Mono vs. Stereo Sound: The Difference Explained (With Audio Examples)
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- čas přidán 8. 07. 2024
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A comparison of mono vs stereo sound. Learn about the technical differences between mono and stereo audio files, playback, and recording. Listen to mono vs stereo audio examples.
Read the blog post version of this video: bit.ly/2T8o3iX
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Visualize the stereo field arrangement of musical elements within different songs: bit.ly/3emSB8J
Learn more acoustic guitar recording techniques: bit.ly/2PtY9kS
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0:00 - Intro
1:17 - Mono vs. Stereo Audio Files
1:47 - Mono vs. Stereo Playback
3:43 - Audio Example - Stereo Separation
5:15 - Mono vs. Stereo Recording
5:42 - Audio Example - Mono vs. Stereo Guitar Recordings
6:56 - Outro
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![If you can't hear this then you're not an audiophile [See description for link to followup video]](/img/n.gif)
Get my music production course for beginners: bit.ly/3Dwmv83
Great video!!
Hey can you do a vid on a fabfilter mixing chain?
We heard that there is an order to apply some of the plugins like saturation and compression and subtractive/additive EQ, midside processing and ect imager and limiter/
Would help out big time to do a fabfilter mixing chain / mastering chain!
Please and Thank you again for these amazing videos!!
I dont mean to be offtopic but does someone know a trick to log back into an instagram account??
I stupidly forgot my account password. I would love any assistance you can give me.
@Nikolas Stanley instablaster ;)
@Aarav Brodie thanks for your reply. I found the site through google and im trying it out now.
Looks like it's gonna take quite some time so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
This is so amazing. I really wish I wasn't deaf in one ear, this sounds like such a cool feature in music and I had no idea it existed. Sound is all 2D to me so I can't perceive sound direction
I used to work with a guy who was deaf in one ear and he’d always do a 360 when I called his name because he couldn’t tell where the sound was coming from. I suppose it’s similar to losing depth perception if you were blind in one eye. Luckily, you’ve still got one good ear to enjoy music!
Same here, and when the recording of the guitar was playing I actually preferred the mono sound. The sound of the guitar sounded closer and clearer. The stereo version sounded faint and chimey.
@@BlackGhostAudio I'm deaf in one ear and work in the outdoors and that happens to be all the time. People will say hello and I'll be looking all over the place.
Hi izzy, you can use smart glasses that makes sound travell through your ear bones directly to the brain to process. No eardrums are involved in this case. You can percieve sounds all around you in most efficient way and remains same irrespective of the age group you're in. In our country they somewhere cost around $150(starting). Not putting any link here as that may remove my comment, you can google it out and find a store near you. Just thought to share this with you, hope that makes your life a little better. :)
@@sigmaarchives4701 Even if you don't give a link, could you name it at least?
Bro I came here just for a review and got a whole ton of useful info too, thanks bro.
This was super helpful. Always had an idea of what stereo image was but you clarified it really well. Thank you!
I’ve read 1000 explanations of mono and stereo and yours is the first one that makes sense to me, Those of us who are brand new to audio production appreciate it. Thank you 🙏🏿
I watched this video as you mentioned earlier with my studio speakers. It was really amazing how you described it with the sound examples. Now I got a total understanding of mono and stereo audio. Thanks.
Mono is great for when you are sharing earphones while listening to a song or movie, because you're both getting the same signal without missing out on anything.
Outstanding explanation. and excellent examples. thanks a ton.
Very informative video! Examples were a bonus, thanks!
SUPER helpful examples, thank you! Never found a clearer explanation
Rosie Jones seeing and hearing the differences definitely helps everything stick. Thanks for checking out the channel!
I'm deaf in one ear and I absolutely love music. I can only use one ear bud (left) and find that the left audio of a song has more of the stuff I wanna hear anyways. Funny enough there are times where I hear a kickass guitar solo and find out that wasn't the case when I hear the same song in the car or out multiple speakers.
