[Macworld.com]

iTunes and the iPod offer no balance control, but you can always do it the old fashioned way. [more]

[avebeno]

Sounds like the perfect way to obliterate the channel that is too quiet so it can't be heard at all over the louder one.

[Chris Breen]

Mono combines the two channels so yes, I suppose if the stereo separation is what calls out a far quieter portion of the music, you're going to lose some of that. But it's pretty rare these days to pan important parts of the music hard left or right (and put nothing else there) so the chances of losing vital audio information are pretty slim.
But if you've got a better solution for someone who can hear from a single ear, I'd be happy to hear it.

[ViennaUser]

You can avoid the recoding etc., perserving the fidelity of the original encoding and simply use a stereo>mono converter plug, between the iPod and your earphones.

[eogold]

In reply to:

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You can avoid the recoding etc., perserving the fidelity of the original encoding and simply use a stereo>mono converter plug, between the iPod and your earphones

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I have the same problem - I'm deaf in one ear. The problem I have found with your solution is that the stereo>mono converter plugs I have found (Radio Shack), don't seem to take both stereo channels and combine them into one. Instead, they seem to simply cut out one of the channels.
If you have a brand of stereo>mono converter plug you can recommend, I would greatly appreciate it!
The only other solution would be to create your own converter, but I can't seem to find plans on how to do that.
Thanks,
Eric

[satan]

In reply to:

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If you have a brand of stereo>mono converter plug you can recommend, I would greatly appreciate it!

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Try this thread:
http://www.macintouc.../topic2091.html
Be sure to read all the way through, as there are many adapters out there that simply remove one channel, as you've noted.

[justme2]

Somewhere around here I have one of those under-pillow speakers that Radio Shack puts out -- I'll have to test it and see what it does when plugged into the iPod...

[danmusician]

In reply to:

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one of those under-pillow speakers that Radio Shack puts out

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I have one of those. It has a MONO plug which cuts out one of the stereo channels.

[danmusician]

I'm not sure why "balance control" has been taken off of most consumer audio electronics. I am a choir director and make "split track" rehearsal CD's for my choir. (We are moving toward mp3 files for members to download to iPods.)
I put the accompaniment track on the left channel and the members' harmony part on the right. I would like them to be able to use the balance to turn off the right channel as they learn their parts. Most portable stereos stopped including balance control many years ago.

[avebeno]

"I can only hear out of one ear" - Oops! Somehow I missed that part of the equation before I replied.
I'm thinking of some older recordings I have and how I'd go about balancing them out better.
I guess that's what Soundtrack Pro is for.

[stantonio]

the mac itself has balance control if you go to midi control in the utilities folder you can balance the left and right channels

[BlondieWan]

I started doing this with mono recordings a while ago, not because I can hear out of only one ear but to save space. One can rip a song to a mono MP3 or AAC file or whatever and have it turn out around half the size of a stereo rip of otherwise equal fidelity. Of course I do this only with recordings that are mono to begin with, since I don't wish to lose stereo separation, but as I do have quite a bit of mono material on CD, it's enough to shave many megs off the size of one's library (depending upon how much mono music one has, of course).
Unfortunately, there's apparently an issue with iPods resulting in glitchy playback of mono AAC files, so I think I'll have to rerip my mono rips to MP3 (or back to stereo AAC) when I finally get my next iPod (I'm doing without one at the moment).

[uchuugaka]

I recommend the SONY adapters.
they don't cut.
they mix the signal.
I don't know if they sell them in the USA.
Sure if not, you can find them online...
i know the old radio shack ones you guys are talking about, they suck.
You're just gonna have to go online and look throught the more expensive (slightly) stuff.
audiophile stuff and such.
http://www.audiocube.../Audio-Technica[/u]AT5C8Mstereo-stand.tomono-miniPlug_Adapter.html
from audio technica.
you don't want the Phillips made ones, those are the Radio Shack junk.
basically anticipate finding something that probably has a metal case, not plastic,
and probably costs between 8 and 15 dollars.
if it is less than that, it is probably the same thing you already tried and somebody is just making a buck off of it.

[whitedog]

Some headphones, along with a volume control, also have a Stereo/Mono switch. I have a set of Sony headphones (MDR-V250) that are so equipped. While you loose the separation, there doesn't appear to be any audio fidelity drop off. Of course this is a more expensive solution than an adaptor plug, if you can find one that works.