Hey all--

Are there any easy and fast mono auditioning techniques for a stereo mix in X2 that you can share?

The easiest way is to hit the stereo/mono button on the master bus. It's the little circle (mono) or double circle (stereo) icon. A more accurate way is to use your interfaces mono output or wire one speaker as a true mono output of your stereo output.

Yep the mixcube is a popular choice for those that check mixes in mono.

Setup a buss named MONO and route it to your main soundcard outputs (not to a Master buss).
In the inspector, switch the interleave button to mono and reduce the input gain by around 6dB to
counter the increase in volume when when you switch a stereo signal to mono.
For now mute this buss.
 
Insert a send on your master buss and route it to your new MONO buss, remembering to switch it to pre-fade.
Now whenever you want to check your mix in mono simply mute the Master buss and un-mute the MONO buss.
 
Hope this helps.

I highly recommend getting an "Auratone" or "Auratone clone" for mono monitoring.
 
I use an auxiliary bus on my mixer routed to an "Auratone clone" for checking my mixes in mono.  It has improved my mixes noticeably.
 
In the absence of this, ave you tried channel tools?  Just a thought.
 
 
edited to add a space

chilldanny
Setup a buss named MONO and route it to your main soundcard outputs (not to a Master buss).
In the inspector, switch the interleave button to mono and reduce the input gain by around 6dB to
counter the increase in volume when when you switch a stereo signal to mono.
For now mute this buss.
 
Insert a send on your master buss and route it to your new MONO buss, remembering to switch it to pre-fade.
Now whenever you want to check your mix in mono simply mute the Master buss and un-mute the MONO buss.
 
Hope this helps.

Hey All--
 
Great input, thanks! I am looking for an Autatone clone--basically they're too expensive for my budget even if they were still in production.
 
My main purpose for mono is for phase cancellation and comb filtering effects--so this routing will do the job nicely.
 
Thanks all!

I always start mixing in mono, i.e., with the panpots centered. Once I've used EQ and level to carve out each instrument's sonic space, so none of them "step on" each other and there's a sense of space, then I start thinking about stereo placement. If the sound is open in mono, it will be even more open and distinct in stereo.
 
Of course after the mix is in the finishing stages I also check for mono compatibility. But most of the time, it's not an issue if the mix worked originally before moving to stereo.

@razor - behringer do a couple that are reasonably priced - I've used the C50, which is kind of a clone-of- the-avatone-clone-of-the-Auratone(?).
 
And cheap too, if you shop around.  I know what you mean about budget, but it was money well spent, IMO.

jb101
@razor - behringer do a couple that are reasonably priced - I've used the C50, which is kind of a clone-of- the-avatone-clone-of-the-Auratone(?).
 
And cheap too, if you shop around.  I know what you mean about budget, but it was money well spent, IMO.

I worked at Guitar Center for a while when I was between jobs and learned a bit about Behringer products. Let's just say I'm not a fan. However, the purpose of the smaller mono speaker is to reference your tracks on, small mono (and sometimes cheap) speakers, so I'll look into it.
 
Thanks!

Fair point. I'm no huge fan myself, either, but I think they have improved a lot recently. I liked the C50a, though, and it seemed very well made. I've also recently used an X32 desk and was impressed.