Hi Shamrock, you can use smart glasses that makes sound travell through your ear bones directly to the brain to process. No eardrums are involved in this case. You can percieve sounds all around you in most efficient way and remains same irrespective of the age group you're in. In our country they somewhere cost around $150(starting). Not putting any link here as that may remove my comment, you can google it out and find a store near you. Just thought to share this with you, hope that makes your life a little better. :)
In the spotify app you can turn this off so you will hear the same sound in both ears
Well explained! great content💡
Súper high quality info. Thanks.
Loved te part where you explained about the breaking of the echo treshold.
Awesome video and well explained!
Amazing lecture. Thank you so much!
Thank you so much! It's very clear to show the different sounds between mono vs stereo guitar recording!
Did you realize any difference?
Help me I didn't realize
@@theartfuldodger4293 dont you hear the difference in sound or what exactly?
This was very helpful! Thank you :)
VERY thorough! Thank you
So helpful!!! Thank you!!!
Thank you for this. I learned a lot.
Subbed. And love the visual aids, both within the daw and real life setup that way i can get things grilled in. :)
Fantastic video! Keep it up! 🔥🔥
Faith Pierce Music thanks! I’ve got many more videos on the way 😁
This explanation was perfect.
Thank you for this video!
Thank you so much
2:47 it was dope to see a visual representation of this, thanks for the video
You're welcome! Getting great feedback like this helps steer the direction of future videos, so it's much appreciated.
Great!!!
greetings from Cabo Verde Islands.
Cheers
I think it may depend on the type of music but I love the mono sound.
John Lennon said " to really experience Sgt Pepper , you must hear it in mono."
this helped me so much for school, thank you
Awesome. Kill it at school dude!
Kudos to you!! Wow, great video. Thank you for this, you explained this very well and it was easy to follow and actually understand without taking up an hour of the day!! You should make more videos about explaining stuff. By stuff I mean literally everything and anything! You'll get plenty of feedback from viewers about what to explain next! But anyways yeah, great video 🫡
thank you !!
You're welcome! Thanks for checking out the channel 😁
quality content thank you
My dude
Amazing
Super educational :D
Thanks a million BGA.
Thanks for stopping by the channel 😁
Hello Sir,I have used a ts cable from the guitar to the multieffect, from the multieffect to the mixer I use a ts cable and from the mixer to the active speaker I use an single xlr cable.. in your opinion, is the resulting sound stereo or mono?
For a dj application When the room is big and empty I've a lot of reflections an reverb in the bottom part of the room, do you think it can sound better if I place the L/R speakers very close togheter in the middle of the room?
My system is a column array 3 channel amplifier , tops can be mounted in a single array of 8x4" fullrange in mono but I can split them in 2 part using another wire, via dsp I can select the output, dual mono or stereo, so, what's the best solution for spread the sound without room reflection?
Dual mono Placing the speakers at the ends of the room?
Stereo same position?
Stereo keeping close togheter in the middle?
Well i can only hear on one ear, so i can't hear depth nor can i really localize where a sounds come from. As a kid i never knew why there would be mono and stereo. For me it's just interesting how people normally hear
I appreciated this video and your little cover of Fire Water Burn by The Bloodhound Gang.
sick intro music
Love your mic vocal sound.
Thanks! Lots of the rich tone comes from the mic I’m using, which is a Shure SM7B that I’m running through a Cloudlifter. I record through a UAD Distressor compressor emulation into Pro Tools and then apply a little bit of background noise cleanup (Accusonus - De-Reverb), additional compression (FabFilter - Pro-C 2), and gentle resonance suppression (Oeksound - Soothe 2). That’s all there is to it!
@@BlackGhostAudio nice explanation, by the way, im looking for soundcard and dynamic microphone for youtube studio.
@@DanielTuriman as far as sound cards go, the sound card built into a Scarlett Solo audio interface ($110) will work fine if you're recording with a single microphone. The great thing about this audio interface is that it works well, and it's cheap.
