True Stereo Sound - External USB Sound Card

V

VmusicV

New member
Hi,
I am looking for a USB external sound card / recording interface to replace my PreSonus 2x2. I am appalled that using a single microphone and single standard XLR cable into a single input, the interface doesn't provide a true and complete stereo signal.

I am a simple acoustic musician and so my requirements are pretty simple....it would seem:
  • Two inputs - no more
  • USB external
  • Works with BOTH Mac and Windows
  • Using a single microphone and XLR into a single input - provide a true stereo signal
  • Pre-Amp

I appreciate any insight.....it's hard to read through the specs on products.
Thanks
 
So, wait... You're trying to get a "true stereo signal" with one microphone?

I don't think you're understanding what stereo is. If you're looking for a stereo recording of something specific, you're going to have to use two microphones.
Of course, when you're mixing, if it's a full band or something, you can make a stereo MIX through the use of panning different instruments/reverbs/delays and whatnot. But if I'm reading your question properly, the problem isn't the interface... It's that you're trying to get stereo out of one microphone.

If THAT'S the issue, the answer is simple... Study up on stereo recording and buy a second microphone. =]

Here's a thread someone did awhile back on stereo acoustic guitar recording, start there.

https://homerecording.com/bbs/gener...iques/acoustic-guitar-recording-101-a-290919/
 
Just like Mr Wrenchy said, one mic is Mono!! You need two mics for stereo. The interface you use has nothing to do with it. Buy whatever interface fits your budget and needs.
 
Chili said:
Just like Mr Wrenchy said, one mic is Mono!! You need two mics for stereo. The interface you use has nothing to do with it. Buy whatever interface fits your budget and needs.
Click to expand...

...or don't buy anything because your Presonus is probably fine for the job.

Just guessing, but is you problem that, when you record, you're hearing your mic only in the left or right speaker/headphone?

If so, this is probably one for whatever DAW software you're using. When recording a mic, you want to record into a mono track and there'll be a setup page somewhere so you can route input one into track one and input two into track two (or whatever you want. Obviously I can't give any further advice on how to achieve this since we don't know what software you're using. There might also be some dedicated software that came with the Presonus to handle that end of signal routing.

Nothing much else to say other than to reinforce what others have said: a standard mic is a mono source. A normal way of working might be to record your guitar into a track then record you vocals (or a second guitar track or whatever) into another track. Then when you have everything recorded, mix it all together using the pan controls to place various recordings across the stereo sound field--then mix it all down.
 
Bobbsy said:
Just guessing, but is you problem that, when you record, you're hearing your mic only in the left or right speaker/headphone?
Click to expand...

Didn't even think of this. You're probably recording onto a STEREO track with only one microphone. So you're likely only hearing a signal out of the left speaker/headphone, am I right?
This can be fixed simply, but we need to know what DAW you're using (Presonus Studio One, Sonar/Cakewalk, Logic, Cubase, Pro Tools, Reaper, etc.)
 
True Stereo

First .....thanks for clearing up my lack of understanding.
(So.....why doesn't somebody make a mic stand that supports double mics, from different angles????)

Secondly.....I'm using the latest version of GarageBand.

Well....I don't want to use two mics, I only want to use one mic, and one XLR input. And, yes EVEN if both the left and right channel are identical - I want a stereo signal.

In the input I selected the stereo input, it says 1/2 stereo, but I'm not getting two full channels. The recorded track shows stereo but only one channel.

There must be a way to take the mono XLR input, and duplicate it to both the left and right channels??
 
VmusicV said:
The recorded track shows stereo but only one channel.
Click to expand...

This is your problem as Bobbsy (and everyone else) had eluded to. You have to create a MONO track if you want the sounds to come out both speakers. Trust us, this is a common mistake!!! MONO.

Good luck and have fun!!
 
VmusicV said:
And, yes EVEN if both the left and right channel are identical - I want a stereo signal.
Click to expand...

For teh record, and not to confuse you anymore than you already are, but two identical signals is NOT stereo, it's still a mono signal. Stereo is two channels with different signals that represent how we hear with two ears. Your ears are always hearing different sounds, never the same; that is stereo. We reproduce that with a stereo track which consists of two tracks; one for each ear. You listen to music on headphones and you can hear a guitar in one ear and a harmonica in the other; that's stereo.

If you take the same signal and send it to two speakers, it's still the same signal, therefore it's mono. If you send it to 10 speakers, it's still mono.
 
