Why do i have to record vocals mono and not stereo?
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gecko zzed
Grumpy Mod
You can record vocals with one mike or two. It doesn't really matter that much.
However, for 99% of the time, there is nothing to be gained by recording vocals in stereo. Your voice is effectively coming from a point source (your mouth), and you only need one mike to record that.
But maybe you are recording your vocals in a particular space, and it is important to get a sense of you located in that space. Maybe, for example, you are reciting a soliloquy from Shakespeare in a cave, and you are pacing up and down doing it. In that case, a pair of mikes will be able to capture your movement within that space, and the sound that the space adds to the voice.
However, for 99% of the time, there is nothing to be gained by recording vocals in stereo. Your voice is effectively coming from a point source (your mouth), and you only need one mike to record that.
But maybe you are recording your vocals in a particular space, and it is important to get a sense of you located in that space. Maybe, for example, you are reciting a soliloquy from Shakespeare in a cave, and you are pacing up and down doing it. In that case, a pair of mikes will be able to capture your movement within that space, and the sound that the space adds to the voice.
jimmys69
MOODerator
How many sources of your voice do you have coming out of your head? If more than one, I would be impressed/amazed! lol!
The point is that it is best to capture what it is you are recording accurately. If you have need to record with two mics on a vocal, you would still want to record them each separately on mono tracks. Then you have the ability to pan them where you want.
Stereo recording = two separate sources. A voice is not two separate sources.
I hope any of that made sense.
The point is that it is best to capture what it is you are recording accurately. If you have need to record with two mics on a vocal, you would still want to record them each separately on mono tracks. Then you have the ability to pan them where you want.
Stereo recording = two separate sources. A voice is not two separate sources.
I hope any of that made sense.
gecko zzed
Grumpy Mod
Record vocals with a single mike going into a single channel on the interface and onto a mono track in the DAW.
If your interface is a mixer with USB output, it will typically deliver two channels (left and right) via USB. In that case, choose left or right and pan hard whichever way you choose.
The vocal signal will then go via USB to the DAW, in which you need to set up a mono track to record whichever channel you've chosen.
If your interface is a mixer with USB output, it will typically deliver two channels (left and right) via USB. In that case, choose left or right and pan hard whichever way you choose.
The vocal signal will then go via USB to the DAW, in which you need to set up a mono track to record whichever channel you've chosen.
Bobbsy
Boring Old Git
This is a place where it makes a difference whether you really mean mixer or mean interface.
Assuming that, whichever you have, it's a two output device via USB, the situation is a bit different between mixers and regular interfaces.
With a a two channel interface, the two inputs automatically go to two separate channels on your DAW via the USB. However, with a mixer, the Left and Right main outputs go to the two separate DAW inputs--but the pan control on the mic channel controls which of the two outputs your vocal goes to. In a default routing, pan hard left is, well, the left channel which probably shows up as channel 1 if you have two mono channels and hard right for channel 2.
I agree with the others. When using a single mic for vocals, there are advantages to using a mono track--half the storage and half the overhead for your processor and it give you the option of panning in the mix. Stereo isn't a disaster...but no reason to do it.
I am using a mixer and not an interface which is connected to the DAW on the computer through the line in plug of the sound card. My mixer has a pan button for every channel. So my question is how to adjust the pan of this channel during vocal recordings. Thank you so much for caring.
Bobbsy
Boring Old Git
Exactly how you do it will depend on what software you're using, but...
On the mixer pan your vocal mic hard left (or it could be right, depends on software settings). Tell your DAW software to create a mono track and to record your sound card input's left channel to that track.
...then save up and buy a USB interface. You'll be amazed how much better it will sound than a built in sound card!
On the mixer pan your vocal mic hard left (or it could be right, depends on software settings). Tell your DAW software to create a mono track and to record your sound card input's left channel to that track.
...then save up and buy a USB interface. You'll be amazed how much better it will sound than a built in sound card!
Farview
Well-known member
Your line input is two channels, left and right.
Panning the vocal one the mixer to the center sends the vocal to both the left and right inputs on the computer.
If you have a mono track set up in the daw, and you are only recording the vocal, you can leave it panned center.
If you are recording two mics and you want them on separate tracks, you have to pan one all the way to the left and the other all the way to the right. You also have to have o e of the tracks rwcord the left input and the other track record the right input.
Do not confuse recording to a stereo track with recording in stereo. Stereo requires two sources with some difference that creates a sense of space. Recording one mic to a stereo track is still recording mono, it simply uses twice the hard drive space and cpu power.
Panning the vocal one the mixer to the center sends the vocal to both the left and right inputs on the computer.
If you have a mono track set up in the daw, and you are only recording the vocal, you can leave it panned center.
