Recording vocals in stereo or mono

[djmichael.london]

Is one better than the other or is it just user and artist preference?

[flommer]

Unless your source is moving around in a way you want to capture, stereo sounds like a waste to me.

Now using 2 different mics (to blend), or a close and a distant mic or something like that could be useful, but I wouldn't call it "stereo"..

Curious to see what others say...

[Ziko]

If you're recording a single vocalist using a single mono mic (almost all mics are mono), record the vox to a mono track.

If you're interested in maybe putting up a second mic in front of the vocalist as flommer suggests, maybe one further away to pick up room sound, record that to a separate track. Then you can blend the two together with both still panned central, alowing you to decide on a combination of the two sounds (watch for phasing though).

If you're recording a group of singers and are putting up two mics (of the same make and model preferably) to capture a stereo image (similar to doing drum overheads), then record to a stereo track. Some people prefer even then to record each mic to a separate mono track and then just pan one left and one right to bring out the stereoness (that's surely not a word?).

[flommer]

stereocity...

lol

[Ziko]

Come on flommer, we're trying to be sterious here....

[Craig F]

if everything is recored in stereo then all you have is big mono

[edyer]

Originally Posted by Craig F

if everything is recored in stereo then all you have is big mono

I don't know that I would agree with that.

If you record a guitar cabinet in stereo,depending on the mic placement and spread used on the l/R panning you can get it wider than say the drums which you also recorded in stereo but maybe panned to 10 and 2 .

So if the vocal mics he uses are at 10 and 2 in the mix and the drums are all the way out left and right and the guitar is at say all left and then partially left....... bass in the middle? Maybe not if you want to put it somewhere else.

See where I'm going?

Stereo vocals can be fantastic if that's what you want to hear.

[Craig F]

most people (that I have seen) that record everything stereo pan everything out the same (10-2 or 9-3)
and think that it's stereo so it has to be wide and the same

[albee1952]

Originally Posted by Craig F

most people (that I have seen) that record everything stereo pan everything out the same (10-2 or 9-3)
and think that it's stereo so it has to be wide and the same

Thats a "rule" I break on most mixes. True enough that panning everything the same is essentially multi-mono and using different panning does spread things around. Consider the sound source to help with your choices here. A mono source such as a vocal or bass drum may be better served by staying a mono signal. Give a mono signal some "space" or "depth" by adding a little stereo effect like a room verb. Also remember that often a mono signal can sound more forward and present in a mix.

[sunburst79]

Never actually tried myself but search for info on MS (Mid-Side?) miking techniques.