass ensemble, or gang/choir vocals.

 

[cello_pudding]

depends on what you want it all to sound like.

i stereo mic electric and acoustic guitar, piano, xylophone...

i don't stereo mic a single voice, violin, cello, brass, or anything like that.

if it were metal...i may not stereo mic guitar...i would definately double it though. if it were old school punk, i wouldn't stereo mic anything.

 

[someguy]

Things like pianos and acoustic guitars I also tend to record in stereo.

 

[Ironklad Audio]

eh...like most responses on here, i have to say that it depends on the application

for instance, if i'm recording some singer/songwriter sort of stuff that has just vocals and acoustic guitar, you can bet your ass i'm going to record the guitars in stereo, in order to get that lush, full, character

if i'm trying to squeeze an acoustic passage into a mix that already has 20-30+ tracks to its credit, then chances are i'm going to get a mono signal

i guess it really depends on how critical that single instrument is to everything else that's going on...

 

[Robert D]

eh...like most responses on here, i have to say that it depends on the application

for instance, if i'm recording some singer/songwriter sort of stuff that has just vocals and acoustic guitar, you can bet your ass i'm going to record the guitars in stereo, in order to get that lush, full, character

if i'm trying to squeeze an acoustic passage into a mix that already has 20-30+ tracks to its credit, then chances are i'm going to get a mono signal

i guess it really depends on how critical that single instrument is to everything else that's going on...

Yeppers. The denser the mix, the more their just isn't room in the soundstage for stereo tracks. Conversely, the sparser the mix, the more it benefits from stereo tracks. This isn't always 100% set in stone, but it's a good guideline. The other things I go by is how much the source is a point source, and how much the room is part of the sound.

 

[Nameless]

Do you have a decent pair of mics to use for stereo recording?
Can you capture a good stereo recording in your room?
Is it going to sit well in the mix? Will there be room for it? Or will it just make things muddy/cloudy and undefined?
Do you want a 'stereo image' for that track? A wide sound in the mix?
Is that track going to be an important part in the song?
How should you mic it for the mix?

These are all basic, common sense and logical questions that you should be able to ask yourself.