If you are recording two mics and you want them on separate tracks, you have to pan one all the way to the left and the other all the way to the right. You also have to have o e of the tracks rwcord the left input and the other track record the right input.
Do not confuse recording to a stereo track with recording in stereo. Stereo requires two sources with some difference that creates a sense of space. Recording one mic to a stereo track is still recording mono, it simply uses twice the hard drive space and cpu power.
Schwarzenyaeger
Formerly "Dog-In-Door"
You could record vocals in stereo.
What will happen though is that the voice will most likely start wandering left to right whenever the singer moves their head. Also, when played in mono, you're risking phase issues.
A voice is a mono signal, record it in mono. It saves you a lot of trouble and stereo gives you 0 benefits.
What will happen though is that the voice will most likely start wandering left to right whenever the singer moves their head. Also, when played in mono, you're risking phase issues.
A voice is a mono signal, record it in mono. It saves you a lot of trouble and stereo gives you 0 benefits.
Bobbsy
Boring Old Git
Wrong...unless the poster is using two microphones and there's nothing to indicate that he is.
Leaving the signal panned centrally will certainly work if you're not recording anything else at the same time. However, depending on the mixer, your levels will likely be either 3 or 6dB lower working that way, depending on the panning algorithm you rmixer uses. Not a problem if you are expect it but not idea.
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
Yes...I think that was the crux of his problem.
I hate the fact that almost all DAWs by default record "stereo tracks"...which are NOT really stereo tracks but dual mono.
I set my defualt recordinig to mono tracks in the DAW...and only switch when I actually want to record in stereo.
heatmiser
mr. green christmas
It's certainly an option with two mics. I don't think it's done too much though?
I tried it once recording myself just singing and playing acoustic guitar where I wanted to capture it live in one take. I figured just using two mics (one close up to my face for singing and another one for the guitar) might be too small sounding for such a sparse arrangement, so I put one mic in front of the guitar and two SDCs above me, spread apart like drum overheads. It definitely created a broader, stereo image of my lone voice, but I noticed afterward that the source of my voice appeared to drift from side to side during the song as I turned my head to look at lyrics.
It was an interesting experiment anyway. Not sure I'd do it again?
I tried it once recording myself just singing and playing acoustic guitar where I wanted to capture it live in one take. I figured just using two mics (one close up to my face for singing and another one for the guitar) might be too small sounding for such a sparse arrangement, so I put one mic in front of the guitar and two SDCs above me, spread apart like drum overheads. It definitely created a broader, stereo image of my lone voice, but I noticed afterward that the source of my voice appeared to drift from side to side during the song as I turned my head to look at lyrics.
It was an interesting experiment anyway. Not sure I'd do it again?
gecko zzed
Grumpy Mod
This is interesting, and highlights the difficulties we can get into when people either misuse terms or use them as words of convenience.
OP asked:
To me, someone saying "record my vocal tracks stereo" means throwing up two mikes and recording the results left and right onto a stereo track, and that's how I choose to answer the question.
However, the OP may simply have meant that he had one mike up and was simply recording the result onto a stereo track. For me, that is just mono on a stereo track. It is not recording in stereo.
ashcat_lt
Well-known member
I love the fact that this is not an issue in Reaper. If you select a mono input, it records a mono file. There is no real distinction between mono or stereo tracks. In fact, tracks can have as many channels as you damn well please, though things start to get a bit complicated if there are more than 2.
Schwarzenyaeger
Formerly "Dog-In-Door"
I'm assuming of course that he would actually be recording in stereo, which would require two mics.
c7sus
Disenfranchised Member
AFAIK Sonar even back to 8.5 let you choose the input of your choice. Why would anybody choose a stereo input for a mono source?
Of course, I just saw a thread on another forum where a guy was trying to use a delay on an insert to a VoyagerXL, and had a patch cable from the insert to a CV mult and then patched the input and output of the delay through the mult.
Oh, and it was his SECOND delay---- he sent the first one back to the dealer because IT DIDN'T WORK! $6k invested in hardware and not a clue to be found anywhere!
Of course, I just saw a thread on another forum where a guy was trying to use a delay on an insert to a VoyagerXL, and had a patch cable from the insert to a CV mult and then patched the input and output of the delay through the mult.
Oh, and it was his SECOND delay---- he sent the first one back to the dealer because IT DIDN'T WORK! $6k invested in hardware and not a clue to be found anywhere!
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This keeps coming up- From what I've seen (not that many systems..) selecting the input defines the track mode.
Are there DAW apps, or sound card or interface combos, where the choice for a given A/D pair are not mono 'x Left, 'x Right, or 'x both for stereo?