What's the best way to reference mixes in both MONO & STEREO using a BOSS unit?

[AndyR]

HOWEVER, if I really wanted to mix to mono, I would pan everything centre. Then I'd work out the proper levels and fader moves for a specifically mono mix (they will be different than the levels and moves for panned material on a stereo mix).

Nah, I'm not looking to mix specifically in mono. I'm just looking to create single mixes that translate well regardless of the playback format (be it MONO, STEREO or even SURROUND SOUND). I'm not looking to have numerous different mixes for each song but rather one mix that just works 'across the board' as it were. These (hopefully!) definitive final mixes will no doubt be in STEREO (but will playback equally well if heard in say a mono environment).

Incidentally, I was in a shopping mall the other day and they were playing The Beatles - as I wandered the precinct I became aware of how, quite frankly, RIDICULOUS ("sacrilege!") the stereo separation was depending upon where I was situated in the mall. I can't remember what song specifically but there was one that, at one point, all I could hear was just drums and just a very feint vocal in the distance (which was kinda cool but probably not what Mr Martin had intended!) Just one personal example of a widely spaced stereo mix obviously NOT working in a real like environment. I dunno why it's taken me so long to pick up on this side of mixing but, now I have, I've actually become quite obsessed by it all! As GREAT as The Beats are, I don't want my mixes to end up sounding as 'confused' as this collection of their songs did in that shopping mall. If my songs ever get to be played over the tannoy in a shopping mall (what an aspiration eh?) I'd prefer for folks to be able to hear the whole song as nature intended not just component parts of it depending upon where you're situated at any given time in the listening environment. Know worra mean?     

PS: That's a TOP tip about putting the machine in 'Bounce' mode then arming a mono track - CHEERS!

Yep, it's REALLY useful. I sort of figured it out by accident for checking mixes. I'd noticed you end up with one track armed if you, say, pick 7 or 8 (which arms both on Stereo Input or on a Bounce), and THEN select eg 7. I was already using this for recording bass and guitar (they're coming in from a mixing desk, and the desk is attached to the stereo inputs, but the signal is usually "mono", ie left=right). Also, sometimes, I might have a bunch of takes that I want to bounce to mono with no effects...

Anyway, I noticed that playback was "folded-down stereo".

And then one day someone told me I ought to check my stereo mixes in mono. This is mainly for phasing issues - you might have a gorgeous acoustic part across the stereo with chorus and reverb etc. It sounds GREAT in your studio, you do a mix and play it on the living room system, sounds all naff. It's because there's phase issues between the left-right channels, but you couldn't hear it in the studio. The quickest way to spot it (or parts masking each other when the speakers are closer, etc), is to fold the stereo mix down to mono and EUREKA! there's the naff bit you need to fix...

I put two and two together and it's really quick and easy - you're right about it being a top tip when you've figured it out!

[AndyR]

On the Beatles stereo mixes - yeah!

Try Eleanor Rigby in headphones.

They can be forgiven, though. Stereo was new technology, no one knew what to do with it. Bear in mind that they were also recording four track at the most in their early career - 4 tracks doesn't leave a lot for interesting stereo mixdown without sticking all the drums on one side or whatever!

They were mixing principally for mono release right up until at least Sgt Pepper, the stereo mixes were an afterthought, sometimes without Beatles or George Martin present. Apparently John Lennon always said (in the 70s) that "you haven't heard Sgt Pepper until you've heard the mono version - THAT'S what we recorded".

And even when stereo was making it onto everyone's LPs, with mono as a secondary version, all singles were still mixed mono because of radio transmission and juke-boxes.