stereo mono track

[danyg]

hi,
is there a cpu difference between empty mono and stereo tracks. and is the track count the same. 1 mono/stereo track ist equal to always "one track"?

most 3rd partie manufactures make no difference between a mono or a stereo instance (not multi mono). How about Avid plugins? Are mono instances lighter?

[JFreak]

of course mono instance and mono track are lighter due to 50% less processing.

i have always hated the default way of logic to export a simple mono track as a stereo track, because that means i have to split it to dual-mono and delete one of the channels. extra work is always annoying...

[BScout]

Originally Posted by JFreak

of course mono instance and mono track are lighter due to 50% less processing.

i have always hated the default way of logic to export a simple mono track as a stereo track, because that means i have to split it to dual-mono and delete one of the channels. extra work is always annoying...

I deal with this all the time (especially since one client is a logic user who provides me with files.) Cargo Cult Spanner is my solution. Drop the stereo to mono plugin Spanner format which then changes the track to a mono output. Allows me to keep a template comparable with continuing to receive stereo logic files without having to do the whole split to mono, mute/delete one channel, and re-pan the other.
This way I get the stereo files Logic outputs and get to treat them as mono in Pro Tools.

[danyg]

of course mono instance and mono track are lighter due to 50% less processing.

only for avid or 3rd partie plugins too ?

I use StereoMonoizer but I wish I had more control to decide what I want to make mono

[JFreak]

This is not rocket science, guys. If you have a two-way street full of cars then you have 50% less cars if you bulldoze another lane away. If you have a plugin that resets stereo pannings to mono, it is even more processing than simply having the stereo track panners centered in the mixer.

[BScout]

Originally Posted by JFreak

If you have a plugin that resets stereo pannings to mono, it is even more processing than simply having the stereo track panners centered in the mixer.

???
No.
After the plugin (Spanner stereo/mono), the track output is a mono channel. All plugins after that one are receiving a single voice. To them it is literally the same as being fed a mono channel.

Panning a stereo track to center leaves all plugins still receiving two voices/channels and processing two channels.

[JFreak]

the track still records two channels if it starts as stereo

[BScout]

Yes. But the plugin processing is for a mono track (as you know) those are post input/record and fader. Which reduces processing workload. Which is not what you wrote. There is a reduced load vs center panning a stereo track.

And then you have the advantage of manipulating only the single channel during panning into the output path (in my case, surround)

The bonus of this workflow is being able to accept dual mono files on the go (as outputted from logic).

[JFreak]

biggest cpu spike hurdle is the load from i/o so my point still stands