Why if my Pro Tools project is stereo, it wants to convert to mono my Stereo Wavs?

[underp]

I don't get it.

My project is Stereo right ?

When i hit "import to track", i'm selecting a wav file with the same specifications of my project.

Why it wants to convert to mono ?

 

[shiatzu]

what?

if you mean "why is protools mixing down to mono", then i'd say check your export settings; they're, most likely, wrong. Not being a pro tools user there's no specific advice i can give you, regrettably.

 

[bennychico11]

you're saying you're importing a stereo file into pro tools and it's making them two mono tracks???
this is because pro tools does not work with stereo files. it converts them to multiple mono. this gives you more control over the files. it won't hurt the sound quality at all.
You can use stereo tracks though if you want. what version of pro tools are you running? I can't remember if it automatically creates multiple mono tracks for you when you import a stereo file or not....but if so you can just create a new stereo track and move the two mono files onto it so that you can control the track with one fader.

EDIT
I import files in the region bin instead and drag them to the track that i want.

 

[Chris Shaeffer]

What Benny said.

Even if it appears in your session as a stereo track Pro Tools is using 2 mono files for it. So importing stereo files will cause Pro Tools to convert them to 2 mono files.

A little wierd, but not a big deal.

 

[guido #2]

Look in your Regions Bin (edit window, double arrows in the lower right)
Anything in the Region Bin with a Triangle next to it is a "stereo" file.
PT is just as happy to let you pull that file into a stereo track as it is to let you use two mono tracks. You can also use just one side (left or right ) as one MONO track.
Make sense?

 

[underp]

I'm using Pro Tools LE 6.9

Anyway...

When i hit "Import audio to track", the "Import Audio panel" appears, right ?

Ok, now... when i select a wav file, a message appears in the status bar:

( wav must be converted to be used, because it is not a mono file )

--------------

I have a Pro Tools tutorial where explains very clearly how to import wavs, and nothing like that is happening.

I have to import like 14 stereo tracks, i can't beleive pro tools has to separate the tracks to mono, in order to work.

Are you guys sure that i'm not missing something ?

 

[guido #2]

Try just plain importing audio files:
Shift/Control/I
or for you Mac heads:
Shift/Command/I


This will import files into your REGIONS bin, not to track. From there, you can do as you please.
Try that and see what happens....

 

[Chris Shaeffer]

What's the big deal? Its the same data. It doesn't take that long. Just select all the tracks you need to convert, hit go, and go grab a cup of coffee. They'll all be done by the time you get back.

Yeah, you're not missing anything. The stereo files will show up in PT as stereo tracks, its just that the underpinnings of Pro Tools works with mono files.

Chris

 

[bennychico11]

Yeah, you're not missing anything. The stereo files will show up in PT as stereo tracks, its just that the underpinnings of Pro Tools works with mono files.

Exactly what Chris says.
Think about it...what is a stereo file anyway?? It's just a combination of a Left channel and a Right channel in one file so that programs like Windows Media Player can play back a single file in stereo. Pro Tools just splits it up into mono so you can edit each side individually, pan them individually, different effects to each side, etc. More control over you audio is a good thing.

 

[underp]

It's ok, i trust.

Is just that i'm short on HD space, and if i have 3GB in audio recordings, that means i will have to free another 3GB to store the same data, for something that is not "BIG deal" like you said.

I just move to PT recently, and i'm still with the tutorials. This is all new to me.

BTW, PT is in the top of the worst impressions i've ever had with audio editiong software. I hate it, maybe i will not in the future, but it sucks really.

I wouldn't be using this crap, if it wasn't for some RTAS that i like.

 

[Chris Shaeffer]

What were you using before?

I switched from Cubase to Pro Tools back when I got a job that required me to know Pro Tools. It took a couple weeks to figure it all out and get comfortable with it. It sucked for the first week particularly because I didn't know what the hell I was doing.

Once you learn where everything is and how it works its *really* fast. Now when I go back to Cubase I'm always thinking "Why do I have to click so many buttons and go through so many windows to do what is so simply in Pro Tools?!" Now if I want to use Cubase again (which has jumped 2 versions since I last used it regularly) I'll have to go and relearn it.

Bottom line- multitrack audio makes for complex programs! I find that most of the time when someone thinks a program sucks its becuase they aren't familiar enough with it yet. It'll grow on you.

-C

 

[bennychico11]

It's ok, i trust.

Is just that i'm short on HD space, and if i have 3GB in audio recordings, that means i will have to free another 3GB to store the same data, for something that is not "BIG deal" like you said.

I just move to PT recently, and i'm still with the tutorials. This is all new to me.

BTW, PT is in the top of the worst impressions i've ever had with audio editiong software. I hate it, maybe i will not in the future, but it sucks really.

I wouldn't be using this crap, if it wasn't for some RTAS that i like.

lol, i still don't see what the problem is. but if you don't have 3GB free on your hard drive, then you need to get another hard drive or stop recording. Hard drives are a dime a dozen now. You can find huge drives for cheap. And when you're editing or recording a project in ANY program, that program is going to create new files as you edit/record things....so you're going to need to have free space as it is. Buy a new hard drive.

As far as pro tools...what are you having problems with besides it converting stereo files to mono (a 20MB stereo file=two 10MB mono files...it's all the same thing)?? It sounds like you're just frustrated because there is so much it does and you're not sure how to use everything. Every program is the same way the first time you use it. If you have an specific questions, please ask.