Is this stereo recording?

[Monkey Allen]

I have a matched pair of mics...Behringer C2's. I have a Presonus Firebox...it has 2 xlr inputs. So I plug each mic in. In my software, I arm track 1 and track 2. For track 1 I select the input as 'left' and for track 2 I select the input as 'right'. (the 3rd option is to select 'stereo'...but when that is selected it only records on the left side anyway).

So that's the set up...is that stereo recording?

ta

 

[bennychico11]

well, that's recording two mono microphones.
whether or not you are recording a stereo source (ie. setting them up in an XY pattern, or similar)...I don't know. You'll have to tell us.
But if you are just recording a guitar with one mic and a vocal with another...no, that's not stereo recording.

but they can still be playing back in stereo, no matter how many mics you use.

 

[Monkey Allen]

Yeah, using an xy set up...both mics being recorded at once. If I bounce track 1 and 2 into track 3, would that be true stereo?

 

[bennychico11]

well, you can just leave tracks 1/2 the way they are and it's still a stereo recording. or bounce it to track 3/4 (being left channel and right channel).

 

[Monkey Allen]

Ok, thanks. If I panned track 1 hard left and track 2 hard right, then mixed down to track 3, would that be the same?

 

[bennychico11]

Ok, thanks. If I panned track 1 hard left and track 2 hard right, then mixed down to track 3, would that be the same?

why do you need to mix down?
but sure...as long as track 3 is a stereo track, it will remain stereo. If you make it a mono track, then you will be getting a summed mono mix.

 

[andyhix]

(the 3rd option is to select 'stereo'...but when that is selected it only records on the left side anyway).

This is the part that seems wrong to me (not the way you are doing it, but the way it is recording). the Stereo option should record 2 waveforms (in this case 1 from each input) to a single track. Something is goofy if you are only getting one wave with the stereo recording. I'd double check your input settings in stereo recording mode; it should say something like "Stereo 1/2," implying that your stereo source comes from inputs 1 and 2 from your firebox. It should automatically send track 1 to the left channel and 2 to the right.

However, the way you are doing it is just fine and dandy, and if you are recording a single source with 2 mics to two tracks at the same time, then yes, you are recording in stereo. How you position the mics, of course is going to make all the difference, though. Some people prefer to do it this way actually because you can manipulate the two tracks seperately (if you need/want to). In a true stereo track, any EQ, fades, fx, etc. are added equally to both the left and right signal (depending on your software, I suppose)

 

[Mindset]

Back in the day, that was considered Stereo (on playback). They used to groove out 2 seperate tracks, one left one right, but they were seperate, and that was stereo, until ummm I can't remember, but I think someone (forgot name) was able to group the 2 seperate tracks into 1, and then it became Stereo as we know it. I watched it in history channel like yesterday night for class. So the answer to your question (if your recording 1 source with 2 mic's) than it is stereo (when you play it back) (by yesterdays' standards but it still counts).

 

[Monkey Allen]

Thanks

Can you get single microphones that record in stereo? Or to get true stereo recording do you always have to use 2 mics?

 

[ssscientist]

There are single mics that record in stereo.

Rode makes some, Sony makes some, SP makes a few, Audio Technica makes some etc etc etc.

And those are the human-priced ones.

Go to any on-line music store and do a search for 'Stereo Microphones'.


.

 

[Innovations]

yes but the single mics are actually a combination of two capsules in one package. They might be an XY pair or a MS pair but to my knowledge you cannot get a stereo signal from just one capsule.

 

[Monkey Allen]

Yeah, the ones I have seen look weird.

Oh, and to the person who sent me this in the rep thingo:

"Hasn't this been drilled into your head already? I mean you've been bugging us with these basic questions since April 2005 and you still don't understand? I'd say you should give up NOW!"

Sorry old son. Man, I didn't know you could type so much in a rep message thing.

 

[RAK]

Yeah, the ones I have seen look weird.

That's true that you need two capsules, as well as the wiring/cabling to be sending out two discrete channels, but they can be placed in a single housing, and don't have to look wierd (hopefully).

Shure has a stereo microphone, the VP88, which looks pretty slick, if I do say so myself. As always when I mention Shure gear, I feel I need to point out I work there.

http://www.shure.com/ProAudio/Products/WiredMicrophones/us_pro_VP88_content