This article will explore Monophonic versus Stereo and Monophonic versus Polyphonic. Two very different concepts, but both very important concepts with which everyone needs to get to grips. The reason I’m going to explain them both in one article is because they have similar terminology (they both share the term “Monophonic”). This can lead to some confusion. This is also a good opportunity to discuss the Effects devices and go over the suggested audio routing options for each.
When I originally put together my Reason wishlist and posted it here on my blog, I made the fatal mistake of saying that I wanted the Matrix to be “Stereo.” I actually meant to say I wanted the matrix to be “Polyphonic.” Oh gasp! I know. The horror. So just in case anyone else is confused by these terms, let’s see if we can set the record straight.
First, there are two concepts:
- Monophonic versus Stereophonic: This refers to channels in an audio system. Monophonic is 1 channel (or any single-channel system). Stereophonic is a two-channel system (left and right audio channels) which are reproduced by 2 speakers (left and right).
- Monophonic versus Polyphonic: This refers to the number of voices that a Synthesizer can play at one time. Monophonic means the synth can play a single voice (single note). Polyphonic means the synthesizer can play multiple voices (2 or more notes). In Thor, you can have 32 voice polyphony, meaning you can have 32 notes playing simultaneously. In addition, Thor has Release Polyphony and can also have 32 notes sustain after you lift your finger off the key, or after the note’s end in the sequencer (in the case of midi).
There is also the term “Monophony” which refers to the melody line of the song. It is a song which contains only a melody line without an accompanying Harmony. So strictly speaking, if you have two notes played at once, each one octave apart, the song can still be considered “Monophonic.” Confused yet? I’ll let Wikipedia explain this concept of Monophony.
A few other notes:
- In Reason, as in the real-world, CV relates to Monophonic and Polyphonic voices of a synthesizer. While Monophonic and Stereophonic channels in an audio system are audio-specific. The RPG-8 Arpeggiator and Matrix are termed “Monophonic” which means they can only control one voice of a synth at a time. If you want to create a “faux” Polyphony, you must first duplicate the RPG-8 or Matrix as well as the sound sources they are controlling, and then send the output of both these sound sources to their own audio channels; either mono or stereo, it doesn’t matter. You now have two-voice polyphony.
- The above points out also that you can have a Monophonic synth that has a Stereophonic “audio” output OR you could have a Polyphonic synth with a Monophonic “audio” output. Plus, you can take a Stereophonic signal and make it Monophonic (panning both channels to center), but if you take a polyphonic CV and make it mono (sending it to a mono synth) you will just drop all the notes beyond the first or last one (just like playing a chord on a mono synth).
Effects Devices in Reason, and Reason’s Routing Suggestions
According to the literature in Reason and Record, there are specific ways in which the Effect devices should be connected. I’m going to plagiarize for a moment and take an excerpt directly from the help file. This excerpt explains the way Monophonic and Stereophonic signals are processed by the effects devices in Reason, and shed light on those little tiny diagrams on the back of the FX devices (come on, give me a show of hands. How many of you knew those diagrams were there to begin with? And how many knew what they meant?).
So looking at the diagrams, we can see the following connections can be made by the Reason devices:
RV7000 Digital Reverb:
Mono In / Stereo Out
Stereo In / Stereo Out
Scream 4 Distortion:
Mono In / Mono Out
Dual Mono In / Dual Mono Out
BV512 Vocoder:
Mono In / Mono Out
Dual Mono In / Dual Mono Out
RV7 Digital Reverb:
Mono In / Stereo Out
Stereo In / Summed Stereo Out
DDL-1 Digital Delay:
Mono In / Stereo Out
Stereo In / Summed Stereo Out
D-11 Foldback Distortion:
Mono In / Mono Out
Dual Mono In / Dual Mono Out
ECF-42 Envelope Controlled Filter:
Mono In / Mono Out
Dual Mono In / Dual Mono Out
CF-101 Chorus/Flanger:
Mono In / Mono Out
Dual Mono In / Dual Mono Out
Mono In / Stereo Out
PH-90 Phaser:
Mono In / Mono Out
Dual Mono In / Dual Mono Out
Mono In / Stereo Out
UN-16 Unison:
Mono In / Mono Out
Dual Mono In / Dual Mono Out
Mono In / Stereo Out
COMP-01 Compressor:
Mono In / Mono Out
Dual Mono In / Dual Mono Out
PEQ-2 2-Band Parametric EQ:
Mono In / Mono Out
Dual Mono In / Dual Mono Out
MClass Equilizer:
Mono In / Mono Out
Dual Mono In / Dual Mono Out
MClass Stereo Imager:
Dual Mono In / Dual Mono Out
MClass Compressor:
Mono In / Mono Out
Dual Mono In / Dual Mono Out
MClass Maximizer:
Mono In / Mono Out
Dual Mono In / Dual Mono Out
Phew! Now that’s quite a lot of information to take in. However, when you look at it, you can pretty much break it down into a few key points which are easier to remember:
- All devices can be connected in Mono In/Mono Out except the MClass Stereo Imager (makes sense right? Because you can’t separate a mono signal or make it wider/narrower. It’s already mono, so you can’t make it more mono. You also can’t magically turn a mono signal into a true stereo signal). So forget using it for anything other than Dual Mono In/Dual Mono Out.
- Every FX device except the Delay and Reverb devices can be connected in Dual Mono In / Dual Mono Out.
- The RV7000 device is the ONLY device in Reason which is true stereo (Stereo In / Stereo Out). The RV7 and DDL-1 are the next best thing with a Stereo In / Summed Stereo Out.
- The Devices that can be used as Mono In / Stereo Out are: RV 7000, RV-7, DDL-1, CF-101, PH-90, and UN-16.
- Every device can be used as an Insert effect, however not every device should be used as a Send effect. Effects that should not be used as Sends fall under 2 categories: 1. Dynamics Processors (all MClass devices, COMP-01 and PEQ-2), and 2. Distortion Units (the Scream 4, and D-11).
This last point is not really related to the issue of Mono/Stereo, but is an important consideration when connecting devices in your tracks and is another point that shouldn’t be overlooked.
One other thing I wanted to point out. If you get a chance, you really should check out Hydlide24’s great video on different ways to create Stereo separation in Reason. There’s so much great information in this video, I thought this would be a relevant place for it. He tends to move a little fast through the video, but you can always pause and go over it a few times to follow along. Check out some of his other videos if you get a chance as well.
Hopefully this information is accurate. I’m human and prone to many mistakes. If there is an error, please help me point it out and make sure it’s accurate. I’ll ensure I get it corrected. And if you have anything to add, I welcome your advice and opinions.