garyb wrote:sure, stereo sources are cool sometimes(like when it's the point of the synth. just beware of too many stereo sources. it can lead to some strange phase cancellation(which is great, if that's what you want, but not so great when you don't)...also, with too many things panning about, the music can lose the listener's focus and become noise(again, cool, if that's the desired effect).
it's generally better to have specific things that have stereo effects and are stereo sources, and the rest of the sounds be mono, placed in the greater stereo field.
I´m with you on that !
My point was, WHEN you have the right equipment and use it right, it will sound good,- stereo AND mono.
We´re not talking live rigs/setups ...
When dealing w/ the stereo sources, it will need the right recording techniques.
Example from the past:
It was fine panning each Oberheim´s voices individually in the stereo-output field and print to tape on 2 tracks.
We´re talking about a fixed panning here and not a modulated panning !
As a 2nd step, you changed the voice panning to a different setting and recorded to 2 different tracks ...
The action might have been repeated several times changing the mastertune slightly up or down a bit,- and/or the detune of OSCs ...
Always watching the correlation meter was essential though !
When done,- bounce to the final pair of stereo tracks, wipe the source tracks,- and don´t forget individual and carefull processing (EQ, compression) for each pair of tracks before you do.
Again always watch the correlation meter.
What you get is a warm, fat and lush pad sound you can later listen to also in mono.
Sometimes you don´t even need reverb because it has depth as it is.
The process is unique and not total recall since it´s been set up and adjusted all manually for THAT session.
Today:
There´s virtual instrument´s wash instead, drowned in a overdosed chorus effect, stereo pingpong delays and too much reverb.
In fact that is what I hear when wading thru plugins´ (factory-) preset lists.
They even use stereo delay and chorus on bass patches where you originally wanted a solid tone not changing level ´caused by OSC detune and modulation FX all the time.
Means, the basic tone already is mediocre and NEEDs the FX urgently to be accepted by the listener, even the amateurs (who are the majority of buyers !).
You´ll also find in most digital hardware so called VA synths, DPs and ROMplers.
But those old recording techniques are oldschool and time consuming since the market wants quick results for cheap and working in the box throughout is the cheapest way.
I also guess most "producers" today don´t care about phase issues,- they also don´t care about latency, MIDI jitter etc..
They simply don´t hear it anymore or adapted to meanwhile, calling it "
today´s sound the customer expects".
I had visitation from a producer in the age of 67 (!) running a record company and publishing,- and he wanted to tell me how to work today.
Quote:
"It´s been done in the sun on the terrace on a laptop and been mixed w/ earbuds! That´s how we do it today and sell."
In fact, the artist/composer used a Novation Launchpad
https://www.thomann.de/de/novation_laun ... rch_prv_16 and delivered playbacks for a complete album in 2 1/2 hrs using pre-processed stereo-samples only.
Now they put some vocals on it and release for download via over 90 online services.
Main goal: It has to sound right on earbuds and mobile device´s "speakers".
Bud
