


To understand stereo separation you need to understand that sound is heard spatially and can be manipulated to fill up more space. Some examples of stereo speakers include a car’s stereo system, a television speaker system, and of course, studio monitor speakers. When you mix in stereo, you are mixing while hearing the song through either two or more channels. Playing sounds through multiple channels, or in stereo captures the spatial dimensions of the sounds as you can hear them through your left and right ears differently in stereo. The term stereo refers to a signal that is transmitting through two channels. Examples of mono speakers include cellphones, some laptops, and some radios. When you are mixing in mono, it means that you are mixing while only hearing the song through one speaker. Mono in the audio world refers to a signal of sound that is transmitted through a single channel or speaker. This rings true in the audio world as well.

The classic origin of the word mono is “one”. Read through each definition carefully to help you grasp the steps in the next section. To understand how to mix in mono, there are a couple of mixing terms you need to know. Let’s go through the definitions of common mixing terms and discuss all the steps on how to mix in mono successfully.

