Goodbay Facebook

Unfortunately, my Facebook account has been graciously tossed into the void. The reason is so ridiculous it could be performance art: I was simply replying to people who wished me a happy birthday. But their almighty "AI" decided this was a threat to the sacred integrity of their "community". Reaching a real human, of course, is impossible - their idea of "support" is as real as a unicorn sighting.

The quality of Facebook's service remains impressively low, right in line with what appears to be the competence level of whoever builds this machinery. But the corporation clearly doesn't mind. Their "community" isn't meant for creative people, or for anyone who wants to learn, think, or discover. The only thing that matters is the endless, brain-numbing scroll. One person, ten people, a hundred - irrelevant. They operate on a cosmic scale, where attention to detail has been replaced by a black hole.

What actually stings is losing the ability to talk to the few genuinely creative people who care about what I do.

Thankfully, I can still share my work and respond on YouTube, X, and Mastodon - platforms where you don't have to guess which arbitrary rule an algorithm will choke on today.

Thank you for your support!

A Year of Creative Milestones

Two of my apps - ExoSphere and NoiseSpace, have been selected as the best of the year, and I'm truly delighted by this recognition. It means a lot that both users and bloggers have rated my work so highly. I'm also grateful to see my apps standing alongside other equally remarkable creations that shaped this year.

I hope that my apps will continue to help creative people discover new horizons of inspiration, explore bold ideas, and unlock fresh dimensions of artistic expression.

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ExoSphere - Endless Ambient Drift >> ExoSphere (iOS/Mac/AUv3) is a creative tool for shaping continuous ambient and meditative compositions, based on five independent sound layers that merge into a seamless atmosphere. >> More about this app

>> A Story of ExoSphere

NoiseSpace - Noise textures and backgrounds >> NoiseSpace (iOS/Mac/AUv3) is an experimental sound generator based on simplex noise, which is then used in a granular synthesis algorithm. >> More about this app

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>> Synth Anatomy: Best iOS Synthesizer releases 2025 with AUv3 plugin support

Rediscovering Mono: Techniques, Aesthetics, and Hidden Possibilities

Introduction

In an age where stereo sound has long been the default, the idea of converting a finished stereo mix back into mono may seem like an unexpected detour into the past. Yet mono audio remains surprisingly relevant in everyday listening. Many Bluetooth speakers, smart home devices, and portable radios still reproduce sound in mono, whether by design or by physical limitation. Public spaces - from cafes to galleries to transport hubs - often rely on mono playback systems to ensure consistent coverage across a room. And from a technical standpoint, a well-crafted stereo mix should ideally collapse into mono without falling apart: no vanishing instruments, no strange phase cancellations, no sudden tonal imbalances. In practice, this is not always the case, especially when the original mix leans heavily on wide spatial effects or relies on delicate stereo interplay.

Beyond these practical considerations lies a more artistic and experimental motivation-one that invites us to listen differently. Converting stereo to mono can be a way of reconnecting with the aesthetics of early recording history, when music was captured and reproduced as a single, unified image. The era of 78-rpm shellac discs, early LPs, and monophonic tape machines produced recordings with a distinctive presence: focused, intimate, and often surprisingly powerful. Stripping away the spatial spread of stereo can reveal a mix's core architecture, exposing its emotional center in a way that feels almost sculptural.

A telling example of this aesthetic comes from the early catalog of The Beatles. Throughout the first half of the 1960s, mono was not just the dominant consumer format - it was the format in which the band and producer George Martin actually crafted their mixes. The mono versions of albums like Please Please Me, A Hard Day's Night, or even the early takes of Sgt. Pepper were the ones the musicians personally approved, adjusting balances, effects, and emotional emphasis with great precision. The stereo mixes, by contrast, were often assembled quickly, sometimes without the band present, and occasionally feel more like technical experiments than definitive artistic statements. The Beatles were not alone in this: many British and American groups of the era - from The Kinks to The Beach Boys - treated mono as the true canvas for their sound. Listening to these recordings today reveals how focused, intentional, and cohesive a mono mix can be when it reflects the direct involvement of the artists themselves.

For creative listeners and sound experimenters, this opens a door to unexpected discoveries. Mono can emphasize punch and cohesion, making rhythm sections feel tighter and vocals more forward. It can smooth over overly busy arrangements, forcing the ear to concentrate on musical relationships rather than spatial tricks. Some argue-controversially, but not without charm - that certain genres simply "sit" better in mono: early jazz, garage rock, lo‑fi electronica, or anything that thrives on raw energy rather than panoramic width. Even modern productions can gain a new kind of character when folded into a single channel, revealing textures and balances that might be masked in stereo.

