New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Beatles Mono vs. Stereo
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Welcome to the Graham Slee Audio Products Owners Forum

 

Open to all owners plus those contemplating the purchase of a Graham Slee HiFi System Components audio product and wishing to use this forum's loaner program: join here (Rules on posting can be found here)

This website along with trade marks Graham Slee and HiFi System Components are owned by Cadman Enterprises Ltd

Beatles Mono vs. Stereo
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <123>
Author
  Topic Search Topic Search  Topic Options Topic Options
AlienRendel View Drop Down
New Member
New Member
Avatar

Joined: 06 Nov 2020
Location: Chicago, IL
Status: Offline
Points: 28 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AlienRendel Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Dec 2021 at 2:35pm
I've got the mono vinyl box from 2014 and a full set (blue box +) of UK stereo pressings (plus the German MMT). After growing up on the U.S. stereo albums, I feel grateful to have both the stereo and mono mixes now.

Edited by AlienRendel - 20 Dec 2021 at 4:46pm
Ortophon 2M Blue cartridge> Music Hall mmf-2.2le > Graham Slee V Era Gold (w/mono switch)> Kenwood AR-A5080> Paradigm Titan speakers
Back to Top
patientot View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 28 Nov 2018
Location: USA
Status: Offline
Points: 1524 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote patientot Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Dec 2021 at 4:26pm
I enjoy both stereo and mono mixes from the band. No comment on latter day remixes by Giles Martin as I haven't heard them and they are just not a priority for me to buy.

As others have said all over the place, in many cases the mono mixes of the Beatles 60s work sounds more cohesive because the stereo mixes are primitive and hard-panned. On headphones, some of the stereo mixes are almost unlistenable to me. I can really only enjoy them on speakers.

FWIW I think the EMI/UMG should cut the nonsense and keep the original stereo and mono mixes in print on all formats.
SL-1200 MK7 (modified) + Reflex M + PSU-1 used with AT150-40ML, AT VM95ML, Stanton 680mkII + Ogura, and Shure M35X cartridges.
Back to Top
schumanesq View Drop Down
New Member
New Member
Avatar

Joined: 22 Feb 2022
Location: Westminster, CO
Status: Offline
Points: 40 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote schumanesq Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Feb 2022 at 2:20pm
I grew up with mono until the late 50's, when stereo made its first serious appearance.  Generally, I agree that a good stereo recording sounds REALLY good and would trump most mono recordings.  Of course the rock based stereo records that we listened to early on were pretty awful sounding - due mostly to the mentality of just needing to release something in stereo.  Alot of it was gimicky, with panning left to right, etc.  My thought was always to seek out the stereo recordings regardless, as that was what represented the latest in audio technology at the time.  Yes, I was also into quad for some time!  It wasn't until years later that I found audiophile level mono recordings and marveled at what a great quality mono recording could really sound like.

As far as Beatles recording goes, the early Beatles stereo recordings again was pretty bad.  Totally limiting one track from the other - with no leakage between, can hardly be considered to be "natural".  We don't hear a live performance that way.  We hear the entirety of what is being played, along with the ambiance of the venue, be it an arena, a concert hall, or a recording studio.  Mono recording CAN capture that in great part, because the emphasis on the recording is capturing the whole of the sound and does not attempt to capture each instrument or voice, by itself.  Stereo recordins use a mulitude of microphones specifically aimed at individual sources and then mixed together dependent upon the expertise of the mixer's expertise.  Mono recordings typically use a much more modest number of mics, and again geared to capturing the sound in the room - with some localization (of course) of the central performer.

