Applies to: All Products
Important terms:
- Monophonic (mono) audio is audio from one single source.
- Stereophonic (stereo) audio comes from multiple sources, which present the image of a 'left' and 'right' in the audio feed.
- DAW - Digital Audio Workstation. (i.e. Ableton, Pro Tools, Logic, GarageBand, Reaper, etc)
- Stereo Image - The Width and Depth of the correlation between Left and Right from audio playback.
- Pan - The placement between Left and Right where an audio signal lies.
- Hard-Pan - An automatic split between a Stereo signal which sends one signal fully to the left and the other to the Right of the Stereo Image.
This article teaches you the difference between input sources, recording techniques, and output assignments.
Is my input source mono or stereo?
All microphones (unless designed otherwise) are monophonic. If you have a stereo microphone, it will likely be said on the product and look different due to it having two diaphragms.
| Mono | Stereo |
| |
Most instruments, such as guitars, basses, and other electric instruments, are monophonic. They only have one output port (for keyboards/synthesisers, see below).
Keyboards/electric pianos and synthesisers are mostly stereophonic. They have two output connections, labelled left and right. Some synthesisers, however, are monophonic and are usually labelled, along with only having one output.
| Mono | Stereo |
Should My DAW Track Be Mono Or Stereo?
When you record a stereo input source, you need to create a stereo track in your DAW. A stereo track hard-pans the left and right inputs to the left and right outputs, creating the stereo image your sound source is providing.
*Remember with stereo channels you cannot choose which channels to sum in stereo and will need to physically connect to your interface in order (i.e. Channel 1-2, Channel 3-4, etc)
| Pro Tools | Ableton | Logic |
Just because an input source is monophonic does not necessarily mean it cannot be recorded in a stereo DAW track. Though, it is important to note that your audio will still be hard-pan if you select a stereo track. There are a few reasons you may wish to record mono input sources on a stereo channel.
- If you are recording two mono instruments, and you know ahead of time you want one hard-panned to the left of the stereo Image and the other hard-panned to the Right.
- You are using two mono microphones to create a stereo image of an acoustic instrument being recorded.
When you record a mono input source alone, it is essential to ensure you have a mono track selected in your DAW. This starts the track you are recording in the middle of the stereo image (Centred), which you can then pan left or right after you have recorded it.
| Pro Tools | Ableton | Logic |
If my input is mono, should my output be mono too?
Most DAWs don't allow you to select a mono output. Don't be alarmed, most audio is stereo. Even if all you have recorded is a mono guitar track, you will still want to bounce it (export it) as a stereo file. This plays back in the middle of your stereo image (unless you have it panned otherwise). Please note, playback is Output 1-2 and your DAW will likely default to this. In addition, mono tracks will output in stereo, equally loud on both sides unless panned otherwise.