This Trick Makes Your Mix Sound Wider (& Can Ruin It)

You're stuck with a sparse recording. There's only 3 tracks, everything is mono, and nothing is double tracked. What are your options for gaining width and dimensionality in the mix? If you know about this trick, you reach for the Haas effect. It can take you less than a minute to set up, but you have to watch out for two major mono compatibility issues. These are phase cancellation and comb filtering. The method to fixing these are equally simple, but if you don't know about it, your mix may sound good in stereo and in headphones, but as soon as you hear it in speakers everything sounds thin and tinny.