Exploring stereo-to-mono conversion, then, is not just a technical exercise. It's an opportunity to rethink how we perceive space, clarity, and musical intent. Whether your goal is practical compatibility, historical homage, or creative reinvention, understanding how to translate a complex stereo recording into a compelling mono signal opens up a surprisingly rich field of sonic possibilities.

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Technical Considerations for Ensuring Mono Compatibility

Before diving into specific techniques, it's helpful to understand the basic principle behind mono compatibility: when a stereo mix is summed to a single channel, everything that was previously separated in space collapses into one point. Any differences between the left and right channels - whether intentional or accidental - will interact. Sometimes they reinforce each other; sometimes they cancel out. The goal of a mono-friendly mix is not to eliminate stereo width or creative spatial effects, but to ensure that the essential musical information remains intact when those two channels meet.

This is not a rigid rulebook. Many artists and engineers deliberately embrace extreme stereo techniques that fall apart in mono, and that's a valid creative choice. What follows is simply a practical checklist for those who want their stereo productions to survive the transition gracefully.

Key Points to Consider

1. Phase Coherence

When left and right channels contain out-of-phase material, summing them can cause partial or complete cancellation. Instruments may thin out, lose body, or disappear entirely

Typical pitfalls:

• Over‑wide stereo enhancers that rely on phase manipulation.
• Multi‑mic recordings with poorly aligned signals.
• Chorus or flanger effects with extreme modulation depth.

Good practice: Regularly check the mix in mono during production. If something collapses, investigate phase relationships rather than simply narrowing the stereo field.

2. Balanced Panning Decisions

Hard‑panned elements can create a strong stereo image, but in mono they stack directly on top of each other. If two instruments occupy similar frequency ranges, they may mask each other.

Typical pitfalls:

• Important musical elements placed far left or right without a complementary counterpart.
• Dense arrangements where panning is used as the primary method of separation.

Good practice: Ensure that essential elements - lead vocals, bass, kick, snare - retain clarity when centered. Use panning creatively, but avoid relying on it as the only form of separation.

3. Frequency Overlap and Tonal Balance

Stereo width can disguise frequency conflicts. In mono, overlapping elements may suddenly feel muddy or overly bright.

Typical pitfalls:

• Wide pads or guitars masking midrange detail when collapsed.
• Stereo reverbs that become overly dense in mono.

Good practice: Use EQ to carve space for each element. Test the mix in mono to ensure the tonal balance remains stable.

4. Stereo Effects and Ambience

Many spatial effects - reverbs, delays, modulation - behave unpredictably when summed. What sounds lush in stereo may turn cloudy or phasey in mono.

Typical pitfalls:

• Ping‑pong delays that lose rhythmic clarity.
• Reverbs with strong left/right differences.
• Widener plugins that rely on mid‑side manipulation.

Good practice: Keep the core signal clean and centered, and treat stereo effects as embellishments. If an effect is essential, test its mono behavior early.

5. Mid‑Side Awareness

Mid-side processing can be a powerful tool, but it also makes mono compatibility more fragile. The "side" information disappears entirely in mono.

Typical pitfalls:

• Boosting high frequencies in the side channel, leading to dull mono playback.
• Over‑compressing the mid channel, causing the stereo image to collapse.
• Good practice: Use mid‑side tools with intention. If the side channel carries crucial musical content, reconsider the balance.

A Practical, Not Prescriptive Approach

These guidelines are not meant to constrain creativity. Some of the most exciting stereo mixes in history break every rule on this list - and they do so deliberately, in service of a specific artistic vision. But for those who want their music to translate well across all playback systems, from vintage radios to modern Bluetooth speakers, a little attention to mono compatibility can go a long way.

Think of this section as a reference point: a set of reminders that help you maintain control over how your mix behaves when its spatial dimension is removed. Whether you follow these principles strictly or bend them for artistic effect, understanding them gives you more freedom, not less.

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Methods and Technical Approaches to Converting Stereo to Mono

Once a stereo mix is finished, turning it into a high-quality mono signal is less about applying a single "correct" algorithm and more about choosing the right combination of tools and listening carefully to the results. Every stereo recording is unique: its spatial design, phase relationships, and tonal balance all influence how it behaves when collapsed into one channel. Because of this, there is no universal method that guarantees perfect mono translation for every track. Instead, engineers rely on a set of practical techniques, each with its own strengths and limitations, and treat the process as a creative task rather than a purely technical one.