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My vocal mic recommendation is the Shure SM7B, but it's a bit pricey, and you'll need to get a Cloudlifter to provide it with sufficient clean gain. All-in, you're looking at about $550 for the mic and Cloudlifter.
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If you're deadset on a dynamic mic, but want a cheaper alternative, you can probably make due with a Shure SM58 ($100). It's a very versatile dynamic mic that will last for a long time. You can check out more vocal mic recommendations via this guide I wrote-it mostly includes mics for singing, but you might find an alternative option that you like: www.blackghostaudio.com/blog/6-of-the-best-microphones-for-recording-vocals-under-1500
My audio on my CZcams videos play on computers, but on some phones there is no audio. Does anyone know how to fix this?
Hello...do you recommend Stereo Imaging for Subwoofers as well or only mono?
5:47 "The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire.."
3:48 is that just a generic stereo delay plugin in ableton you’re using to do that? That’s sweet I’ve been wondering how to do that for weeks now. Hoping it might help fix phase issues trying to record stereo electric guitar tracks, one dry DI channel and one amp direct out/miked cabinet track?
That could work. Another option is using Ableton’s track delay feature.
I had my car audio mids in mono its loud but its no fun like stereo i feel the music in stereo mode enjoy the instrumental jumpin from left to right in the speakers
Hello can you do for mono and mono channel plz
I have a question I have a one sided headset am I missing out on left ear audio if it’s on stero or if I put it on mono will it make a difference I’m so confused
Which headset are you using? If it was built that way (with just one speaker) it probably sandwiches the left and right channel together into a mono signal. You won't necessarily miss out on left or right channel information, but you won't be able to perceive "width" in the way that I mention in the video.
I have a dynamic DM h200 mic with xlr to mono male 1/4" plug,
If a buy another cable which has stereo 3.5mm male jack to female xlr cable ,will I be able to record stereo audio on my mobile
Unfortunately, that won't work. To record in stereo, you require two microphones. One microphone captures the left channel of the stereo signal, while the other microphone captures the right channel. The way you position these microphones will drastically affect the sound of the stereo recordings you capture.
I wrote a guide about recording acoustic guitar that includes a variety of stereo recording techniques you can make use of. Even if you don't plan to record acoustic guitar, the article should provide you with a bit more insight on recording in stereo:
www.blackghostaudio.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-recording-acoustic-guitar
I don't know what you're trying to record, but as a side note, most vocals and voiceovers are recorded in mono.
The specific phone you own will also dictate whether or not it's possible to record using a third-party microphone, as opposed to the microphone built into the phone.
When you have two speakers (connected to a DJ controller), will the sound from both speakers be noticeable to the crowd in either mono or stereo?
The position that they’re standing in can affect stereo perception. If they’re standing right between the speakers, they’ll be able to clearly hear stereo effects like panning automation. If they’re standing far off to one side, those types of effects won’t be quite as apparent.
I have a question. If a mono bluetooth speaker can be paired up to play in stereo, would the speaker(s) sound way less congested playing in stereo since each individual speaker now only has to handle each individual channel?
If the bluetooth speaker is truly a mono speaker, it will just sum together the left and right audio channels into a single audio channel-there might be some phase cancellation (loss of energy) that takes place, but if the song was mixed and mastered well, mono compatibility shouldn't be much of an issue.
@@BlackGhostAudio thanks for the quick reply! I would imagine that if a speaker sums up the left and right audio channel, it would make things more congested because 1 single driver now has to play 2 different sounds that has just been summed up. Is that the case?
@@-MarkWinston- Yup, a song loses its width property when summed to mono so it can certainly feel more congested. If there's a guitar panned out to the left side of the stereo field, and a vocal panned out to the right side, they could conflict with one another in mono. However, most mixing engineers take mono compatibility into consideration and make certain mixing decisions that limit undesirable playback effects when the song is summed to mono.
