Kicking-off with 10 digestible nuggets of sound mixing essentials you should be practicing when either shaping sounds or balancing the mix.

You might know all, or some of these tips already - cool - They've been chosen however, because they are the ones we most-often let slide from our realm of thoughts when dancing-with-the-fairies in laa-laa-land (Note: I'm talking about you here - I've personally never been to laa-laa-land, preferring STRICTLY HETERO nightclubs instead, HTH).

1: Use MONO Sound Sources

That's right! Some of you might be shocked to learn this - I know I was when first told. I mean, mono is crap right? We're into (what is it now?), 9-Channel surround-sound or sommat daft now aren't we! And what about your synth? I bet it sounds amazing in full-width panoramic swirling stereo doesn't it? It just wouldn't sound the same in mono, right?

I feel ya, trust. But listen-up...

First-off, ask yourself what sound source, in nature, is truly emitted in stereo? Aye, that's got you thinking hasn't it!

But if you're sat there shouting, "All natural sound sources are in stereo... they're all around us!". Well, that's how we hear them, true. But that's more likely a result of the things happening to those sound waves whilst travelling to our ears.

Sound waves get reflected, blown-about, dampened etc... don't forget. We perceive distance, direction, space etc... through clues such as volume, and the difference-in-time it takes a sound to enter both ears (If it hits the left ear louder and quicker than the right...).

Drowning in Stereo

Recording your sound sources in stereo (or using stereo samples) can make it very difficult to find a "hole" in the mix for other instruments to sit, leading to excessive EQ fiddling to create one (cue battle of the sounds).

A well-recorded mono sound source on the other hand, can be placed with relative ease onto the sound-stage allowing you to much better handle what, and how any effects should be applied with regard to your other neighbouring instruments, and their positions and frequencies in the mix.

Remember these things:

1. Record in stereo - Record again in stereo! With mono, you just tweak the panning and effects (if any) until seasoned.
2. If 2 mono sound parts are sharing the same frequency range then just try and simply pan them slightly: One to the right, other to the left (a couple of notches either side is usually enough).
3. If you must record in stereo, use 2 mono channels to capture right and left respectively.

Final Killer Tip

Why?

• You'll hear if any phasing is creeping-in (like a comb-filtering effect).
• You can correct any sounds that have disappeared.
• Many club PA systems (believe it or not), use mono! Don't be embarrassed - I've read enough personal accounts on forums to know this is a fairly common pitfall!

What to Listen For

Tone and volume consistency.

Yeah I know... How d'ya explain that in writing eh! Use your noggin: You're after consistent clarity basically; sufficient to identify the instruments in both mono and stereo. If there isn't, go back into the mixing panels and identify what's causing the mono upsets by looking at your stereo files and/or any added stereo effects.