Please consider registering
Guest
sp_LogInOut Log Insp_Registration Register
Register | Lost password?
Advanced Search
Forum Scope


Match



Forum Options



Minimum search word length is 3 characters - maximum search word length is 84 characters
sp_Feed sp_TopicIcon
Why Mono?
4 August 2016
1.09am
Avatar
Mademoiselle Kitty >^..^<
the Netherlands
Candlestick Park
Members
Forum Posts: 1435
Member Since:
27 March 2015
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

You mean like 1+, @Ron Nasty? I have, and they’re incredible.

 

Edit: you probably don’t. Anyway, I’m sure they are! 

Formerly Known As JPM-Fangirl --Paul-Badge.png 2016

'Out There' - 07-06-2015 - Ziggo Dome Amsterdam -- 'One On One' - 12-06-2016 - Pinkpop Festival Landgraaf

7 August 2016
3.53pm
Avatar
Bongo
Somewhere In Time
Candlestick Park
Members
Forum Posts: 1918
Member Since:
28 March 2014
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Ron Nasty said
You should hear the 2014 analogue mono remasters, @Mademoiselle Kitty >^..^<.

They are a total revelation. They put the 2009 mono and stereo remasters to shame.  

Just wait until they release the AAA Stereo LPs….george-martin

  Screen-Shot-2022-10-04-at-7.52.07-PM.png   BEATLES Music gives me Eargasms!  apple01

15 August 2016
2.57pm
Avatar
Expert Textpert
In bed.
Apple rooftop
Members
Forum Posts: 5015
Member Since:
18 April 2013
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Why mono? Why not?

The following people thank Expert Textpert for this post:

Oudis

"If you're ever in the shit, grab my tit.” —Paul McCartney 

16 August 2016
12.14am
Avatar
ewe2
Inside the beat
Rishikesh
Members
Forum Posts: 3032
Member Since:
8 January 2015
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

I love the drive of the mono recordings and the clarity of the stereo recordings where possible. I have @Beatlebug ‘s problem, its very hard as a fan and a musician to not separate the components when listening, and mono helps overcome that at times. It doesn’t help when they play pranks like the mix of Maxwell’s Silver Hammer , deliberately echoing the early stereo mixes (in my opinion)!

It’s generally accepted that a good mono mix almost always leads to a good stereo mix but not vice versa and many engineers prefer to mix mono first before stereo. Apart from that, mono is still in a lot of use, eg small radios, clubs, FM radio defaults to mono in bad conditions. When you mix in mono you’re working on the levels and the frequency range of the parts, with stereo you have the extra panning. The trouble with stereo is that it can give you a false sense of these things if you depend on panning too much, and if you convert from stereo back to mono, it will sound worse. So, that’s why mono is still very important in recording technology. It’s why those mixes are terrific.

The following people thank ewe2 for this post:

Beatlebug, Ahhh Girl

I'm like Necko only I'm a bassist ukulele guitar synthesizer kazoo penguin and also everyone. Or is everyone me? Now I'm a confused bassist ukulele guitar synthesizer kazoo penguin everyone who is definitely not @Joe.  This has been true for 2016 & 2017 Sig-Badge.png but I may have to get more specific in the future.

aus-flag-v-small.png

16 August 2016
9.17am
Avatar
Beatlebug
Find me where ye echo lays
Moderator

Moderators
Forum Posts: 18228
Member Since:
15 February 2015
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

@Expert Textpert queried 
Why mono? Why not? 

Don’t you mean… 

YNOT?!Image Enlarger
?

ahdn_ringo_09

The following people thank Beatlebug for this post:

William Shears Campbell, Little Piggy Dragonguy

([{BRACKETS!}])
New to Forumpool? You can introduce yourself here.
If you love The Beatles Bible, and you have adblock, don't forget to white-list this site!
whiteheart.png
avatar_creative_signature_Hmm.pngStarSpangledBanner.png

16 August 2016
10.45am
Avatar
Expert Textpert
In bed.
Apple rooftop
Members
Forum Posts: 5015
Member Since:
18 April 2013
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

No. That is the answer to the question, “Y mono?”

The following people thank Expert Textpert for this post:

Beatlebug, pepperland

"If you're ever in the shit, grab my tit.” —Paul McCartney 

19 August 2016
12.08pm
Avatar
William Shears Campbell
Somewhere In The Black Mountain Hills Of Utah
Rishikesh
Members
Forum Posts: 3629
Member Since:
14 June 2016
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

@Expert Textpert said
No. That is the answer to the question, “Y mono?”  