Below are the most common approaches used in practice.

1. Simple Summing (L + R)

The most straightforward method is to add the left and right channels together and reduce the gain to avoid clipping.

Advantages:

• Preserves the original balance and dynamics.
• No coloration or additional processing.
• Fast and transparent when the mix is phase-coherent.

Limitations:

• Any phase issues become immediately audible.
• Wide stereo effects may collapse unpredictably.

When to use:

• When the stereo mix is already known to be mono-compatible.
• As a baseline reference before applying more complex methods.

2. Weighted Summing (e.g., 70/30 or 60/40 blends)

Instead of summing both channels equally, you can blend them with different weights.

Advantages:

• Helps tame problematic stereo elements without fully discarding them.
• Can reduce phase cancellation by favoring the cleaner channel.

Limitations:

• Slightly alters the tonal balance.
• May shift the perceived center.

When to use:

• When one channel contains more stable or important information.
• When simple summing causes noticeable artifacts.

3. Mid‑Side (M/S) Conversion

By converting the stereo signal into Mid (center) and Side (difference) components, you can control how much spatial information survives in mono.

Advantages:

• The Mid channel alone is already a mono signal.
• You can reduce the Side channel before summing to minimize phase issues.

Limitations:

• Removing too much Side information can dull the mix.
• Requires careful balancing to avoid losing character.

When to use:

• When the stereo width is excessive or phase-heavy.
• When you want a more controlled, "designed" mono version.

4. Phase Correction and Alignment Tools

Some stereo mixes suffer from timing differences between channels. Correcting these before summing can dramatically improve the mono result.

Advantages:

• Restores body and clarity.
• Reduces cancellations in low‑frequency instruments.

Limitations:

• Over-correction can narrow the stereo image if applied to the original mix.

When to use:

• When summing reveals hollow or "swirly" artifacts.
• When multi‑mic recordings are involved (drums, guitars, vocals).

5. Mono-Optimized EQ and Filtering

Sometimes the stereo mix collapses well, but the tonal balance shifts. A gentle EQ adjustment on the summed signal can restore clarity.

Advantages:

• Helps compensate for masking that appears only in mono.
• Allows fine-tuning without altering the stereo version.

Limitations:

• Requires careful listening. Easy to overdo.

When to use:

• When the mono version feels muddy, harsh, or overly mid-heavy.

6. Creative Reconstruction (Selective Elements)

In rare cases, the stereo mix simply refuses to collapse cleanly. Then, a more creative approach may be needed:

Examples:

• Extracting the vocal or bass from the stereo mix using source-separation tools.
• Replacing problematic stereo effects with mono-friendly alternatives.
• Re-balancing certain elements before summing.

Advantages:

• Can rescue otherwise unusable material.
• Offers artistic control over the final mono aesthetic.

Limitations:

• Time-consuming.
• Not always transparent.

When to use:

• When the mono version must meet a high standard and the stereo mix is problematic.

A Creative Process, Not a Formula

All these methods share one principle: listen constantly. Converting stereo to mono is not a mechanical operation but a small act of sound design. The best results come from combining technical tools with artistic judgment-balancing clarity, character, and historical or aesthetic intent.

Some mixes will collapse beautifully with a simple sum. Others will require careful tuning or even reconstruction. The key is to treat the process as flexible and exploratory, guided by your ears rather than by rigid rules.

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Mono? Really? Yes, Really.

In the end, the question isn't simply why convert a stereo recording to mono, but what can be discovered in the process. Creative mono conversion is a small act of sound design - exploratory, interpretive, and deeply engaging. It challenges the engineer, sound designer, or curious experimenter to shape a single-channel image that not only preserves the essence of the original mix, but sometimes reveals new layers of intimacy and emotional focus. When done with care, a mono version can evoke the immediacy and presence that defined the era when countless legendary performers were captured in this format. Revisiting that aesthetic today is not nostalgia for its own sake, but an opportunity to rediscover how powerful, direct, and human a mix can feel when all its energy is concentrated into one compelling point of sound.

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Selected Readings and Technical References

>> Sonible: Avoiding the Collapse - From Stereo to Mono (Compatibility)

>> Waves: 7 Tips for Mono Compatibility in a Stereo Mix

>> Production Expert: Mixing In Stereo - Everything You Need To Know To Make Your Music Mono Compatible

>> Geek Musician: Are Bluetooth Speakers Stereo or Mono? (Solved & Explained!)

