Bounce to disk problems

[pinkdaygreenfloyd]

So I finally (sorta) figured out how to get a really nice wide guitar sound instead of everything sounding all crammed in the center. I'm listening in my PT session and it sounds great. After I bounce it to disk however, I listen back to the file and everything is back to center. I have no idea what the problem is. I am not bouncing to mono. I've imported the bounced file back in to PT and it says 'Song must be converted to be used by PT because it is not a mono file.' So I convert it and then it sounds wide and full again in PT! Wtf?! I'm using PT LE 6.7 (002R) on a Windows XP based PC. AMD Athlon 2500+ Processor, MSI K7N2 Delta motherboard. Anybody else ever have a problem like this?

[albee1952]

Not sure if I got it, but check this out. When you bounce to disc, select "stereo interleaved". Now if you are recording at 16 bit/44.1K, the bounced file should be ready for CD burning and should play with Windows Media PLayer. If you are importing it back into protools, make sure you drag in onto a stereo track.

[pinkdaygreenfloyd]

albee, I am bouncing as stereo interleaved. And it plays just fine after the bounce it's just that it doesn't sound the way it does in PT. And then if I import that file back into PT, the guitars sound huge and wide again. And it is in a stereo track after the import.

The song sounds huge in Pro Tools, but everything crammed in the center after the bounce.

Thanks for the reply though, it seems like a miracle to get anybody to help you around here.

[GW]

It would be much easier just to see the session, but still...

Do you have your guitar on one file or more (mono/stereo)? Do you direct them to a stereo Master-track? Do you do any send/returns? End the Master-track with a dither (Waves L2 is both a dither and limiter) or take the Digi dither last and a limiter second last.

[JMS40]

What application are you listening to the bounces with?

[Camilo Toledo]

So I finally (sorta) After I bounce it to disk however, I listen back to the file and everything is back to center. I have no idea what the problem is.

what are you using to listen to the bounce file?

since you said that after importing the bounced file to an stereo track everything is back to normal, the problem lies in the device you are using to monitor the bounced file.

[albee1952]

I agree, maybe you are listening thru the soundcard and computer speakers? Check the setup under Control Panel>Sound Devices? maybe you onboard sound is set to mono or is just crappy enough to have not much seperation. Burn the Bounce onto an audio CD and listen over some other system to see if the actual bounce is fine.

[pinkdaygreenfloyd]

Wow, I am surprised at so many responses. Thank you guys.

GW, I have only one plug-in in the entire session. That is a delay on on of the two mono guitar tracks. I'm still pretty noobish at recording so there are no sends or returns either.

I'm using the same speakers (my Event TR6 monitors) to listen inside Pro Tools and in Windows Media Player. Windows Media Player is the only program I've used to listen back to the bounces so I will try another program. I will also try checking and making sure my computer isn't set to playback of mono. I have an SB Audigy Platinum soundcard so I don't think it's just not good enough. Although I will try burning to cd and listening back on my cd player as well.

Thanks again for all your suggestions. Wish me luck.

[GW]

Then the obvious Q will be - do you direct both your mono-tracks to a Master-track before you bounce?

[pinkdaygreenfloyd]

Yes, both the mono guitars tracks and all other tracks go through a stereo master fader. That's it though.