Mono Compatibility Check
If the lead, kick and bass survive the mono fold, the width is trustworthy.
Related
The problem
A mix that feels wide on headphones can thin out, turn dull, or lose a part when folded to mono. The cause is not always the widener; it may be phase.
Goal and judgement
A mono check tests correlation, not nostalgia. Identical left and right add; opposite phase cancels. The lead, kick and bass must survive the fold, and no element should vanish. Width is allowed, but the centre must hold.
Method
Use a mono switch on the master, or sum left and right. Bypass stereo wideners, Haas delays and ping-pong delays one at a time. If a track disappears, check phase before adding width. Leave some centre content in side elements. Finish on a phone speaker and a single cabinet. A drop of up to 3 dB in mono is normal; a sudden collapse calls for a phase check.
What to listen for
Whether the lead moves away; whether cymbals and chords thin out; whether the bass develops a hole; whether the overall level drops sharply in mono.
Common misconceptions
That mono is only for clubs; that more width is more professional; that phase problems can only be guessed by ear.
Listen in the library
All tracks from midicn-lib — inline badge is the license tier (C1 commercial / C2 non-commercial / C3 study only).
Sources
- Huber and Runstein, Modern Recording Techniques, mono compatibility — background checked, not quoted
- David Gibson, The Art of Mixing, phase and mono chapter — background checked, not quoted
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.