How to… have a stereo gameplan

Many modern sound sources – stereo synths, uber-wide drum samples from commercial packs etc – are often over-widened to impress us. Using these kinds of sounds can lead to a mix that sounds weak and unfocused when summed to mono. So have a stereo gameplan from the beginning. Once you have a few sounds working together, check the mix’s collective mono compatibility, and identify phase problems at an early stage. At this point, you can rein in the width of any troublesome sounds; or completely sum them to mono, then add back your own custom width with panning and processing.