M-Audio FireWire 410 recording help in Sonar 5.0

  • Thread starter Thread starter Flet
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Flet

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Any help is appreciated.

I've been spending the day on the computer trying to figure things out. Question, do you record your guitars in mono or stereo?

In all cases I'm using Sonar 5.0 Producer, with an M-Audio FireWire 410 through Channel 1. I'm miced directly to channel one:

1 - I've set the recording signal in Sonar to Left Mono (Left M-Audio FW 410 Multi 1/2), and I get a mono recorded signal.

2 - I've set the recording signal in Sonar to Right Mono (Right M-Audio FW 410 Multi 1/2), and I get no recorded sound.

3 - I've set the recording signal in Sonar to Stereo (Stereo M-Audio FW 410 Multi 1/2) and I get a recorded signal in the left channel only.

Now, if I use Channel 2 on the FireWire 410, I get the same results as above, except reverse the signals recorded from left to right.

What I can't seem to figure out is why I only get a left (or right) signal recorded when I use the stereo option. Can anyone explain or help on this issue?
 
Generally you would record a guitar in mono, unless you are looking for some effect you can only get in stereo.

I'm not familiar with the Firewire, but on most multi-channel cards input 1 corresponds to the left channel and input 2 corresponds to the right. In other words, 1/2 together form the stereo pair. That is why it is labeled that way in Sonar.

To record in stereo you would need to connect to both 1 and 2. However, this would mostly be a waste of time, as you would have the same signal going into the right channel as the left. Better off just recording in mono.
 
Thank you, I'm going to try in Mono and see how the recordings come out. Now if only I can get drum tracks recorded.
 
If you're wanting to do a stereo track from the FW 410, you'll output input 1 to two tracks and pan them hard left and right..if you're plugging straight into the 410. If you're miking with two mics put one in input one, one in two, and record to individual tracks.

6
 
sixways said:
If you're wanting to do a stereo track from the FW 410, you'll output input 1 to two tracks and pan them hard left and right..if you're plugging straight into the 410. If you're miking with two mics put one in input one, one in two, and record to individual tracks.

6
Click to expand...

Perhaps this is a stupid question, but how do I "output" my input 1 (channel 1) to two tracks? And when I do, will there be two mono tracks?
 
I don't use Sonar, but I have used Nuendo and Protools. You should be able to create 2 tracks, put Input 1 as the input source on the first one, and then put Input 1 as the input on the 2nd one.

Its all done in your multitrack software. However you assign an input to a track, do that twice.

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Flet said:
And when I do, will there be two mono tracks?
Click to expand...
Yes, and IMHO pretty much a waste of time and HD storage space.

The only time tracking in stereo makes sense is if you have two different input sources - e.g., two overhead mics on a drum kit. Taking the same input and routing it to two separate tracks serves no useful purpose. If you needed an exact copy of the same thing, just clone the track. It's a lot simpler.

There is a technique where you can take a copy of a track and pan the copy hard right and the clone hard left. Then delay one of the tracks a smidge. It can create a nice effect. However, as noted above, all you need to do this is to clone the track (Track > Clone). No need to record it separately.

This technique, however, works even better if you actually play and record the part twice. The "inexactness" of the two tracks really makes it.
 
Thank you very much. I've tried out a few more things, and with your input I've managed to get things working. Thanks again, much appreciated.
 
if you leave the track in the program at center, it should come through both 1 and 2 outputs.
 
Stereo Tracks

There are a couple of instances where you gain an advantage with stereo guitar tracks. If you are going direct either out of a pre-amp or processor or out of a stereo amp and you are using some type of stereo chorus, flange, phase, or ping pong delay. It really sounds clean done this way.

Another case would be to take a mic and put it in front of the speaker, send it to one track, put another mic in the room to another track and mix the two however you like.

Most software has the stereo effects that you can add after the fact to a mono track but it may not come out the same as you are used to from the amp/processor.
 
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