Image Enlarger

The following people thank William Shears Campbell for this post:

Beatlebug, Expert Textpert

Here | There | Everywhere

It's ya boi!  The one and only Billy Shears (AKA Paul's Replacement)

"Sometimes I wish I was just George Harrison" - John Lennon

 

19 August 2016
4.25pm
Avatar
Expert Textpert
In bed.
Apple rooftop
Members
Forum Posts: 5015
Member Since:
18 April 2013
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

That’s great.

"If you're ever in the shit, grab my tit.” —Paul McCartney 

23 August 2016
10.34am
Ram4
Casbah Coffee Club
Members
Forum Posts: 22
Member Since:
23 August 2016
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Mademoiselle Kitty >^..^< said
You mean like 1+, @Ron Nasty? I have, and they’re incredible.

 

Edit: you probably don’t. Anyway, I’m sure they are!   

The stereo mixes on the 2015 versions of 1 and 1+ are REMIXED, not just remastered.  This goes against what Apple said their intention was for the 2009 remasters campaign, unless they intended to first cash in on remastering the catalog and then years later finally remix the catalog where things would sound closer to the Yellow Submarine Songtrack (1999), the Anthology DVDs, or last years 1 and 1+ re-issue.  So if that is the plan, they are going to remix every album from the master multis and put them all out again.  They could have also easily given us mono and stereo on the same disc, but they wanted maximum profit.  And I can’t blame them – it’s easy money and the oldest trick in the book.  Put out the remasters first (not the remixes).  Put the stereo on their own, and a separate box for mono.  Years later they can release everything remixed and cash in again.

As to mono or stereo, I still prefer stereo, though there have been some tracks in mono that I prefer.  I have not heard the new 2014 mono vinyl, but I do not buy vinyl anymore. 

I always preferred Paperback Writer in mono.  The main guitar is far louder (Lennon’s downstroked tremeloed chords have always been kind of relegated to the back), the bass is punchier and it just rocks harder.  However, the new remix on the 2015 “1” album brings everything together.  The new remixed stereo version has all the power of the mono version that I loved with the separation and clarity of a stereo version.  There won’t always be tracks that can be remixed this way, and the earlier tracks with drums right or left may be tough to fix – but technology is catching up!

23 August 2016
10.40am
Avatar
Ahhh Girl
sailing on a winedark open sea
Moderator

Moderators

Members

Reviewers
Forum Posts: 22655
Member Since:
20 August 2013
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

^ A nice splash in to the forumpool. Welcome, @Ram4.

The following people thank Ahhh Girl for this post:

Ram4
23 August 2016
10.57am
Ram4
Casbah Coffee Club
Members
Forum Posts: 22
Member Since:
23 August 2016
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Bongo said

The Void said

I wish I hadn’t found out about this dexterisation whatnot because my curiosity is at some point going to lead me to spend even more time obsessing over tiny details! I imagine it was done because the originals sounded too primitivly recorded compared to what US studios are capable of then? 

Pretty well what Dave Dexter was thinking @ Capitol Records USA.

You can check out Capitol versions on YouTube, but the most striking dexterized songs on the top of my head right now is “She’s A Woman ” & “I Feel Fine ”.  See if you can find them on YouTube.  It’s just so much Treblier & echoey, that it’s noticeable right from the first note. Not all the dexterized versions are as prominent, but noticeable.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk38/rickdelsie/The%20Beatles/logoend_zpsc4dc7a2a.pngImage Enlarger

  

In 1986 I bought Beatles ’65.  I had been a fan around 40 years ago, but there were a few albums I had not heard.  Two of the tracks on it of course were the dexterized She’s A Woman and I Feel Fine .  I had the dexterized I Feel Fine for years as it was on 1962-1966 so I was used to the reverb and I loved it.  She’s A Woman was a track I had never heard.  For some reason, I absolutely couldn’t get enough of She’s A Woman – the reverbed to death stereo dexterized version.  For months it was my top played Beatles song.  I went to Beatlefest that summer (August 1986) here in Chicago and there I heard the real mix of She’s A Woman .  I thought it sucked!  It was so limp and weak with no bite at all.  And I could hear piano clearly.  What was going on?  Well eventually I realized that the US version was the fraud and had been tampered with. 

