Always test your mix in mono...

[Flash Harry]

I went back and reviewed some mixes I had been unhappy with. In mono they sounded really pants.

So what to do? Pan all to the centre and and remix in mono? Leave the panning and re-mix in mono? Mix in mono centre panned and then repan in stereo?

I took one track that I wasn't to precious about, (saved a copy first) took a DEEP BREATH and panned everything to the centre. Re-mixed from the kick drum and the bass guitar upwards in mono.

Listened in stereo and took a moment to realise why the mono and stereo mixes sounded the same....

Panned the tracks accordingly, and tweaked the levels.

Bingo!

Listened in mono - still OK.

Nice tip.When all else fails - mix in mono, then tweak the panning and levels.

[fenderbender]

Great topic guys
=I got into the habit be it good or bad
when I start recording -using the BR600
I record the way I see a  band would be on stage

the basic drums and bass backer -I do on chordpulse first -tweaked on Mixcraft
line out from PC into BR600-stereo-tracks 1&2
track 3 --acoustic guitar(if used) left 25
track 4-elec guitar-right 25
lead guitar -stereo tracks 5/6
if a vocal -the above tracks bounced first
then track5/6 v2 used for vocal
all EQing and reverb added before bouncing

works for me -and I know exactly what way my set up is going to be each time
boring ? probably -but it does'nt ; take much to keep me happy

[AndyR]

I went back and reviewed some mixes I had been unhappy with. In mono they sounded really pants.

So what to do? Pan all to the centre and and remix in mono? Leave the panning and re-mix in mono? Mix in mono centre panned and then repan in stereo?

I took one track that I wasn't to precious about, (saved a copy first) took a DEEP BREATH and panned everything to the centre. Re-mixed from the kick drum and the bass guitar upwards in mono.

Listened in stereo and took a moment to realise why the mono and stereo mixes sounded the same....

Panned the tracks accordingly, and tweaked the levels.

Bingo!

Listened in mono - still OK.

Nice tip.When all else fails - mix in mono, then tweak the panning and levels.

Wow! That sounds like a good idea. It's one step further on than I was thinking after the stuff I'd read ("check your stereo mix in mono before deciding it's ok").

I REALLY fancy trying this approach - would mean me switching to a DAW, though (on a BR most of my mixes have to be built from planned "sub-mix" bounces - so I'm commited to panning quite early on).

[Flash Harry]

I REALLY fancy trying this approach - would mean me switching to a DAW, though (on a BR most of my mixes have to be built from planned "sub-mix" bounces - so I'm commited to panning quite early on).

I like Reaper, you can try it for free, it will nag you after a while but continue working after a 15 second initial nag when you load it up. So using BR Wave converter to copy your stems to your DAW and using the trial version of Reaper means you can try this without any further outlay.

You can buy Reaper for a few quid, it's easy to use, it's very powerful and you can use VST and VSTi plug-ins.

If you go down the Linux route there's Rosegarden DAW which is open source and will not cost you anything to use.  Same thing applies, I'm not sure if BR Wave Converter runs under WINE, the Windows runtime environment for Linux, 64 Guitars would be the man to ask about this.

I use my copy of Reaper with a Beringher BCF2000 midi control surface so I have 'real' faders and pan knobs, transport control and other stuff I haven't worked out what to do with yet.

[AndyR]

I'm probably not going the Linux route... Sorry, 64G, chickened out!

Actually, I didn't chicken out, it's on the back burner because I went "sod it" and bought a stonking 17.3" laptop with i7 thingammie and buckets of RAM!!! I am now a very happy user of Win 8.1. (I've even started saying the word "App" out loud...)

But the old XP desktop, once I've cleared the cr@p off it and stopped using it for general web-ery things, is looking like a candidate for a Reaper trial. It has Presonus's Studio One free version on it at the moment, I'm also tempted by them - but I do want to see what the Reaper experience is like.

[Flash Harry]

But the old XP desktop, once I've cleared the cr@p off it and stopped using it for general web-ery things, is looking like a candidate for a Reaper trial. It has Presonus's Studio One free version on it at the moment, I'm also tempted by them - but I do want to see what the Reaper experience is like.

I run Reaper on a modest XP 32 bit machine, and I think I get to 32 tracks before it starts to complain a bit, well the cooling starts running a bit noisily.

I am a fan - but that shouldn't put you off. It makes a great midi sequencer too.

[AndyR]

What's midi? hehe

I haven't used that (explicitly, anyway, I assume the BR1600's internal drum machine is using it) for YEARS!!

Oh, that's not true, is it? - my old Yamaha keyboard is playing the Roland organ module via the wonders of midi...

But sequencing (apart from the drum machine) I haven't touched for some time. All my keyboard parts are recorded as audio at the moment.

[Flash Harry]

You want to see what Geir does with an iPad, a software synth, a USB midi interface and a yamaha keyboard.

It's remarkable.