The third part of this subject is based on stereo. Historically, the stereo recording has been invented in the 40s and I’ve been relatively rapidly applied to the music in the 50s. We probably all remember crazy recordings from the beatles (or whoever else of that time) in which the vocals are on a side and the rest of the band is on the other. Without falling into those extremistic approach, it is important to find an appropriate stereo balance that fits the song.
MONO VS STEREO
First, it is important to understand that it is not everything that has to be stereo wide. If stereo is atmospheric, don’t forget that mono is punchy. If you listen to hip hop/rap records, you will notice that most of the record is mono. It is simply because they want it to punch to its maximum. Something too wide will usually sound too soft or not enough focused. That’s why it is important to find a balance between those two extremes.
MONO LOWS and WIDE HIGHS LAW
Well, it is not a law. Let’s say that it is a very strong tendancy that consists to “mono” (yes, “to mono” as a verb!) the low frequency and wide the high frequencies. The way you make the transition between, if linearly or exponentially, is a question of taste, but that’s a good start. Let’s say that human hears like high frequencies to be wide spread and bass to be focused and loud. For the rest, it is yours to experiment and decide what fit most your music genre.