Monaural
Monaural (often shortened to
mono) sound reproduction is single-channel. Typically there is only one
microphone, one
loudspeaker, or, in the case of
headphones or multiple loudspeakers, they are fed from a common
signal path, and in the case of multiple microphones, mixed into a single signal path at some stage.
Monaural sound has been replaced by
stereo sound in most entertainment applications. However, it remains the standard for:
*
Radiotelephone communications.
*
Telephone networks.
*
Induction loops for use with
hearing aids.
While some experiments were made with stereophonic recording and reproduction from the early days of the
phonograph in the late
19th century, until the second half of the
20th century monaural was the rule for almost all
audio recording.
Monaural sound is normal on such historic media as:
*
Phonograph cylinders
* Early
disc records, like 78
rpm and 45 rpm microgroove.
Compatible monaural and stereophonic standards exist for:
*
33 1/3 RPM records
*
Reel-to-reel audio tape recording*
MiniDisc*
Compact disc*Most
VCR formats
*
FM and
AM radio broadcastingAlthough there are some common practices between manufacturers, no monaural standard exists for:
*
8-track cartridge (obsolete)
*
Compact audio cassetteWoody Allen and
Stanley Kubrick both shot in mono because of personal preferences. Kubrick's only stereo film was
2001: A Space Odyssey, which used 6-track stereo, and although advertised as being shown in
Cinerama, was actually shot in
Ultra Panavision.
*
Binaural recording
