When should I go from Mono to stereo?

I'm not sure if I understand your initial questions. You've recorded a song that consists of various tracks of audio (guitar, bass, drums, vocals, etc). Each audio clip is probably a mono waveform right? Even though it's a mono waveform, it sits on a stereo track and you might have panned some of the audio left or right, right? And you're asking when you should mix that all down to a new stereo track? Well, the correct answer would be - mix it down when you want to burn a copy to a CD to take with you somewhere. Or when you're done recording and mixing and it's time to send the CD off for mastering or replication. Maybe I'm confused about what you are asking but I think that's a the correct answer.

As far as what type of effects to use - that's very subjective. There's no right or wrong answer there. Usually, stereo effects are used to create a widening of a particular sound. But how and when you would use an effect like that depends on the song, the sound or sounds needed, your artistic vision, etc.

Maybe explain a little more what you're trying to achieve. That might help.

Yes, export the mix in stereo with the same quality you mixed at. Then... burn it to CD and listen to it on anything you can to make sure it sounds exactly the way you want it (I am talking about the stereo imaging as well as the overall quality of the mix). If it is going to be mastered then don't do anything else with the stereo mix and leave headroom (don't mix to 0db).

A few stereo tips:

Some people get the basic levels adjusted and then pan, others pan before setting the levels. If I know where I want something in the sound stage I will pan first, but usually make adjustments later. The sound stage is the space from the floor to the tops of the speakers vertically and between the outside edges horizontally. Each instrument should have its own place in the sound stage. You don't want everything in the center, but you want to balance sounds so that something panned to the right is balanced by something on the left, unless you are trying to create an off-balance mix. Also, do your panning with monitors and try to avoid doing any final mixing in headphones. Listen to the mix in mono at times while you are working on it to make sure that nothing is causing phase problems (if sounds disappear, or change dramatically in mono then there are problems) and to make sure that it will sound good in mono (it won't sound the same though).

For a strereo effect have the track set for stereo, even if the recorded audio is mono so that the track outputs stereo, or send the track to a stereo buss. Some mono plugins will crash, or act weird if they are used on a stereo track, as will some stereo plugins on a mono track.

ORIGINAL: Tangomann

...good advice Autist.

Thanks!