mono / stereo question

[shambles]

Hi Avid DUC,

I was a logic pro user ,only just moved to protools 8 HD

I have some question in regards the import section
How come protools imports all tracks into stereo?
For example if i import a bass file which is mono, it creates a track pan hard left & right. why is this so?

Under create new tracks u have the option of mono tracks. Why doesn't it just creates a mono track for mono files?

In logic, it does it automatically. You also have the option at the bottom of the channel strip to switch from stereo -mono or the other way around.
Can this be done in protool?? I have just imported around 15 mono tracks into protools. They are all converted to L & R. Can i change back the channels to mono?

Any help and advise would be much appreciated
Thank you for your time and advise

[jntracks]

protools does not duplicate mono files into stereo tracks on import in the case that they are mono.
i've imported lots of tracks from various sources, they come in mono if they are mono.
i imported tracks from a band's garage band demo session, garage band can't export mono files so it exports each track to stereo. i had to import to the region list and copy the files onto mono tracks.

i'm not familiar with logic pro, are you sure the file isn't being exported as stereo?

[crizdee]

Originally Posted by jntracks

protools does not duplicate mono files into stereo tracks on import in the case that they are mono.
i've imported lots of tracks from various sources, they come in mono if they are mono.
i imported tracks from a band's garage band demo session, garage band can't export mono files so it exports each track to stereo. i had to import to the region list and copy the files onto mono tracks.

i'm not familiar with logic pro, are you sure the file isn't being exported as stereo?

Ditto

import mono files all the time into mono tracks.

Logic exports mono files as stereo! because logic is stupid



Chris

[Becharax]

I am sorry for such a newbie question :) But it always triggers me to ask the following:
Should I record Those in Mono or Stereo:

Drums:
Pads:
Strings:
Bass:
Leads:
Vocals:

.....

[Emcha_audio]

Drums: Each mic should be mono, unless you are using a polar 8 pattern to save mics in between toms, which would then in turn end up in mono once you split the two channels of the polar 8
Pads: Stereo
Strings: Mono unless you are doing an ensemble, then you'll need multiple mics and mic placing. You should be placing a few mics in the live room anyways in different spots to catch the natural reverb if it's good. If it's not one up close and then use a good reverb.
Bass: Mono
Leads: I'm assuming lead guitar here? Mono unless the effect is bouncing in stereo, which you'll then need to mic each amps in mono
Vocals: Mono unless you are doing a take of a duo or quartet, again using a polar mic for duo, it's going to be mono anyways once split up.

Hope that helps

[shambles]

Originally Posted by jntracks

protools does not duplicate mono files into stereo tracks on import in the case that they are mono.
i've imported lots of tracks from various sources, they come in mono if they are mono.
i imported tracks from a band's garage band demo session, garage band can't export mono files so it exports each track to stereo. i had to import to the region list and copy the files onto mono tracks.

i'm not familiar with logic pro, are you sure the file isn't being exported as stereo?

Hey man, u know what... all the files are in stereo! my bad sorry

[Becharax]

Million Thanks .. :) It's just I don't do Live Recordings ... I Just use Virtual Instruments ... so I guess for Drums it would be better to go Stereo as well as pads ... and the rest is mono ..

[getz76]

Originally Posted by DJ Bechara

Million Thanks .. :) It's just I don't do Live Recordings ... I Just use Virtual Instruments ... so I guess for Drums it would be better to go Stereo as well as pads ... and the rest is mono ..

Generally you would use more than two microphones for drums. A simple setup might have:

1. kick
2. snare
3. rack tom
4. floor tom
5. overhead right
6. overhead left

From that, you create the stereo image.

1. kick - centered
2. snare - slight pan right
3. rack tom - slight pan left
4. floor tom - slightly more pan left
5. oh right - hard right
6. oh left - hard left

[JumpingInFire]

Originally Posted by Emcha_audio

Drums: Each mic should be mono, unless you are using a polar 8 pattern to save mics in between toms, which would then in turn end up in mono once you split the two channels of the polar 8

Funny . . . all of my bidirectional microphones only have one output!

[Emcha_audio]

Originally Posted by JumpingInFire

Funny . . . all of my bidirectional microphones only have one output!

Yeah you need to use stereo figure 8 that you patched through a stereo to mono decoupler. I don't know if there's any plug ins that do that, I used to use a outboard box patched back to two inputs of the mixer to do it. Then reversed the polarity of the signal of one of the channels. This way you'd get tom 1 on a channel and tome 2 on the second. If you didn't reversed the polarity you would get phase cancellation.