Left handed vs Right handed mixes

[TheMiltonian]

Has anyone else ever noticed that mixing engineers prioritize effects in the right channel over the left?

Can anyone point me to recording that they feel was mixed “left heavy”.

It’s possible that I have some minor differences in hearing between my ears, but this is a question I’ve had since I was near-field listening to my JVC component boom box in junior high school

 

[~dave~~wave~]

Has anyone else ever noticed that mixing engineers prioritize effects in the right channel over the left?

Can anyone point me to recording that they feel was mixed “left heavy”.

It’s possible that I have some minor differences in hearing between my ears, but this is a question I’ve had since I was near-field listening to my JVC component boom box in junior high school

I've noticed this, seemingly in a streaky fashion, where it pops into my attention multiple times, then I forget about it.

Now that you've mentioned it, I'll try to notice.

Stereo mixes fair game as well, then?

 

[TheMiltonian]

Stereo mixes fair game as well, then?

Absolutely, it’s where I believe first noticed it, and I’m certain that other than the most aggressive mixes, it’ll be the same with quad/surround/immersive

 

[par4ken]

Time for equipment manufactures to start including a stereo reverse switch again? A lot of early stereo's had such a switch!

 

[LuvMyQuad]

Sometimes its so noticeable that I have to check for output from the left surround speaker.

 

[~dave~~wave~]

Time for equipment manufactures to start including a stereo reverse switch again? A lot of early stereo's had such a switch!

I remember those, had forgotten all about it.
Never understood the point at the time, still don't?

 

[par4ken]

I remember those, had forgotten all about it.
Never understood the point at the time, still don't?

It was very important to classical music fans who demanded that the instruments image in the right position, I guess that sometimes they could be reversed in a recording. I always thought that switch was rather cool, mono, stereo, reverse.
I have never noticed one channel being more dominant than the other in mixes. Being "right eared" a left dominant recording might sound just right, properly balanced?

 

[Bill B]

I've noticed a right bias in stereo recordings more than I have in multi-channel. I've always assumed it's because vocals are often more right oriented which would make us perceive it that way. Often vocals in MC recordings are more center oriented.

 

[Doug G.]

Doors "Moonlight Drive"

 

[jimfisheye]

The title reads like a rewording of "Left brain vs right brain mixes" to me. Thought this was going to be a very different discussion!

 

[Soundfield]

I remember those, had forgotten all about it.
Never understood the point at the time, still don't?

The “reverse” switch was only exceeded in complete uselessness by the “direction” control that Sansui fitted to its quad receivers. It allowed the user to rotate the speaker orientation in 90 degree steps-

I would imagine that every owner would have used that control exactly once - to find out what it did, whereupon thinking “oh, that’s interesting” never to ever touch it again.

 

[HomerJAU]

Was this thread started on 1st April?

 

[audiomaster]

I've noticed a right bias in stereo recordings more than I have in multi-channel. I've always assumed it's because vocals are often more right oriented which would make us perceive it that way. Often vocals in MC recordings are more center oriented.

Maybe it's because the master level slider is usually on the right and they lean into it!
Now when do we get left-handed mixing boards?

 

[par4ken]

The “reverse” switch was only exceeded in complete uselessness by the “direction” control that Sansui fitted to its quad receivers. It allowed the user to rotate the speaker orientation in 90 degree steps-

View attachment 77655

I would imagine that every owner would have used that control exactly once - to find out what it did, whereupon thinking “oh, that’s interesting” never to ever touch it again.

Years ago I started a thread on this very subject but didn't get many responses. I think that switch is rather cool, even if ultimately not all that useful. I can only imagine that the thinking was that the quad setup would be in a relatively square room with the speakers in each corner. If you decided to sit on one side on the other, or facing backwards it would be desirable to rotate the speaker positions around!

 

[LuvMyQuad]

Years ago I started a thread on this very subject but didn't get many responses. I think that switch is rather cool, even if ultimately not all that useful. I can only imagine that the thinking was that the quad setup would be in a relatively square room with the speakers in each corner. If you decided to sit on one side on the other, or facing backwards it would be desirable to rotate the speaker positions around!

That actually makes sense.

 

[Stephen W Tayler]

I've never really noticed anything about this. Not sure what is meant by Right or Left handed with regards to sound.

When I started working in audio I always tried to make stereo mixes more like a wide mono!!

I think if ever a sound is split with a tiny delay, then it is quite often split with the original on the left and the delay on the right. I think it has something to do with how we read left to right. But often this concept is reversed.

I haven't noticed how things might be heavy left or right...

Interesting topic!

 

[par4ken]

I've never really noticed anything about this. Not sure what is meant by Right or Left handed with regards to sound.

When I started working in audio I always tried to make stereo mixes more like a wide mono!!

I think if ever a sound is split with a tiny delay, then it is quite often split with the original on the left and the delay on the right. I think it has something to do with how we read left to right. But often this concept is reversed.

I haven't noticed how things might be heavy left or right...

Interesting topic!

I agree that this is a very interesting topic. I'm still not sure if it was started as (as has been suggested) an April fools joke. Just as people are right or left handed and even right or left footed could we also be left or right eared. Is that even a thing? When I think about it I believe that people are or could be left or right eared. Myself I think that I pay more attention and give more notice to things going on my right side than on my left.

I've never noticed mixes being heavily left or right oriented though. If vocals image toward one side or another it can usually be fixed by tweaking the balance control. I wouldn't imagine vocals internationally being mixed off centre. The last time that I was hearing that off centre effect I found out that one of the speakers in my multi driver tower was blown.

 

[jimfisheye]

Just as people are right or left handed and even right or left footed could we also be left or right eared. Is that even a thing?

Sure. And different hearing between sides just like many people have different vision in one eye vs the other. People with even only mild vision problems will get correction. We're visual creatures and we need to read things. People with mild to serious compromised hearing don't. I suspect this is why some of the crude mixes and shrill volume war drek is ever accepted. Put some artwork in front of someone visually compromised without their glasses and they'll wonder what the heck you're going on about talking about subtle details, shades, and textures. Then they see a stickman drawing... "Oh, I can make that out! It's a stickman! Cool. Not sure what that other bunch of nothing you were just trying to show me was."

Vocals sitting fully in one side of a stereo mix was a thing in the '70s. The overall energy was still usually balanced side to side even with that. I'm pretty sure vinyl cutting would tend to want to be balanced for best results? Tape relies on alignment. As soon as that starts to stray, there goes the channel balance. Some of the analog rips of old quad are prone to channel volume offsets from a skewed transfer. There is usually a similar rms and crest factor to the waves across channels even with intentional surprises in the mix in professionally mastered program and you can spot this. It's still strictly ambiguous if you don't have the master in your hands but you can usually spot level offsets.

 

[ssully]

First, make sure your channel levels are balanced.

 

[ar surround]

The “reverse” switch was only exceeded in complete uselessness by the “direction” control that Sansui fitted to its quad receivers. It allowed the user to rotate the speaker orientation in 90 degree steps-

View attachment 77655

I would imagine that every owner would have used that control exactly once - to find out what it did, whereupon thinking “oh, that’s interesting” never to ever touch it again.

Perhaps the Sansui people were clairvoyant and anticipated the release of the Ten Years After A Space In Time DVD (among others) with the front and back channels reversed.

And yes, I have noticed that there are certain early stereo recordings where one channel seems prioritized over the other. I suspect that it is due to lazy mixing or perhaps the engineer was not given enough studio time to do a proper job. Then there is the original mix of Rubber Soul with a blank space in the middle so big that one could sail an aircraft carrier through it.