Stereo/Mono Button

[BenignVanilla]

How do YOU use the stereo/mono buttons? I tend to leave everything set to stereo on all tracks. I am wondering if I am missing some greater purpose here.

[Farview]

What program are you using?

If you are using stereo tracks, you use the stereo button

If you are using mono tracks, you set it to mono.

[mattr]

Originally Posted by Farview

If you are using stereo tracks, you use the stereo button

If you are using mono tracks, you set it to mono.

Not always.

In Sonar (like most DAWs) you can have both mono and stereo audio on the tracks, however next to the pan slider on each track there is also a mono/stereo button. This affects how the track is sent to the next step in its routing (bus, master bus, etc).

Obviously if you have stereo audio you'll want to keep it in stereo, but also if you are using stereo plugins on mono tracks such as reverb you'll also want it set to stereo as otherwise the reverb will be collapsed to mono.

So even if you have mono audio, doesn't mean you have to have the tracks set to mono. It does no harm having them set to stereo, so I would just carry on doing what you're doing. I've been caught out before wondering why the stereo reverb on a track was coming out in mono, and it took me a while to realise it was those damn buttons

[Monkey Allen]

If you are talking about the stereo interleave button and how it should be set in consideration to certain plugins then this is how I see it:

If 3 people walked into a shop at half past 1 and stayed there for a combined total of 20 minutes, with the first person leaving the shop after 2 minutes, while a further 6 people entered the shop 17 minutes after the first person from the first group left, of whom only 4 people stayed for a duration longer than the first person from the first group of people, how many people would the shop......

I can't get my feeble head around it. I've read one conflicting answer after another on the net

[mattr]

Originally Posted by Monkey Allen

I can't get my feeble head around it. I've read one conflicting answer after another on the net

The best thing is just to play

Even though I usually use reverb with sends and buses, the best way to demonstrate is using a reverb plugin.
Load up a mono vocal track and leave it panned centre. Add a stereo reverb plugin as an insert and get a fairly large, wide reverb going.

Toggle the switch and make up your own mind about what it does...

[Monkey Allen]

I agree, that's the best way

[mixsit]

Originally Posted by mattr

Not always.

In Sonar (like most DAWs) you can have both mono and stereo audio on the tracks, however next to the pan slider on each track there is also a mono/stereo button. This affects how the track is sent to the next step in its routing (bus, master bus, etc).

Obviously if you have stereo audio you'll want to keep it in stereo, but also if you are using stereo plugins on mono tracks such as reverb you'll also want it set to stereo as otherwise the reverb will be collapsed to mono.

So even if you have mono audio, doesn't mean you have to have the tracks set to mono. It does no harm having them set to stereo, so I would just carry on doing what you're doing. I've been caught out before wondering why the stereo reverb on a track was coming out in mono, and it took me a while to realise it was those damn buttons

Yep. Basically leave it 'stereo, unless you're forcing to mono. Mono tracks stay mono +/- stereo plugs etc. The track paths, busses etc are all stereo' (dual path?) by default regardless of a track file being mono.