Topic: Is this recording mono?

[Teen Wolf Blitzer]

Threw this show up.  Couldn't help but notice the comment.  It certainly shouldn't be mono.  How can one discern if it is?

http://www.archive.org/details/crookedstill2010-07-18.soundboard.flac16

I have Samplitude and Soundforge but don't see a way of testing for mono.  Or maybe the reviewer is just talking out his ass?

[Brian Skalinder]

Invert one channel, then mix down.  If the result is a null waveform, the source was mono.

[Teen Wolf Blitzer]

Thanks Brian.  I inverted one channel but am not sure what you mean by mix down.  Nothing appears to change after I did the one channel...

[kcmule]

I have Samplitude and Soundforge but don't see a way of testing for mono.  Or maybe the reviewer is just talking out his ass?

I've not used Samplitude and it's been some time since I've used
Soundforge but, Wavelab tells you in the lower right hand corner.
Perhaps either of those applications are similar.

[Teen Wolf Blitzer]

It says stereo down at the bottom if that's what you're referring to.  And the left and right wavs do not match visually.  I do assume the board feed was mono.  Most are.  Do many bands mix in stereo?

[kcmule]

It says stereo down at the bottom if that's what you're referring to.

That is what I was referring to.

[acidjack]

It says stereo down at the bottom if that's what you're referring to.  And the left and right wavs do not match visually.  I do assume the board feed was mono.  Most are.  Do many bands mix in stereo?

In a mono recording (and I'm sure you already know this) the WAVs should be identical visually.

That said, most board feeds I get are pretty close channel-wise.  Even in "stereo" feeds I find the channels tend to be mixed pretty evenly most of the time. So while it's not mono in the truest sense, I would not be surprised if it sounded like it was.

[bugg100]

Mono it is.  Why would you think it isn't? Did you get to see any of the pan pots on the board?

goniometer in Reaper is the screenshot...  clip1 is the crooked still song, clip 03 is a file with 2 mics panned hard left and right and mono vocal and drum track.

Joe

[Gutbucket]

I have Samplitude and Soundforge but don't see a way of testing for mono.  Or maybe the reviewer is just talking out his ass?

I've not used Samplitude and it's been some time since I've used
Soundforge but, Wavelab tells you in the lower right hand corner.
Perhaps either of those applications are similar.

^^^
This is probablay simply an indicator that tells you if format of the loaded file is stereo interleaved (two tracks) or mono (one track), but doesn't actually indicate what information is in a two track file.  That means that the software would still indicate a stereo file even if information is identical on both tracks (dual mono) but .

[unclelouie]

I have Samplitude and Soundforge but don't see a way of testing for mono.  Or maybe the reviewer is just talking out his ass?

In SoundForge: Under the "view" menu, select "channel meters" to display peak meters. Then, in the channel meters window, right mouse click and select "show phase scope" and "show mono compatibility meter".  See attached

I don't think you've got a pure mono mix. The vocals and strings are definitely panned center, but during "Sometimes in this Country" I can hear some stereo effects on percussion.

BTW, great recording. Awesome band.

[kirk97132]

Invert one channel, then mix down.  If the result is a null waveform, the source was mono.

Ya know.....as a singer sings into a single point mic, and it is panned to the center of a stereo mix, or in essence sent to both channels (Left & Right), is it stereo or mono when output on a stereo mixer?  Or if you were to take the same feed on a set of sends into two separate channels each panned full L and R is it stereo?  Wouldn't it show as mono in any type of program sine the two signals would be identical, yet it is being sent as stereo?  My point is that it all comes out of single point mics, so why worry about what someone says on a recording comments page.  When I mix I usually pan parts of drums maybe guitars and bass but any vocals are always gonna be at center along with a bunch of other stuff the whole stereo mono thing is over played with a recording like this.  And Mark as you well know you can achieve stereo image by using mics on stage.

[rastasean]

recording sounds mono since everything seems to be straight up and down center but that isn't your fault or anything to worry about since the music is good.

[bgreen]

definitely mono, but I scarcely find a board feed that isn't anymore. Most times it simply does not benefit the FOH guy or the venue sound to pan things out left and right since the speakers are spread so far apart so everything is split evenly between the left and right channels which well, gives you two identical waves. This is definitely where those stage mics add that something extra special to a recording

This one sounds good man. Very nice pull, thank you! Great band.