PHASING ISSUES

[richsorr]

hey, i recently posted a song i recorded and someone mentioned that when its in Mono i have phasing issues and the guitar pretty much dissappears. how can i fix that problem? i usually do a wide stereo mix

[Mr T]

You can:
1/ Consider that you don't care how your mix translate in mono (in my opinion, people still listening to mono don't give a damn about music and sound quality... and price isn't a good excuse...).
2/ Reduce the stereo image (pan) of the instruments causing troubles.

In the future, if your mixing console offers that option, you should, from time to time, monitor in mono.

[where02190]

I'm guessing you either
A: run through some sort of stereo processor to achieve the stereo guitar or
B: double mic

In neither case, since the guitar dissapears in mono, one track is 180 degrees out of phase with the other, essentially cancelling themselves out when summed to mono. Look at both tracks, and invert (using the invert plugin or a phase invert on a plugin like a digi eq you may already ahve on the track) the one that is out of phase (starting from zero the waveform goes down then up). You no whave tow trakc s that are phase coherant, and will trnaslate to mono perfectly.

[DJ Insomaniac]

try making something go out of phase 180 degrees, see what causes it, then don't do it again.

but seriously, try the processor and/or the phase invert. it's crazy what a thing like that can do to music.

[richsorr]

thanks, btw...i dont double mic..i triple mic

[where02190]

Whatever you're doing, you are obviously not paying any attention to phase. I suggest you download the free pluggo peakme, whcih contains along with a very nice peak/rms meter, an excellent phase scope and mono/stereo switching. Put it on your master fader, learn to use it, and learn how phase and ploarity affect your audio quality.

Until then, I'd suggest you go back to basics...one mic, until you better undertsand what happens with multiple mics on a single source. Once learned and understood, your music, and the process of recording it, will be greatly enhanced.

[richsorr]

this is the first time i have had this problem..heres what i did for the guitars. I took 2 cabs andhad them facing eachother about 2 feet apart. I miked each cab with a sm57 and had a condenser mic in the center of the two amps. i recorded all the guitar tracks this way. the clean track has no issues. i recorded the first guitarists parts and all of his tracks are panned hard left. then i did the other guitarists parts, all his tracks are panned hard right. the right side is the only part that has the issue, same amps, same mics, same mic placement (mics werent even moved) just a different guitar and player.

[where02190]

mute all but one of the guitar tracks in question, listening in mono. add each guitar track one at a time until the issue occurs. Invert that track.

With the cabinets facing eachother, unless they are quite a distance apart, the close mics are going to pick up the oposing cabinet from teh back side of the mic, giving ou phasing issues, and the mic in the middle of the cabinets will, unless it is an omni mic, getting one of the cabs reverse phase.

I highly suggest you rethink your micing techniques.

[richsorr]

i did that and found the track, thanks for your help. much appreciated