FabFilter User Forum
STEREO to MONO
Please can you help me with the following question?
When a song is completed and rendered as a stereo file how is the stereo image converted into a mono image on mono only devices?
For example..
I have finished a song. The song has mono and stereo elements within it. The song has been rendered as a stereo file..
What happens when the song is played back on mono only devices such as phones, tablets, one speaker portable radio players etc.?
Does the left and right signal merge together?
Is it just the left signal?
Is it just the right signal?
Thank you,
Andy
Andrew — Mar 1, 2019
They’re usually summed together, that’s why you should be a bit careful with audio being out of phase, if it’s summed, it cancels out. It’s for these types of use cases :)
Thank you Bram,
I have seen a lot of information about phase issues when merging the stereo into mono.
I did read an article online written by a professional sound engineer who recommended not to mix in mono using the phantom mono image created by both left and right signals being the same. He recommended mixing in mono by switching one monitor off (say the right monitor) and only using the left monitor..
Is this correct?
I use FL Studio and most tutorials I have watched demonstrate merging the left and right signals together to create the mono phantom image as a way to mix.
Thank you again,
Andy