@@BlackGhostAudio that explains it. I have paired 2 mono bluetooth speakers to play in stereo and in stereo mode all songs sounded way less jumbled up, even after balancing volumes to the same spl. It really sounds like each individual speaker now has less information to convert into sound. Stereo truly is less taxing on each speaker compared to mono!
While recording the guitar, the volume level seemed to go down while in stereo, then back up in mono. Why is that?
remember mono push the sounds straight towards you but stereo makes it wider
still confused..so for my purposes..i dont use real amps but record in Reaper using Neural DSP Plugins..do i need to use mono or stereo when recording electric guitar?
Thanks
?
Thanks
I need help if anyone has knowledge about fl studios. I am trying desperatly to record my piano with the focusrite scarlett solo and i have a y-cable conected to my pianos left and right input. So now i selected the stereo channel as the input in fl studio but i can only see the right sound wave moving and i hear the piano only on my right ear. I dont know what to do or if it is supposed to be like that but i need help.
The Y-cable you're using is summing the stereo signal from your piano into mono; that's why you're hearing it in one ear.
Also, you can't record a stereo signal with the Scarlett Solo. An audio interface with two line-level inputs is required (Scarlett 2i2).
This video will provide some additional context: czcams.com/video/E3UOYQpBrko/video.html
When Einstein decided to do music. You teach the scientific aspect of music. Solid 🙌💎
6:20 Why does this create a wide image, wouldn't they capture the same frequency/ies pretty much since they are so close?
Great question. The polar pattern of the microphones plays a role in this. Both of the microphones used in that audio example have a carioid polar pattern, which mostly picks up on-axis sound (sound coming from the direction the capsule is facing), while rejecting off-axis sound. As a result, one microphone will mostly pick up sound from the body of the guitar, while the other will capture more string noise. You're not going to end up with wildly different recordings, but the differences are strong enough that you'll get some healthy stereo separation. The benefit of this particular recording setup is that the recordings you capture will be in phase, due to the proximity of the microphone capsules.
Having said all this, and following your initial line of thought, you can capture stereo recordings that sound even wider by placing your microphones further apart. The only thing you need to worry about is phase alignment, which you can deal with using effective microphone placement.
Thanks for the explanation! @@BlackGhostAudio
Love stereo
Hi so in stereo is it usual to here the beat and vocals from say the rigjt speaker and less so from the left speaker or just a lower level, I have the senhiser ambeo soundbar and when listening to music in stereo or music mode this seems to be the case
That sound bar offers a lot more than just surround sound. It delivers a 5.1.4 sound experience. Using 13 different built-in drivers and AMBEO technology, it imitates a surround sound installation that provides 5 ear level speakers, 1 subwoofer, and 4 overhead speakers. This unique Sennheiser technology isn’t something I run into as a producer; I mostly exclusively work in stereo. However, music should generally playback as if it were in stereo through a 5.x.x system. In general, the music should sound centred between the left and right speaker of a stereo system, and not significantly louder in one or the other; this can ruin the stereo image. Sometimes you need to adjust the level of the left or right speaker to centre the stereo image correctly between the two speakers. On the back of my studio monitors, I can adjust the gain by a few dB using a small knob. Perhaps your sound bar lets you adjust the level of each driver in a similar way?
@@BlackGhostAudio hi thanks for the fast response unfortunately no it dose not allow for that only to adjust the EQ settings in the app, when listening to music you can select the Ambeo mode and it does upmixe stereo content into a 3D like sound field, But in general with it off i notice that the main bass and its vocal heavy to the right channel, I just find it odd really as when you sit Central its like listening from 1 speaker, I'm changing the bar as its already turned off 2 times from overheating and was only on half an hour, maybe the right channel speaker is faulty.
One of the drivers could definitely be faulty, which would lead to the issue you’re experiencing. Try hitting up Sennheiser to see if they have a solution before returning it. It certainly sounds like a mechanical issue but there might be an easy fix 🤷🏼♂️
If a digital piano has only one 6.35mm output, is it still possible to record in stereo from this?
