Mystery stereo: anybody want to float a theory?

Here's a peculiar phenomenon that's been bugging me for awhile: I seem to be unable to obtain a mono track from any soft synth.

Note that the selected source is ostensibly mono, the track interleave is mono, and there are no effects in the FX bin. Why, then, is the track clearly stereo, not mono? Anyone have a theory?





Two more examples, Kontakt 3 and Superior Drummer 2:





Furthermore, if you freeze such tracks you get an unexpected 3db boost in volume, suggesting that SONAR may have a problem differentiating between mono and stereo sources.

But this seems like such basic DAW functionality I can't imagine that it's an overlooked bug (it would have to have been overlooked for years; SONAR 7, the oldest version I still have installed, behaves the same way). I'd love for this to be some slap-your-forehead, duh, what-was-I-thinking revelatory moment if someone has an explanation!

I just assumed all soft synth tracks were stereo.

The interleave button doesn't imply the track is mono... it just relates to the way the signal interacts with the efx bin and busses.

If you choose the mono output of the Sampletank and run it down the stereo *Instrument* track and pan it 77% left... it seems like you would have what you are looking at.

The bounce/freeze/export 3dB boost seems like just another weird pan law symptom.

I know that's not really a explanation... but it all seems to be close to what I think I'd expect to see.

best regards,
mike

I can't replicate that here - for me I get the expected mono waveform when I freeze from a mono synth.

Can you go through exactly how you got to that point?

Just curious,

What synths do you all consider Mono? Just asking for some examples. Thanks.

best,
mike

Hey, Bit, I just noticed your waveform preview is on. I never use that. I enabled it, and now my mono synth tracks show stereo waveforms like yours.

Looks like a display bug.


EDIT: I also noticed that before you freeze a mono input, the track header displays separate scales for left and right channels. When you freeze the track with waveform preview off, the scale changes to mono to match the mono waveform display. I would bet this has been reported/documented previously, and we just missed/ignored/forgot it.

brundlefly


Hey, Bit, I just noticed your waveform preview is on. I never use that. I enabled it, and now my mono synth tracks show stereo waveforms like yours.

Looks like a display bug.


EDIT: I also noticed that before you freeze a mono input, the track header displays separate scales for left and right channels. When you freeze the track with waveform preview off, the scale changes to mono to match the mono waveform display. I would bet this has been reported/documented previously, and we just missed/ignored/forgot it.

Yeah, I can confirm this now as well - I never use waveform preview either.

I've never had this problem, but I am curious as to why some of you don't use waveform preview.  I guess I never gave it a thought, but is there a particular reason why you wouldn't want to leave it on other than what bitflipper experienced?

msr

I guess I never gave it a thought, but is there a particular reason why you wouldn't want to leave it on other than what bitflipper experienced?

Your question implies it's on by default which it's not. If it were on by default, I might leave it on, but it does take some CPU, and I don't really have a use for it.

Mine has always been on by default. I guess it just got installed that way. Don't know why. Just did.

 
Maybe the tamplates you use have it on, but if you add a new synth track or bus, it should be off. From the 8.5 Reference Guide (page 616):
 
"Each bus or synth track has a Waveform Preview button, which allows you to enable/disable waveforms display on an individual basis. By default, each button is turned off."
 
Maybe you're thinking of the recording waveform preview for normal audio tracks, which is on by default (in Global Options), but does not apply to synth tracks or buses.