Well, as far as I can say there are two US Capitol tracks that I will always listen to over the UK versions.  One is the stereo mix of I’m Looking Through You with the false start (that always feels missed when listening to the UK version) and the other is the US stereo mix of She’s A Woman .  The mono mix of She’s A Woman is similar, but with even more reverb.

Bongo mentioned this on page 1 – I noticed a while ago on the 2014 Capitol US Albums box that the stereo mix of She’s A Woman and I Feel Fine on Beatles ’65 are incorrect – they are the UK versions.  The mono mixes are correct – reverb city.  But on my Capitol Years Volume 1 box, they are definitely correct all the way.

The following people thank Ram4 for this post:

Expert Textpert
23 August 2016
11.04am
Avatar
Expert Textpert
In bed.
Apple rooftop
Members
Forum Posts: 5015
Member Since:
18 April 2013
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Welcome, Ram4. I’m enjoying your contributions so far. Nice to see that you enjoy some of the US versions. I prefer the US Rubber Soul to the UK version.

"If you're ever in the shit, grab my tit.” —Paul McCartney 

23 August 2016
4.14pm
Ram4
Casbah Coffee Club
Members
Forum Posts: 22
Member Since:
23 August 2016
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Hi, thanks for the welcome!  Yeah, I always felt the US Rubber Soul was the one album that worked.  By taking away Drive My Car , Nowhere Man , If I Needed Someone and What Goes On and substituting I’ve Just Seen A Face and It’s Only Love , the US version has a much more acoustic feel which was nice if you wanted the laid back feel.  The UK version is still stellar although What Goes On is probably the weak track (though I do love it) and doesn’t quite fit.  Funny thing is it was the US version that Brian Wilson loved that motivated him to try and do something better – which became Pet Sounds.

25 December 2019
11.52am
Avatar
BeatOfTheBrass
The Kaiserkeller
Members
Forum Posts: 49
Member Since:
12 December 2019
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Mono through headphones, to me, sounds like air sucked out of a hole and is an instant headache.

“Wide” stereo, on the other hand, reveals so many more details (which is what REALLY makes a recording come “alive”) and is not a bothersome effect at all through a vintage (analog) system with large 3-way speakers.

The following people thank BeatOfTheBrass for this post:

The Hole Got Fixed

I will play the game Existence to the End ;)

25 December 2019
2.45pm
Avatar
The Hole Got Fixed
A Dock at Southampton
Moderator

Moderators
Forum Posts: 8410
Member Since:
27 November 2016
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

BeatOfTheBrass said
Mono through headphones, to me, sounds like air sucked out of a hole and is an instant headache.

“Wide” stereo, on the other hand, reveals so many more details (which is what REALLY makes a recording come “alive”) and is not a bothersome effect at all through a vintage (analog) system with large 3-way speakers.

  

Finally, someone said it. Couldn’t agree more, wide stereo (provided it’s not done badly) is really awesome 

#AppleHoley2024: Make America Great For The First Time
2016 awards: Username-Badge.png 2017 awards: The-Hole-Got-Fixed-2017.png 2018 awards:The-Hole-Got-Fixed-2018.png 2019 awards: Ringo-2019.png 2020 awards:The-Hole-Got-Fixed-2020.png 2021 awards:The-Hole-Got-Fixed-2021.png
aus-flag-v-small.png

25 December 2019
3.41pm
Avatar
Dark Overlord
Nowhere Land
Rishikesh
Members
Forum Posts: 4470
Member Since:
9 March 2017
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

But that’s the problem, The Beatles stereo mixes were (for the most part) poorly done. On their first 2 albums, they stereo mix is essentially the multitracks with the instruments panned to the hard left and the vocals to the hard right. Starting with I Want To Hold Your Hand , they were able to record to 4 tracks making for good stereo mixes when the 4 tracks were used properly but then comes Rubber Soul and they decide to revert to putting the instruments on the hard left and vocals on the hard right. Starting with Revolver , they alternated between centered and panned vocals depending on the song up until 1968 when they finally got an 8 track machine at Abbey Road and they could record each instrument individually.

If you're reading this, you are looking for something to do.

