How wide should you go?

F

Ferdows

New member
Hi guys,

When I mix my song, I obviously pan/reverb/delay/sample delay etc etc certain aspects of song. So it will be wide and certain instruments will have their own space in the stereo spectrum. As long as it stays mono compatible ofcourse.

But now I read a article somewhere, where this guys pointed out that you should stay as mono as possible in the modern day times, especially when you make your music to play in clubs (which I do for a big part).
Because the speakers/monitors are mono there.

So my question is, how wide can you go so all aspects in your song will still be sounding good in the clubs and on not so wide speakers as you have in your studio with your monitors. Because my songs are mono compatible looking at the correlation meter, but when I switch my master to mono, certain parts become less more obvious. Like some of the FX that I panned like -20 or something, or the Hats that I panned +10.

What is your guys advice about this subject? Because you dont want your track to sound boring because there is no wideness and people will listen to it on soundcloud etc. But you also want your track to sound good in the clubs.

Thanks in advance.
 
Last edited:
The stereo spectrum exists for a reason, use every last little bit of it. The important part is have what will keep people moving in the middle, make the important parts heard and use the greater pans for pads and ambienter stuff.

Also I would argue all clubs are mono, I wish everyone was stereo so much more music capabilities
 
This may not be the answer you're looking for but...
Majority of the time your music will be played on computers, in cars, etc. Make your tracks wide and exciting to where you thinks it's super dope.
Then make a separate track for the clubs. Make it for mono systems that has less widening and more center power.
 
Well, for starters, stop panning stuff "-20" and "+10". That serves basically no purpose other than to cause phase discrepancies in the 'phantom' center image. No consumer is going to hear those subtle pans. In the studio in a highly controlled environment you might hear that pan if you really concentrate and it helps it come through a little more, but consumers will not be listening that way and those subtle pans will be for nothing, except making the center image a little more murky and less solid. If you were thinking to pan something "-20" or "+10", just stick it DEAD CENTER. Your problem will be solved.
 
This is great question. Each mix that I do is different. For example, when recording female vocalist I will take full advantage of the stereo spectrum. For rap artist, I tend to not make the mixes as wide unless I find a sound and I want it to be more pronunced. Experimentation is the best way to go.

hope this helps
 
Thanks for your answer guys, keep them coming!

@chris carter, can you explain yourself a little bit more please.

Example. Lets say I got a open HH and a closed HH.
I give the OHH 202 sample delay at the left channel and the CHH 202 sample delay at the right channel.
I learned this, so they both have their ''own place'' in the stereo channel.
And If I want the CHH to be important in the sound of the song, I just pan them to the right so they wont get in the background.

What is wrong with this approach? And why would you have them death center if you pan +20 or +10?
 
most people do not have the playback hardware or conditions (or the ear training) to allow them to hear such niceties:

they can tell if a sound
is on the left channel or
is on the right channel or
is in the middle
begins to move towards one or the other side of the stereo spread

but that is about it

some panning like 50%L or 50%R can work but smaller gradations are simply a waste of time unless you are trying to muddy the central field
 
if sound disappear when you put your master in mono, it's mostly because of frequencies clashing, not because you panned them.
 
Is there a way of detecting this?

BeatbyAS said:
if sound disappear when you put your master in mono, it's mostly because of frequencies clashing, not because you panned them.
Click to expand...

Is there an easy way to detect which frequencies that are clashing?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Yes a correlation meter can tell you if your mix is too wide, then you know your mix is out of phase. This means if your song is played on mono speakers, certain sounds won't be noticeable.
 
chris carter said:
Well, for starters, stop panning stuff "-20" and "+10". That serves basically no purpose other than to cause phase discrepancies in the 'phantom' center image. No consumer is going to hear those subtle pans. In the studio in a highly controlled environment you might hear that pan if you really concentrate and it helps it come through a little more, but consumers will not be listening that way and those subtle pans will be for nothing, except making the center image a little more murky and less solid. If you were thinking to pan something "-20" or "+10", just stick it DEAD CENTER. Your problem will be solved.
Click to expand...

I disagree with this so much. Those little pans are what make a mediocre mix to an I credible mix! Always pan before EQ and EQ minimally. The only way you will have phase problems and a phantom centre is when you have clashing instruments in which you panned. Pan the right instruments in the right place and your mixdown will skyrocket to new levels
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top