Haeco-csg - Reasons For Using The System

Reasons For Using The System

The idea behind Haeco-CSG was to create stereophonic vinyl LP records that when played on monaural equipment would allow the 2 channel stereo mix to automatically "fold-down" properly to a single monaural channel.

The reason for the process is the compatibility issue between stereophonic and monaural recordings: information which is identical on both the left and right channels of a stereophonic mix sounds too loud when played back on monaural AM and FM radio stations and phonographs. When the left and right channels are summed together, any musical parts that are common to both channels combine to be 6 decibels louder than they are in the same mix when played in stereo. Vocals, solo instruments and bass lines are often mixed equally to both stereo channels — these sounds tend be too loud when heard in mono.

Due to technical issues in the record playback process the practice of creating separate mono and stereo mixes of the same recording was common during the 1960s. This also required manufacturing and distributing mono and stereo versions of the same album title. The Haeco-CSG system appeared to be an attractive option for record companies and retailers by allowing them to cut costs. The engineers would only have to produce a single mix, the record companies would only have to manufacture and distribute one version, and vendors wouldn't have to waste space stocking two different products.