Forgive my ignorance, but why were these made?

they gave me mono

They were for radio stations that still broadcast in mono, which is why they were released only on promo singles. The point of including them on SDE collections is to satisfy completist collectors.

heartpeacesheart said:

They apply to the internet too correct? Unless you have a device that amps the sound? Correct? Thank goodness people have a good memory. Mono is another format like Dolby though right?

heartpeacesheart said:

They apply to the internet too correct? Unless you have a device that amps the sound? Correct? Thank goodness people have a good memory. Mono is another format like Dolby though right?

No. It's very rare to have mono devices these days and even if you're listening over the internet on your PC or phone, it'll be in stereo (unless you're listening to one of those mono mixes of course).

Stereo tracks played over mono equipment would often have sound issues depending on how it was mixed so a lot of artists created mono version of their tracks (usually with a different mix) to get around those issues.

[Edited 4/9/21 1:51am]

djThunderfunk said:

They were for radio stations that still broadcast in mono, which is why they were released only on promo singles. The point of including them on SDE collections is to satisfy completist collectors.

Like me! I love that they included them!

djdaffy1227 said:

djThunderfunk said:

They were for radio stations that still broadcast in mono, which is why they were released only on promo singles. The point of including them on SDE collections is to satisfy completist collectors.

Like me! I love that they included them!

Right on! Me too.

AM radio

In some cases, mono mixes have differences in arrangment volume and effects. Dunno if this is the case with Prince's mono mixes.

embmmusic said:

No. It's very rare to have mono devices these days

.

Apart from everyone listening on common bluetooth speakers, alexa devices, hey google devices, apples homepods, sonos speakers... sure, there are people that make those setups stereo, but I'm willing to bet they are in the minority.

.

If anything, mono has somewhat of a revival at the moment. (and lots of people still have mono clock radios or just mono radios in general)

.

Now... do mono mixes add something? That's another debate. For people mixing an album, switching to mono for a bit is important, to check if there aren't phase problems between left and right (frequencies that reinforce or cancel eachother when combined into mono). But that is for checking a mix, not for releasing per se.

.

Over the last 40 years or so, most stereo mixes don't pan half the instruments/vocals hard left and hard right anymore, so mono isn't required anymore to listen to them normally (mostly a 60s thing, some Beatles tracks are the most famous for this) and in Prince's era mono mixes did not take different takes are have other musical differences... but.. they are different, so if you want to have all diferent versions...

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I mean, if you only listen to long versions or album versions of songs... you'll miss the cool little things at the end of the Hello 7" version, or that marvelous wahwah guitar line at the end of the Kiss 7" that isn't on the album or long version. It's good to have everything on super deluxe sets that claim to be complete, even if it means a cd that you'll never really listen to.

[Edited 4/9/21 23:46pm]

mediumdry said:

embmmusic said:

No. It's very rare to have mono devices these days

Apart from everyone listening on common bluetooth speakers, alexa devices, hey google devices, apples homepods, sonos speakers... sure, there are people that make those setups stereo, but I'm willing to bet they are in the minority.

Apple Homepods are stereo, not sure about the others.

[Edited 4/10/21 2:01am]

Mono? Ah, H*ll no!! When I listen to Automatic I want to feel like Prince is standing behind me, moving from side to side during the part where he's talking about being 'addicted to your pleasure'.

embmmusic said:

mediumdry said:

Apart from everyone listening on common bluetooth speakers, alexa devices, hey google devices, apples homepods, sonos speakers... sure, there are people that make those setups stereo, but I'm willing to bet they are in the minority.

Apple Homepods are stereo, not sure about the others.

[Edited 4/10/21 2:01am]

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Not the ones you can still buy

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And anyway, those "stereo coming from one speaker" things aren't really stereo, at least not to my ear.

Bose 601

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Still the best speaker ever made!

kingricefan said:

jfenster said:

kingricefan said:

Mono? Ah, H*ll no!! When I listen to Automatic I want to feel like Prince is standing behind me, moving from side to side during the part where he's talking about being 'addicted to your pleasure'.

Dont u wanna hear that whip smacking??

embmmusic said:

mediumdry said:

Apart from everyone listening on common bluetooth speakers, alexa devices, hey google devices, apples homepods, sonos speakers... sure, there are people that make those setups stereo, but I'm willing to bet they are in the minority.

Apple Homepods are stereo, not sure about the others.

[Edited 4/10/21 2:01am]

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some are stereo, many of the small ones like some of the alexa's have one speaker. i cant believe technology took us so far only to come back to mono. its ridiculous.

[Edited 4/18/21 8:23am]