AdamGrossmanLG
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How Can I "Mono-ize" My Bass Tracks?
Hello,
I have a bunch of tracks with bass and kick drum sounds coming from softsynths. These synths are stereo. I want to make my bass sounds to be mono. What is the best method to achieve this?
Thank You,
alewgro
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Anderton
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Re: How Can I "Mono-ize" My Bass Tracks?
2014/08/16 21:34:17
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There are several ways. You can use Channel Tools as a plug-in and pan the individual sides of the stereo channel anywhere you want, including to center.
Or from the Clips menu choose "Convert to Mono." Careful, though; this just sums the channels together, so they might distort when combined. You may need to choose Process > Gain and lower the gain before converting to mono.
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AdamGrossmanLG
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Re: How Can I "Mono-ize" My Bass Tracks?
2014/08/16 21:42:58
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Thank you Anderton. I was hoping more for making a mono synth track or something. I remember in older versions you could insert either a stereo or mono track.
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Anderton
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Re: How Can I "Mono-ize" My Bass Tracks?
2014/08/16 21:58:06
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Maybe I'm not understanding what you want. Mono can be either a track with one channel, or a stereo track with two channels that each contain the same audio. The audible results are the same. Some plug-ins have difficulty with mono signals but that's the only difference that might get in your way.
What is it exactly you want to accomplish? Have the track exit the synth in mono, mix it as a mono track, or...?
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sharke
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Re: How Can I "Mono-ize" My Bass Tracks?
2014/08/17 00:33:06
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☄ Helpfulby alewgro 2014/08/19 21:14:44
If this is a soft synth then change the track to mono. If you're using a Simple Instrument Track (i.e. a single synth track which combines audio and MIDI) then you'll have to split the track into an audio and MIDI pair before you can make the switch. It's kind of crazy that Sonar removes the stereo interleave button on Simple Instrument Tracks, but what can you do. Just right click on the track, select "Split Instrument Track," then on the audio half of the track in the console (or in the inspector), there should be a stereo interleave button right above the mute button. It will show a two circle icon for stereo, and a one circle icon for mono. If you then want to recombine the audio/MIDI pair into a Simple Instrument Track again, just right click on one of the tracks and select "Make Instrument Track." It's worth remembering that to combine an audio & MIDI track into a Simple Instrument Track, both tracks must point to the same synth. So if you change the routing of either track after splitting them, you won't be able to recombine them unless you change the routing back. However there are other options too, in addition to the ones Craig mentioned above. There are plugins which can center bass frequencies below a certain threshold on a stereo track. TP Basslane is a free one that works very well and you can download it here: http://www.toneprojects.com/products/plug-ins/basslane/ A plugin like this would be ideal if, for example, you have a cool sounding bass patch that has some interesting stereo information in the higher frequencies. You could set the threshold on TP Basslane to something like 150Hz, then everything below that frequency (i.e. the bass part) would be perfectly centered while the higher frequency stuff would retain its stereo placement. You can really give your tracks a lot more "oomph" with this plugin, I love it.
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fitzj
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Re: How Can I "Mono-ize" My Bass Tracks?
2014/08/17 09:53:51
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Anderton
There are several ways. You can use Channel Tools as a plug-in and pan the individual sides of the stereo channel anywhere you want, including to center.
Or from the Clips menu choose "Convert to Mono." Careful, though; this just sums the channels together, so they might distort when combined. You may need to choose Process > Gain and lower the gain before converting to mono.
Thanks for that tip Craig. Didn't know that could happen.
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Anderton
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Re: How Can I "Mono-ize" My Bass Tracks?
2014/08/17 11:30:24
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fitzj
Anderton
There are several ways. You can use Channel Tools as a plug-in and pan the individual sides of the stereo channel anywhere you want, including to center.
Or from the Clips menu choose "Convert to Mono." Careful, though; this just sums the channels together, so they might distort when combined. You may need to choose Process > Gain and lower the gain before converting to mono.
Thanks for that tip Craig. Didn't know that could happen.
Specifically, use Process > Apply Effect > Gain to drop the gain by 3dB prior to converting to mono.
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perfectprint
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Re: How Can I "Mono-ize" My Bass Tracks?
2014/08/17 13:59:08
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☄ Helpfulby alewgro 2014/08/19 21:15:13
change the tracks input from a stereo out to just a Left Out from the synth.
i was was testing IK's Quad Imager yesterday vs Boz Digitals Mongoose. Both are multi-band stereo controls. In the end I preferred Quad Imager as it has 4 bands vs. 2, and doesnt boost the bass when monoing it.
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daveny5
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Re: How Can I "Mono-ize" My Bass Tracks?
2014/08/17 15:10:08
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alewgro
Thank you Anderton. I was hoping more for making a mono synth track or something. I remember in older versions you could insert either a stereo or mono track.
You still can. To create a mono track, select a mono input on your soundcard, like Audio L or Audio 1. To create a stereo track, select a stereo input, like Audio LR, Audio 1+2 or Audio Stereo (depending on your soundcard).
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jm24
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Re: How Can I "Mono-ize" My Bass Tracks?