Check the digital piano’s user manual. You’ll be able to find a copy of it online. If there’s only one output, my best guess that the digital piano outputs a mono signal.
So would a Bluetooth Marshall speaker that says stereo give that effect although it’s only one unit and and two seperate speakers?
It would to some degree. The closer together a pair of speakers, the more difficult it is to perceive stereo spatial effects like panning.
3:56 I like this it's pretty funny
thank you Sir, i wanna buy a bluetooth speaker for casual music listening, which system is better for me?
I’m not that involved with the consumer electronics world so I can’t give you a precise recommendation, but you’ll want to get a pair of speakers (as opposed to one) so that you can listen to music in stereo.
@@BlackGhostAudio so if it's only one speaker wouldn't matter if it's a mono or stereo? cuz i want to but the JBL charge 4 and it's a mono speaker
@@danger666lelo If that’s the case, you’ll hear sound in mono and be unable to perceive stereo information. Although, you might not care about that if you’re just looking for a compact portable speaker that you can take to the beach or something like that.
OSome 👍
I'm broadcasting. I am using a Hyperx quadcast microphone. I want my voice to be better quality. Is mono sound better for broadcast or stereo sound?
Great question! For something like a broadcast, you’ll likely want to record in mono. This won’t necessarily make your voice “better quality,” but it will prevent stereo panning effects that may be distracting to listen to.
I did not find any difference, is the stereo worth the difference in price between two phones, or the mono is enough?
So when should I use mono versus stereo in what situations? Should I see movies and listen to music in mono better when I'm in my car or should I use stereo?
Don't worry about it. As a listener, you don't really have any control over this. Your sound system and the way that the audio you're listening to has been mixed will dictate whether or not you'll perceive sound in mono, stereo, or a different format. There are more than just mono and stereo playback systems. For example, the audio in many films is mixed for 5.1 surround sound playback. If you own a surround sound home theater system, the audio will playback through a speaker in front of you, two speakers out to the sides in front of you, two speakers behind you, and a subwoofer. The "5" indicates the number of main speakers used, while the ".1" indicates the number of subwoofers used in the playback system. There are additional playback system formats beyond this too, such as 7.1, 9.1, etc. Music is generally created with the intention of stereo playback, so as long as you own a stereo system (headphones, car stereo, two speakers sitting on a desk, a hi-fi system with two speakers), you'll be able to listen to songs as intended.
I just use "in ibiza mike posner remix" and a certain tune is only audible in stereo speakers, so if I hear it, it's stereo
I am listening a church recording on Facebook my phone has stereo speakers from fb one speaker is before the other from what the singer is singing
Mono sounds better than stereo
He looks like sam smoth
It's too bad I don't sing like Sam Smith 😂
Haha
Ok
StereoTypes
What consumes more power?
Two speakers will consume more power than one.
@@BlackGhostAudio so, learning from your discussion, sir, since Mono uses multiple speakers all at once, then Mono is the stronger consumer than Stereo, right?
@@wil5174 a stereo system uses two speakers while a mono system uses one speaker so a stereo system will consume more power, assuming the speakers have the same specs in both situations.
@@BlackGhostAudio thank you for the clarification, sir!
The content is quality for sure, but I find it hard to constantly focus on what he is saying because it's too monotonous for me :/
I've always had this issue with presenters who read their presentation text while talking.
My wife roasted me for this so I put a lot of time into being more charismatic in my recent videos. The channel Charisma on Command did wonders for me 😊
this fella looks like the fella that married David in Schitt's Creek
I would say mono is better
Yes
So headphones
Neil Young got right offended by a stereo recording: now I'm very interested
Great info, but man, drink some coffee or a bit of Red Bull.
Ahhhhh
Mono = sounds “flat”
130th Commented 💙
Hello harry potter
mono is so much better in my opinion
Depends on the music, like for symphonies stereo is much better
Loose it but don’t bother putting your hand over your mouth.