VmusicV said:
First .....thanks for clearing up my lack of understanding.
(So.....why doesn't somebody make a mic stand that supports double mics, from different angles????)

Secondly.....I'm using the latest version of GarageBand.

Well....I don't want to use two mics, I only want to use one mic, and one XLR input. And, yes EVEN if both the left and right channel are identical - I want a stereo signal.

In the input I selected the stereo input, it says 1/2 stereo, but I'm not getting two full channels. The recorded track shows stereo but only one channel.

There must be a way to take the mono XLR input, and duplicate it to both the left and right channels??
Click to expand...

The DO make brackets to hold two mics. Google for "X-Y stereo bar" or "ORTF stereo mic holder". However, true stereo is more than just two mics--the placement and techniques are important.

Simply having the same signal in two tracks is NOT stereo. It's "two channel mono". For stereo, the phase differences between the position of the two mics allows the brain to interpret positioning across the stereo sound stage--you brain can work out and simulate horizontal placement of the things you're recording if the stereo is done properly.

On the other hand, all "two channel mono" does is take twice as much disk space to store your file--and, if you listen on headphones your brain will try to make you think the sound is coming from the middle of your brain which can be a weird experience. (If it doesn't do this, see your doctor for a hearing checkup! :) )

I can't help with the specific commands in Garage band (I use different software) but somebody should be able to talk you through recording your mic to a mono channel so, when panned centrally, the sound will come out of both speakers/both sides of your head phones. When you get to the stage of saving a master, there'll also be a way to convert your file to stereo (which is a requirement of the CD format).
 
VmusicV said:
First .....thanks for clearing up my lack of understanding.
(So.....why doesn't somebody make a mic stand that supports double mics, from different angles????)
Click to expand...

They do, but it's pretty restrictive. Get two normal mic stands.

VmusicV said:
Secondly.....I'm using the latest version of GarageBand.

Well....I don't want to use two mics, I only want to use one mic, and one XLR input. And, yes EVEN if both the left and right channel are identical - I want a stereo signal.

In the input I selected the stereo input, it says 1/2 stereo, but I'm not getting two full channels. The recorded track shows stereo but only one channel.

There must be a way to take the mono XLR input, and duplicate it to both the left and right channels??
Click to expand...

As has already been pointed out, stereo is a combination of two signals, and if your signal is coming out of both speakers, it's stereo.

This is all made more confusing by the way everyone talks about stereo and mono. I only ever use the word "stereo" when describing a mix. Any tracking is referred to by the number of sources (not mono) - 1 source, 2 sources, 3 sources - it's what you do with these sources in the mix that creates "stereo".

A keyboard with a L/R output isn't stereo (in my way of thinking) it's just 2 sources, which you can place as you like in the mix.
 
Armistice said:
A keyboard with a L/R output isn't stereo (in my way of thinking) it's just 2 sources, which you can place as you like in the mix.
Click to expand...

Actually, I've encountered keyboards with "real" stereo outputs--except their idea of stereo is to put bass notes on the left and treble notes on the right (and the middle, er, in the middle). I guess this is actual stereo--except it's only the way you hear a piano if you're actually playing it. Since most people listening to recordings aren't actually pianists, it's pretty useless in a mix unless you want a special effect..
 
VmusicV said:
(So.....why doesn't somebody make a mic stand that supports double mics, from different angles????)
Click to expand...

As Steen has said, there are stands you can purchase for XY configuration, but other stereo mic techniques, such as Blumlein, A/B, binaural, ORTF, and NOS configurations require there to be more space that a single stand can manage (granted, the Decca Tree is another technique that requires several meters of space between the mics and also has it's own stand, but that stand costs about $5,000).

VmusicV said:
Secondly.....I'm using the latest version of GarageBand.
Click to expand...

Personally never been a fan of Macs, but I'm sure someone here who has used Garage Band would be glad to help you figure out how to create a mono track if you don't know how to yet.

VmusicV said:
And, yes EVEN if both the left and right channel are identical - I want a stereo signal.

There must be a way to take the mono XLR input, and duplicate it to both the left and right channels??
Click to expand...

Again, Chili has cleared this up... That's what we call mono. If the left and right channels are sending the EXACT same signal, it's called mono. If you just TRY what we're telling you and make a mono track and record to it, you'll have whatever you recorded coming out of both speakers equally. That's mono.
 
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