Mono check: before → after
A short listening workflow for when stereo sounds huge and mono sounds thin. Use it on buses, not every track.
Download PHIXER free Why this happens
What you’re listening for
Before (stereo): wide synths, layered bass, or a “big” bus that feels full in headphones.
Before (mono): low end softens, punch disappears, or the center feels hollow — classic L/R phase fight.
After (mono with phase repair): more of that low-end energy survives the collapse. Stereo still sounds intentional, not flattened.
PHIXER does frequency-aware phase rotation. It is not a polarity flip button and not a mic time-aligner. If your problem is “kick mic late vs overhead,” use delay matching. If your problem is “this stereo layer dies in mono,” phase rotation is the right family of tools.
The workflow (5 minutes)
1. Isolate the suspect
Solo the stereo bus or clip that collapses. Mute fancy parallel chains so you’re hearing the source of the fight.
2. Flip to mono on the master (or a utility)
Note what disappears: sub, body, attack. Write one word: “sub,” “body,” or “punch.” That becomes your success check.
3. Insert PHIXER on the stereo source
Keep mono engaged. Sweep / adjust until the thing you named comes back without making stereo sound weird. Small moves win.
4. A/B stereo ↔ mono
Stereo should still feel wide. Mono should keep more of the low end you recovered. If stereo got dull, back off.
5. Context check in the full mix
Unsolo. Confirm the bus still sits with kick/bass. Phase repair that helps solo but fights the kick is a no.
When to stop and switch tools
- Clear timing offset between mics or DI+cab → time-align first (compare).
- One channel is simply inverted → try polarity, then reassess.
- Arrangement is the problem (too many competing subs) → edit/balance before more processing.
Quick FAQ
- Do I need it on every track? No — buses and wide layers that fail mono.
- Will it “fix” a bad arrangement? No. It recovers energy lost to cancellation.
- Formats? Free VST3/CLAP/AU on Win/Mac/Linux.