Mono compatibility is how well a stereo mix still sounds when its left and right channels are added together into one, as they are on a phone speaker, many Bluetooth speakers and some PA systems.
Check how much your stereo mix loses in mono.
Also used in: Track Ready Checker
When the two channels are summed, anything that is out of phase between them cancels out. Wide stereo effects, some reverbs and doubled parts panned hard left and right can get much quieter or disappear altogether.
Many people hear music and podcasts on one small speaker, so a mix that only works in stereo can lose its lead synth, its backing vocals or, in a podcast, a guest recorded with a stereo mic.
A producer widens the chorus vocals with a stereo-widener plug-in. On headphones they sound huge; on a phone speaker the chorus suddenly sounds thinner than the verse because the widened layer cancels in mono.
Checking the mix in mono shows a large drop on that section, so the producer narrows the effect until the chorus holds up on both.
Promote it with Spotlight
Audio ready? Spotlight turns the episode or the release into posts for every platform.
Spotlight, CAPTD's workspace for promoting your work, is part of CAPTD's paid plans — see pricing.
Open SpotlightRelated terms