STEREO and MONO Recordings

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STEREO and MONO Recordings

Postby Hugh-AR » 08 Mar 2019 22:27

Remember the days when everything was recorded in MONO? As a youngster I remember having a 'battery operated' record player and playing 45rpm records on it. Thought it was great! I was able to take it with us on family picnics and provide the music.

This device, or course, just had one speaker, and all the sound came from that. A bit like my present day laptop when I play music through it. Then they invented Stereophonic Sound.

From Wikipedia:
Stereophonic sound or, more commonly, stereo, is a method of sound reproduction that creates an illusion of multi-directional audible perspective. This is usually achieved by using two or more independent audio channels through a configuration of two or more loudspeakers (or stereo headphones) in such a way as to create the impression of sound heard from various directions, as in natural hearing. Thus the term "stereophonic" applies to so-called "quadraphonic" and "surround-sound" systems as well as the more common two-channel, two-speaker systems. It is often contrasted with monophonic, or "mono" sound, where audio is heard as coming from one position, often ahead in the sound field (analogous to a visual field). Stereo sound has been in common use since the 1970s in entertainment systems such as broadcast radio, TV, recorded music, internet, computer audio, and cinema.

When we listen to an orchestra or a band 'live', the music we listen to has sound 'coming from all directions' as the instruments we are listening to are spread out in front of us.

When creating music from our keyboards we can make use of this 'feeling of space' as our keyboards do play 'in stereo'. The way we create the illusion of instruments coming from different directions is by using the PAN control, and using this can direct our 'voices' to appear to come from centre, more to the left, or more to the right. Each voice (instrument) will have it's own pan control to enable you to do this. Of course if you are using a 'pre-set' Registration all this will be done for you and you don't have to think about it unless you specifically want to enhance or change the settings.

So we now come to the business of recording. Many keyboards and organs these days will have the option of doing an 'Audio Recording' directly to a Memory Stick. This will be a 'stereo' recording. If not, then you will have to take your stereo output either from a LINE OUT (as I have to do on my AR organ); or from the headphone socket. If you wear headphones to listen to what you play on your keyboard then you will know what 'stereo' sounds like. You can pinpoint all those instruments that are 'panned' to the right or to the left .. and this is what you should hear in your recording.

I have recorded a DEMO so you can hear what STEREO sounds like. In this piece, I have deliberately put sounds 'to the left' and 'to the right' to make it easier to hear what is going on. Best to listen to the below with stereo headphones. Concentrate on where you think the sounds are coming from .. left or right!

Do a right-click to open this up in a New Tab .. or go 'back' after listening.
STEREO Demo

And this one (listen to it carefully) is not stereo at all (even though the sound is coming to both ears). It is what we call 'two-track MONO'. Roy (royofherts) had a very good description of two-track mono when he said the sound was coming from 'over the top of his head'.

Do a right-click to open this up in a New Tab .. or go 'back' after listening.
STEREO as 'two-track mono' Demo

When you have spent good money purchasing a top notch keyboard .. and you know what it sounds like when you play it .. it really is important to get that stereo recording so others can really appreciate the music you have created. Out of the two recordings above, which would you rather listen to? (I hear you say, "Neither", which is fair comment!)

Note: Brian007 and I have discussed 'stereo' and 'two-track mono' elsewhere with a recording he had made on his Korg. Click this LINK to go there:

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http://www.tierce-de-picardie.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=200&t=5836
It's all about the music ♫ ♪ ♫ Organ: Yamaha AR80 & Keyboard: Tyros 4
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Re: STEREO and MONO Recordings

Postby Hugh-AR » 16 Mar 2019 10:58

MARGARETD has posted a song called There's A Bridle Hanging On The Wall in the March Challenge. The Box LINK below is to her recording of this in stereo. The main instruments are coming from 'centre', but she also has some incidental voices (eg. Choir) that are panned to the right. Also, notice the overall 'pleasing sound' that you get from a stereo recording.

Do a right-click to open this up in a New Tab .. or go 'back' after listening.
https://app.box.com/s/3513veixpv8qq34umjpjzfw2jml19out

This next clip is the same recording, but recorded as 'two-track MONO'.

Do a right-click to open this up in a New Tab .. or go 'back' after listening.
https://app.box.com/s/p4jo89flso2cv7a1mruxtaqjbggeznhg

I know which if these two I'd rather listen to. In the stereo version you hear all the sounds that have been 'panned' to left or right and that's what gives the music 'depth'. Often the main instrument you are listening to is 'centred' as that is the predominant part of the song. You hear the melody more clearly when the 'added' bits and Style parts come from elsewhere, and everything is not all coming from the same place.

How 'pan' is used to give a 'full sound' to your music is discussed here (click this LINK). Please do add any comments that you may have about giving your music 'depth'.

Do a right-click to open this up in a New Tab
http://www.tierce-de-picardie.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=402&t=7433

Hugh
It's all about the music ♫ ♪ ♫ Organ: Yamaha AR80 & Keyboard: Tyros 4
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