>> Reddit: Mono Compatibility still Relevant?

>> AnalogPlanet: The Beatles in Mono - Analog Updates That Will Appeal to Enthusiasts and Newbies Alike

>> SmallUsefulTips: Revolution in Sound: Uncovering the Magic of the Beatles in Mono

ExoSphere (iOS/Mac) updated to version 1.2

ExoSphere is a creative tool for shaping continuous ambient and meditative compositions, based on five independent sound layers that merge into a seamless atmosphere. It provides an effortless way to create a foundation for ambient tracks or even a complete background piece with minimal adjustments.

What's new:

• The Play button to playback the audio files in the file manager.
• The Play button in sample selection panel to preview samples before use for layer.
• Indicator at the top of the column shows the recording progress and loop usage for the layer.
• More details about an audio file in the file manager.
• Fixed an issue with selecting samples in the randomizer options panel.
• Description updated. Also available as a PDF file on app site.
• Several minor bugs fixed and minor improvements.

>>> More about ExoSphere

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Speculative Sound Synthesis: Why the Future of Music Might Not Sound Like Music at All

What if sound synthesis isn’t just a technical craft, but a way of thinking - a method for imagining futures that don’t yet exist? That’s the provocation at the heart of Speculative Sound Synthesis, a research project and ECHO journal issue exploring how we create, perceive, and conceptualize sound.

This isn’t another piece about plugins, waveforms, or DSP tricks. It’s a challenge to the very assumptions that shape electronic music.

The Collapse of an Old Divide

For decades, electronic music has been split into two camps:

• Composers - the thinkers, the architects of form.
• Synthesists / technologists - the engineers, the tool‑builders.

The article argues that this division is artificial. In reality, synthesis is composition, and composition is a form of material experimentation. Every patch, every algorithm, every modulation choice is already a structural decision.

This idea alone destabilizes a lot of traditional music‑making hierarchies.

Art Wants Openness. Technology Wants Closure.

One of the most compelling tensions the article highlights is this:

• Artistic practice thrives on openness - ambiguity, exploration, the unknown.
• Technological systems thrive on closure - precision, repeatability, control.

Speculative sound synthesis lives in the oscillation between these forces. It asks: What happens when we stop treating technology as a constraint and start treating it as a co-conspirator?

Speculation as a Method, Not a Guess

Drawing on Alfred North Whitehead, the authors describe speculation as a three-part cycle:

• Experience - listening, observing, touching the material.
• Imaginative leap - breaking away from what the material “should” do.
• Return - grounding the new idea back in practice.

This isn’t about predicting the future. It’s about creating conditions where the future can surprise us.

The Most Radical Idea: Music That Doesn’t Fit Our Ears Yet

The article invokes Herbert Brün’s notion of “the unheard-of” - music that doesn’t confirm our expectations, doesn’t flatter our habits, and doesn’t try to communicate a message we already understand.

In this view, the goal of new music isn’t expression. It’s expansion - stretching the present so that new forms of listening become possible.

This is perhaps the most provocative idea in the piece:

• The most important music of tomorrow might be the music we cannot recognize today.

Why This Matters

Speculative sound synthesis reframes electronic music as:

• a philosophical practice
• a technological critique
• a creative methodology
• a way of imagining alternative sonic worlds

It invites musicians, researchers, and listeners to rethink what sound can be - and what it can do.

If you’re curious about the future of electronic music, or simply want to challenge your assumptions about how sound is made, this article is a fascinating entry point.

>> ECHO: Speculative Sound Synthesis

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If ideas like these make you want to step beyond familiar tools and listen to what sound could become, you might enjoy exploring some of my own experimental audio apps. They’re small portals into alternative sonic worlds - places where synthesis behaves a little less predictably, and imagination does most of the heavy lifting.

ExoSphere - Endless Ambient Drift >> ExoSphere (iOS/Mac/AUv3) is a creative tool for shaping continuous ambient and meditative compositions, based on five independent sound layers that merge into a seamless atmosphere. >> More about this app

NoiseSpace - Noise textures and backgrounds >> NoiseSpace (iOS/Mac/AUv3) is an experimental sound generator based on simplex noise, which is then used in a granular synthesis algorithm. >> More about this app

NoInputMixer - Feedback-based instrument >> NoInputMixer (iOS/Mac/AUv3) is an experimental feedback-based musical instrument that models an analog mixing console, designed to create a wide range of amazing, otherworldly electronic sounds by feeding the mixer's output back to its input. >> More about this app

BeatCutter - Rhythm slicing & recombining >> BeatCutter (iOS/Mac/AUv3) is an experimental multi-channel app for slicing and recombining sound based on rhythm. >> More about this app

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ExoSphere (iOS/Mac) updated to version 1.1

ExoSphere is a creative tool for shaping continuous ambient and meditative compositions, based on five independent sound layers that merge into a seamless atmosphere. It provides an effortless way to create a foundation for ambient tracks or even a complete background piece with minimal adjustments.