25 December 2019
11.32pm
Avatar
William Shears Campbell
Somewhere In The Black Mountain Hills Of Utah
Rishikesh
Members
Forum Posts: 3629
Member Since:
14 June 2016
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

This might be a bit off topic, but it does answer the question.

So recently I came up with the perfect advertisement for when and if they put the Beatles Mono box up on the steaming platforms.  It even works for advertising the box itself, but that’s 10 years old so the former is more applicable.

So Person 1 is listening to music with only one ear bud in.  Person 2 comes up to P1 and asks what he is listening to.  P1 responds to P2 saying he’s listening to the Beatles.  P2 questions him, saying, “doesn’t the Beatles music sound weird with only one earbud in?”. P1 then responds saying, “No it sounds fine because I’m listening to the Beatles in MONO!”. Then the ad goes on to talk about the Beatles in Mono being put on the streaming platform and whatnot.

So I guess with the Mono recordings you can listen with only 1 earbud without missing some of the music.

The following people thank William Shears Campbell for this post:

Dark Overlord, Dark Overlord, Dark Overlord

Here | There | Everywhere

It's ya boi!  The one and only Billy Shears (AKA Paul's Replacement)

"Sometimes I wish I was just George Harrison" - John Lennon

 

20 January 2020
9.15am
Avatar
Bongo
Somewhere In Time
Candlestick Park
Members
Forum Posts: 1918
Member Since:
28 March 2014
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Dark Overlord said
But that’s the problem, The Beatles stereo mixes were (for the most part) poorly done. On their first 2 albums, they stereo mix is essentially the multitracks with the instruments panned to the hard left and the vocals to the hard right. Starting with I Want To Hold Your Hand , they were able to record to 4 tracks making for good stereo mixes when the 4 tracks were used properly but then comes Rubber Soul and they decide to revert to putting the instruments on the hard left and vocals on the hard right. Starting with Revolver , they alternated between centered and panned vocals depending on the song up until 1968 when they finally got an 8 track machine at Abbey Road and they could record each instrument individually.

  

As long as your sitting in the “sweet spot” (perfectly between both speakers), then it doesn’t matter as it sounds great whether it’s panned hard, not panned hard or even mono.

 

Stereo still rules!

  Screen-Shot-2022-10-04-at-7.52.07-PM.png   BEATLES Music gives me Eargasms!  apple01

20 January 2020
4.46pm
Avatar
Timothy
Nutopia
Candlestick Park
Members
Forum Posts: 2214
Member Since:
14 June 2016
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

I respect the mono format in terms of The Beatles (especially for the early albums) but I’m a stereo man all the way. Just a better listening experience. 

1.The Beatles 2.Sgt. Pepper 3.Abbey Road 4.Magical Mystery Tour 5.Rubber Soul 6.Revolver 7.Help! 8.Let It Be
9.A Hard Day’s Night 10.Please Please Me 11.Beatles For Sale 12.With The Beatles 13.Yellow Submarine

Most Avid John Fan 2020 and 2021: john.png john.png

11 February 2020
7.44pm
Avatar
Expert Textpert
In bed.
Apple rooftop
Members
Forum Posts: 5015
Member Since:
18 April 2013
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

I can’t stand to listen to the early album stereo mixes of The Beatles with headphones. I don’t want to hear the voice in one ear and guitar in the other ear. They are okay played out loud.

The following people thank Expert Textpert for this post:

lovelyritametermaid, Little Piggy Dragonguy

"If you're ever in the shit, grab my tit.” —Paul McCartney 

Forum Timezone: Europe/London
Most Users Ever Online: 2057
Currently Online:
Guest(s) 202
Currently Browsing this Page:
1 Guest(s)
Top Posters:
Starr Shine?: 16105
Ron Nasty: 12534
Zig: 9827
50yearslate: 8759
Necko: 8050
AppleScruffJunior: 7585
parlance: 7111
mr. Sun king coming together: 6394
Mr. Kite: 6147
trcanberra: 6064
Member Stats:
Guest Posters: 88
Members: 2921
Moderators: 5
Admins: 1
Forum Stats:
Groups: 3
Forums: 44
Topics: 5557
Posts: 383955
Newest Members:
AbbeyRoad25, daena, mickeylovesthebeatles, theelevan, karlieflood
Moderators: Joe: 5713, meanmistermustard: 25158, Ahhh Girl: 22654, Beatlebug: 18228, The Hole Got Fixed: 8410
Administrators: Joe: 5713