Making mono tracks into stereo?

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cincy_kid

cincy_kid

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Hey all,

Wasn't sure if I should piggy back a previous post or just start a new thread with my question, but I decided on the later. Also wasn't sure if this was the best forum to place it in but here goes:

Basically I am using my Behringer UB 802 mixer and M-Audio Quattro soundcard to do some home recording. I usually lay down a drum loop first to set the tempo and then go onto guitar then vocals, etc.

I only use and will be using 1 track recording at a time, so no need to work out something where I have 2 mics at the same time.

Anyways, I have a 1/4" going from my mixer's FX SEND (mono channel) into INPUT 2 of my soundcard. Then back from OUTPUITS 1 and 2 back into mixer channels 3/4 so I can record and hear all tracks previously recorded as well as the current one I am recording. When I record the vocal track or whatever I am recording with the mic, it will come into ACID 4.0 and be just a mono track. So when I listen to it back to the tracks, I can hear the drums in both ears and the vocals in just one ear. Also, of course, in Acid itself you can see that the drums have top and bottom signal and the vocals just has bottom (mono instead of stereo).

Is there a way, when I am playing the tracks back in my headphones, whether I am recording extra tracks and want to hear the previos ones, or if I am just letting a friend listen to what I have done, is there a way to hear the vocals in stereo like the drums?

I have been told maybe a splitter would work so when I go into the soundcard it goes into INPUTS 1 and 2 instead of just 1. (but the FX SEND is a mono channel so not sure if that would even work..). I have also read on a few threads while researching this problem, that some have suggested some different PANNING options.

Anyone have an easy fix for this? When I make my first wav file or mp3 of my original song I would like ppl to hear it like normal songs and not have the vocals come thru just one side, hehe.

Is this something you just do when you are doing final mix down or mastering?

thanks expert home recorders !
 
First of all, using a splitter will not make it stereo. You'll have a two-channel mono track. That's pointless, as you'd be using twice the disck space for the same information.

The vocal track need to be panned center in Acid for you to hear it in both ears.

Unfortunately your mixer is just too small and has limited output options, so until you get a bigger mixer with more sends or other outs you'll be stuck recording mono files. (I'm assuming the drums you mentioned were stereo loops.)
 
It's done in the mixing .... though a mono track will not represent a true stereo image. It will just playback however you have it panned.
If you are micing drums and want the true stereo image ... you need to feed the sound card with both left and right side signals to a stereo track or two mono tracks panned accordingly.
 
Hrm, ok so if I pan the vocals to center in acid so I can hear it in both ears, then when I am finished with the song and save it as a WAV OR MP3..will the people I play it for be able to hear the whole song in both ears just like a normal song? If so, thats all I want for now. I know I could have a bigger better mixer and will someday, but for now I am just learning basics, etc.

Yes the drum loop is in stereo and I am not micing drums crank its just loops.

Furthermore, if I want studio quality vocal sounds similar to what you hear on the radio, etc, are you telling me that I will need to record the vocals in stereo and not mono? I thought most people recorded tracks in mono and mixed them down to stereo or however. I know I need lots of great equipment to have it radio quality, I am just speaking in general terms.

Thanks again
 
pan doesnt do the trick

well, when i hit the pan options for the vocal track it is already set to center. I dont think pan is what I am looking for I guess. Since it is a mono channel and going into only 1 input in the Quatro (instead of 1/2 or 3/4), is there any other way to make that stereo? so i can hear in both ears?

Hrm, any other suggestions?
 
so just to be clear, when you record your vocals, they come in as a mono track?? Personally, i do all of my recording in mono, it just makes sense. As one member already mentioned, if the source is the same in both stereo channels you would just be wasting disk space. Recording in stereo is only useful when each side is different (like drums and some gutiar effects and stuff). When you are mixing and mastering, you can move each track (vocals, guitar, bass, drums) to the right or left, thus creating a stereo track.

As i do not use acid, i guess i'm not much help but if it works anythign like sonar or cool edit, when you arm the track for recording check to see if there is an option to set that track as stero or mono, change it to mono if you can.
 
Hi mino,

Yes it comes in as a mono track. So when I master it or final mixing then I can change it to stereo so that it sounds normal and not just coming from the right or just left?

Hrm I have other programs I can use but thought Acid 4 should be what I go with. Heres what I have available to me:

Sound Forge 6.0
Acid 3
Acid 4
Vegas
Cool Edit Pro
Adobe Audition

Anyways, if I can change it at the end when I am mastering or mixing down or whatever the term is, then how do you deal with the fact that it is in 1 ear only while you are recording. Hard for me to get used to....

Thanks again for the reply
 
I have a feeling it's not recording to a mono track...
It seems as if it's recording to one side of a stereo track...

I'd check the record settings for the track you are recording onto and see if there's a way to switch it to mono. Mono tracks generally have one waveform center of the track while stereo will have the top and bottom, corresponding with left and right.
 
I would have to agree with disposable

and in fact i used to have the exact same problem. Here's one way to fix it:

1. load your file into cool edit pro
2. highlight the whole thing
3. go to edit (whatever menu it is in) and select convert format (or something like that)
4. in there there will be an option to change to mono.

When you do this you should be able to hear the same signal out of both speakers.

If you are hellbent on a stereo track, or if the above doesn't work, do this;

1. open your file in cool edit
2. if you see a stereo track with one side blank and the other with your file, move your mouse to the edge of the track with the file (for example if it is the top track that has material, move your moset to the top so you see a little L or R)..
3. Double click, you should see only one side of the track highlighted.
4. right click and select copy.
5. Highlight the other track by repeating step 2 (this time the opposite letter should come up L or R).
6 Select paste from the right click menu

you should now have 2 idential tracks in stereo.
 
without checking anything at all I am sure you are right disposable...

it is indeed recording just one track of stereo and not mono. the Quattro has 4 ins and 4 outs and they act as stereo pairs. If I am going out from a mono channel, can I go into one track of a stereo pair and end up with mono track?

going to try and do this in acid still mino unless I cant end up doing it then i will try cool edit...
 
nice

HA!

Think I am good to go. What I did was when I hit record in acid, there is a drop down for RECORD DEVICE. The Options are:

Microsoft Sound Mapper
Microsoft Sound Mapper(mono, Left channel)
Microsoft Sound Mapper(mono, Right channel)

so i just changed it to the last one, since i am plugged into input 2 i guessed it would be right. Anywasy now its one wavelength in the middle and not top bottom. SWEET!

Thanks again disposable and all who helped contribute to this thread
 
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