The first update brings significant improvements to workflow, including faster navigation, enhanced recording capabilities, and optimized file management.

What's new:

• New Source Button - switch each layer between Sample, Loop, or Input for flexible sound creation.
• External Input Mode - record live audio directly into layers and use it as your sound source.
• File Manager Upgrade - multi‑file selection with Select/Unselect and Select All for bulk copy or delete.

>>> More about ExoSphere

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Exploring ExoSphere: Three Unique Ambient Jams

Step into three luminous sound worlds where ExoSphere becomes a companion to instruments both classic and modern. Jonathan Block paints drifting atmospheres with the timeless voice of the Mellotron. Ken Karsh lets his guitar converse with evolving textures, weaving subtle ethnic colors into the flow. Colin Powell opens the doors to a live AUM session, where ExoSphere breathes alongside drums, effects, and shimmering virtual strings. Each performance is a doorway - an invitation to listen, to wander, and to discover how ambient music can bloom in unexpected collaborations.

>> Story of ExoSphere

Upcoming Updates for ExoSphere

ExoSphere continues to evolve, bringing new possibilities for shaping immersive ambient and meditative soundscapes. The upcoming updates are designed to expand creative flexibility while keeping the workflow intuitive and inspiring.

Next Update

In the very next release, each sound layer will receive a dedicated mode button. This will allow users to choose between three options:

- Sample playback
- External input recording into a loop
- Playback of the recorded loop

With these controls, it will be possible to capture and loop external signals independently for each layer, opening new ways to blend live input with ExoSphere’s evolving textures.

Planned Features in Future Releases

Looking ahead, several major enhancements are already in development:

• Multi-channel input and output support – assign separate input channels to each layer and route individual outputs for more advanced mixing.
• Improved sample manager – select and organize samples with group operations for faster workflow.
• MIDI keyboard support – change the pitch of layers directly from a connected MIDI controller.
• Sample and preset packages – load and use complete collections as a single file for easier sharing and setup.
• General improvements and fixes – ongoing refinements based on user feedback.

Continuous Growth

These updates reflect ExoSphere’s commitment to providing a living, expanding tool for ambient creation. Whether used as a meditative backdrop, a creative foundation, or a standalone composition environment, ExoSphere will continue to grow with new features that keep the experience fresh and inspiring.

>> Story of ExoSphere

ExoSphere in Motion

Below you will find a selection of inspiring video tutorials and reviews from different creators, each offering their own perspective on ExoSphere's unique approach to ambient and meditative sound design. These videos showcase the app's features, demonstrate its evolving sound layers, and highlight the creative possibilities it unlocks. By watching them, you will gain a deeper understanding of ExoSphere's concept and learn how to craft more advanced soundscapes, immersive backgrounds, and even complete compositions with ease.

ExoSphere is a creative tool for shaping continuous ambient and meditative compositions, based on five independent sound layers that merge into a seamless atmosphere. It provides an effortless way to create a foundation for ambient tracks or even a complete background piece with minimal adjustments. Designed with slow rhythmic structures in mind, it is especially suited for meditative music and calm soundscapes.

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ExoSphere is a universal application for iOS and macOS. It can work on iPhone and iPad as well as Mac / MacBook with M1 chip (and later). ExoSphere works on iPhone and iPad standalone, as an Audio Unit or Inter-App Audio module, and supports Audiobus and Ableton Link. On MacOS, ExoSphere can works both as a standalone application and as an Audio unit (AUv3) with DAWs and other hosts that support AUv3 plugins. ExoSphere has a built-in detailed description of all parameters also available as PDF file on the application site.

>> Story of ExoSphere

New Icons, Fresh Identity

The wonderful designer Guido Flichman crafted the new icons for my apps. I find their minimalist style not only highlights the essence of each app but also shapes a consistent visual identity that flows through the applications themselves.

More of his work can be seen here: https://www.guidoflichman.com