aeon wrote:code green wrote:but half a stereo image ≠ mono...
No, not always, but depending on the nature of the stereo image, it might. It's likely never the case for stereo mixes of a track, but if we are talking a synth sound, it might work just fine.
cheers,
Ian
Certainly true and thanks Ian for making my quick answer more accurate and complete...I was speaking less to either channel being deficient without the other than I was to them being not quite the same, so one might well find oneself in the position of having to choose--which of course is fine. Was also thinking of rompler patches (especially with traditional keyboard instruments) where L is the low end of the keyboard and R the high.
quoth tallow:
If it's confusing, you're doing it wrong. You have two ears and time, so why not record the pad track in mono, then record it in stereo with whatever wacky LFO to Pan assignment you want and then make a decision. There are no right and wrong answers, only what sounds good. Just make sure to sum it to mono to see if you have phase cancellation.
+100000...technical considerations aside, there is surely no right or wrong or wrong answer here and this kind of sonic experimentation is a big part of the fun. generally i find that the fewer stereo pairs in a mix, the better, but there are times, too, when a good synth stereo spread simply makes the track. all ears and taste at that point.