Lost in the wilds of lo/mid-fi -- your thoughts please.

[Scodiddly]

This is where we get into the weeds of discussing arranging. I'm actually rather over-sensitive to recordings where there are "extra" things, like a keyboard part that isn't really needed and gets in the way of needed things. I've even got records that I don't listen to just for that reason!

[The Scum]

Hey, has anybody mentioned mixing (or at least monitoring) in mono? I've noticed that it's harder to get everything in a good balance when listening in stereo. Get a good mono mix going and stereo is icing on the cake.

I went through a big mono phase about 20 years ago...lots of trashy garage rock where it's part of the aesthetic.

I thought stereo was a bit bourgeois...unnecessary. Eventually stumbled onto Everest's New Stereo Sound Book, and it was very revealing - good stereo work is pretty careful and scientific, not just arbitrarily spinning the panpots...

If you've got the foresight and discipline, it's fun to listen in mono but mix in stereo. Get the mix working in mono, but with pan positions where you think they should be, then pop the switch back to stereo. Sometimes the stereo mix will be working pretty well at that point.