2014/08/17 19:14:42
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alewgro
Hello,
I have a bunch of tracks with bass and kick drum sounds coming from softsynths. These synths are stereo. I want to make my bass sounds to be mono. What is the best method to achieve this?
Thank You,
alewgro
To be way clear: You have ONE midi track sent to a synth The return from the synth is stereo You have not rendered the synth output to a wav file (freeze) You want the return from the synth to be mono What synths?
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b rock
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Re: How Can I "Mono-ize" My Bass Tracks?
2014/08/17 19:40:11
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sharke ... A plugin like this would be ideal if, for example, you have a cool sounding bass patch that has some interesting stereo information in the higher frequencies. You could set the threshold on TP Basslane to something like 150Hz, then everything below that frequency (i.e. the bass part) would be perfectly centered while the higher frequency stuff would retain its stereo placement. You can really give your tracks a lot more "oomph" with this plugin, I love it. Sharke, I like to do that kind of processing inside Rapture, using the Width control. Any Cake synth featuring Width is fair game, but the multiple filters & extensive DSP routings in Rapture offer a ton of options. There's a quick example around page 7 in the Wide Load - Stereo Wavetables in Rapture 1.1/LE document. Very versatile.
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Loptec
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Re: How Can I "Mono-ize" My Bass Tracks?
2014/08/18 04:03:54
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☄ Helpfulby alewgro 2014/08/19 21:16:20
alewgro
Hello,
I have a bunch of tracks with bass and kick drum sounds coming from softsynths. These synths are stereo. I want to make my bass sounds to be mono. What is the best method to achieve this?
Thank You,
alewgro
Alright. Here's the simplest way of getting a mono signal from a softsynth: First: Make sure the input of the audio track (connected to the softsynth) only gets a mono-signal from the instrument, by choosing either Left or Right from one of the instrument's outputs:  Second: You also need to make the audio track mono. It's possible to have both stereo and mono clips on one single track. It's the output of the channel that decides how they will be played ... Do this by making sure the Interleave button (found on every audio track in the inspector and the console (wide strip)) is set to mono:  (If you don't do this and later freeze the synth, you'll get a stereo file even though you've just selected a mono source as input from the instrument)
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jm24
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Re: How Can I "Mono-ize" My Bass Tracks?
2014/08/18 08:54:50
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Most of the synths I have present a setup dialog that allows the creation of stereo or mono outputs. Since you have to audio, insert the synth again and set created outputs to mono. Then output the current midi track to the new instance of the synth. Which synths are you using? I think the percussion sounds are mono. The bass sound might actually be stereo depending upon the sample, and/or effects added in the synth patch : a good tool to at least always insert on the master mix bus: http://www.bozdigitallabs.com/product/panipulator/ This plug can flip L/R and it has a MONO switch. Good for all kinds of analysis.
post edited by jm24 - 2014/08/18 10:05:55
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brconflict
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Re: How Can I "Mono-ize" My Bass Tracks?
2014/08/18 09:58:43
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I copy a bass track to another track and use a roll-off cross-over filter (an EQ with the high-end rolled off) on it. Convert the new track to mono. Then use a high-pass filter (another EQ withe the low-end rolled off) on the original track to block the low-end, the same low-end you want on the mono track. Use a gentle slope between the two and see that the filters are generally pretty close to each other. I use a -3 or -6db roll-off for each one. They should overlap evenly, and adjust to ensure all notes are heard. As a test, if you have a bass, or can use a bass-note synth, in a new set of tracks you can play/record all the notes and adjust these options as necessary so that all notes remain the same volume while listening to the mix in stereo. That can help better tune the cross-over frequency and roll-offs. Beware, though, that when you listen to your mix in Mono for mastering purposes, the low bass notes may be louder after making these changes. You can also try something like this: http://www.nugenaudio.com/monofilter-professional-bass-management-mastering-plugin-aax-au-vst_25# I will use this pretty often on bass, where I want the low end centered (frequencies that are generally non-directional), but pan the mids and highs of the bass to the left or right for placement or effect.
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AdamGrossmanLG
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Re: How Can I "Mono-ize" My Bass Tracks?
2014/08/19 21:26:42
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Thank you everyone for the help! I don't like to bounce my softsynths to audio until I am ready to do a final mix-down, so what I want to do is have the bass be mono while it is playing from the softsynth. I will do the mono interlace tip which sounds great! I appreciate the help from everyone!
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Bristol_Jonesey
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Re: How Can I "Mono-ize" My Bass Tracks?
2014/08/20 12:35:42
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I would, and usually do, just use Channel Tools as Craig suggested earlier - pull both the width controls to the centre and you're done
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scook
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Re: How Can I "Mono-ize" My Bass Tracks?
2014/08/20 13:32:05
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In addition to Channel Tools, X3 Producer bundles the Nomad Factory BT Stereo Imager ST2S-3 which has a Stereo to Mono preset
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stevec
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Re: How Can I "Mono-ize" My Bass Tracks?
2014/08/21 09:03:17
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^^^^
I sometimes prefer this one for simpler cases.
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