I have not heard the Beatles in Mono LP set, but am planning on securing the Mono Masters album soon.  It will be interesting to hear what those tunes sound like from a "quality" mono mastering, on modern equipment and better quality vinyl.   
Steve Schuman
Back to Top
schumanesq View Drop Down
New Member
New Member
Avatar

Joined: 22 Feb 2022
Location: Westminster, CO
Status: Offline
Points: 40 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote schumanesq Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Feb 2022 at 2:40pm
By the way, I do have the Abbey Road and Revolver LPs in Stereo and quite frankly, they sound pretty bad.  I hear a lot of compression and weak bass.  Now these are not the original pressings, so not the greatest quality to begin with and my suspicion is that better quality pressings would enhance the quality considerably.
Steve Schuman
Back to Top
AlienRendel View Drop Down
New Member
New Member
Avatar

Joined: 06 Nov 2020
Location: Chicago, IL
Status: Offline
Points: 28 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AlienRendel Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Feb 2022 at 3:08pm
The Beatles mono box from a few years back was very nicely done, in terms of mastering and pressing quality.  The quality of the mono mixes varies from album to album.
Ortophon 2M Blue cartridge> Music Hall mmf-2.2le > Graham Slee V Era Gold (w/mono switch)> Kenwood AR-A5080> Paradigm Titan speakers
Back to Top
schumanesq View Drop Down
New Member
New Member
Avatar

Joined: 22 Feb 2022
Location: Westminster, CO
Status: Offline
Points: 40 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote schumanesq Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Feb 2022 at 3:23pm
Yes, that is what I have heard as well.  
Steve Schuman
Back to Top
fluddite View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 09 Jun 2013
Location: The Soft South
Status: Offline
Points: 416 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote fluddite Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Feb 2022 at 3:39pm
Originally posted by schumanesq schumanesq wrote:

I grew up with mono until the late 50's, when stereo made its first serious appearance.  Generally, I agree that a good stereo recording sounds REALLY good and would trump most mono recordings.  Of course the rock based stereo records that we listened to early on were pretty awful sounding - due mostly to the mentality of just needing to release something in stereo.  Alot of it was gimicky, with panning left to right, etc.  My thought was always to seek out the stereo recordings regardless, as that was what represented the latest in audio technology at the time.  Yes, I was also into quad for some time!  It wasn't until years later that I found audiophile level mono recordings and marveled at what a great quality mono recording could really sound like.

As far as Beatles recording goes, the early Beatles stereo recordings again was pretty bad.  Totally limiting one track from the other - with no leakage between, can hardly be considered to be "natural".  We don't hear a live performance that way.  We hear the entirety of what is being played, along with the ambiance of the venue, be it an arena, a concert hall, or a recording studio.  Mono recording CAN capture that in great part, because the emphasis on the recording is capturing the whole of the sound and does not attempt to capture each instrument or voice, by itself.  Stereo recordins use a mulitude of microphones specifically aimed at individual sources and then mixed together dependent upon the expertise of the mixer's expertise.  Mono recordings typically use a much more modest number of mics, and again geared to capturing the sound in the room - with some localization (of course) of the central performer.

I have not heard the Beatles in Mono LP set, but am planning on securing the Mono Masters album soon.  It will be interesting to hear what those tunes sound like from a "quality" mono mastering, on modern equipment and better quality vinyl.   

Agree with Steve on all of this - except the Quad! Wink  

Of course, the "mono" ambience thing gets (much) more complicated from Rubber Soul onwards, as increased multitracking/bouncing/idiosyncratic miking come into play - a tension played out (to my ears) over their last Mono LP release, The Beatles (e.g. Yer Blues vs Revolution 9), leading to the final dichotomy of the "back-to-basics" Get Back project (“OK, let’s track it… You bounder, you cheat!” - J. Lennon, 31st January 1969) and the stereo-only Abbey Road. Hence the need for "the mixer's expertise" - where George Martin, the four Beatles (especially Lennon and McCartney) and the Abbey Road engineers were peerlessly innovative in mixing all these elements to mono, while only the on-duty engineers oversaw the stereo mix - presumably using the already-completed mono mix as the reference/starting-point. AFAIK, The only dedicated stereo mix overseen (and subsequently released) by the four Beatles and "Uncle George" remains Abbey Road...
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <123>
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.01
Copyright ©2001-2018 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.125 seconds.