AnsweredExporting Mono Tracks - Panning an Issue?

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chamlin
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2015/12/10 18:18:51 (permalink)

Exporting Mono Tracks - Panning an Issue?

I know when exporting stereo tracks my track panning is reflected in the exported track. But when exporting mono, can I just leave what's panned, panned, or do I need to center all the mono tracks first?
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    Bristol_Jonesey
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    Re: Exporting Mono Tracks - Panning an Issue? 2015/12/11 07:05:03 (permalink)
    I'd say it depends.
     
    Depends on why you're exporting in the first place.
     
    If you plan on bringing it into another project for further arrangement/mixing then it makes sense to leave them all centred.
     

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    joden
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    Re: Exporting Mono Tracks - Panning an Issue? 2015/12/11 11:47:00 (permalink)
    Just as a follow up - when a mono track is panned say hard left - does this panning get saved in an exported WAV or MP3 file? I must admit sometimes I find the exported MP3 file to sound not quite right after the export and I always put it down to the MP3 compression algorithms.
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    chamlin
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    Re: Exporting Mono Tracks - Panning an Issue? 2015/12/11 14:37:09 (permalink)
    Joden, that is definitely the question. And Bristol_Jonesey, are you saying that it depends because, each individual mono track exported does indeed bring with it its panning information?
    post edited by chamlin - 2015/12/11 14:49:56
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    Bristol_Jonesey
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    Re: Exporting Mono Tracks - Panning an Issue? 2015/12/11 15:20:14 (permalink) ☼ Best Answerby chamlin 2015/12/11 16:00:33
    Yes.
     
    If not, there would be no point in panning at all if your exports ignored the pan settings.
     
    Joden, I and many others do not export directly to Mp3 directly from Sonar.
    I always export to wav first, verify that the export is as it should be and use that for Mp3 conversion

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    chamlin
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    Re: Exporting Mono Tracks - Panning an Issue? 2015/12/11 15:49:52 (permalink)
    Thank you!
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    Anonymungus!
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    Re: Exporting Mono Tracks - Panning an Issue? 2015/12/11 16:54:21 (permalink)
    Question: (ok - 2) Does a panned mono track lose volume after export? Does the panning control change to match the original?

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    Bristol_Jonesey
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    Re: Exporting Mono Tracks - Panning an Issue? 2015/12/11 17:20:21 (permalink)
    There should be no loss of volume. You would only hear a change in volume during the actual movement of the pan control, and even then it's dependant on which panning law you've got operating

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    tlw
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    Re: Exporting Mono Tracks - Panning an Issue? 2015/12/11 17:55:45 (permalink)
    If you export a mono track as a mono track, rather than exporting the same audio from e.g. master or an aux bus, surely it stays as mono? And being mono has no panning built into the exported wave because there's no "left" or "right" to pan it to if you see what I mean.

    Panning a mono track is essentially telling the stereo bus it is outputing to where to place it in the stereo field, it has no effect on the audio in the track itself at all. Or does it in Sonar?

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    Bristol_Jonesey
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    Re: Exporting Mono Tracks - Panning an Issue? 2015/12/12 03:13:01 (permalink)
    Yes it does and you can easily prove it.
     
    Import any short wav into an empty project
    Select the track and bounce it to mono
    Pan it hard left or right
    Export just this track selecting Tracks as the source
    Re-import it and look at the wav

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    KingsMix
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    Re: Exporting Mono Tracks - Panning an Issue? 2015/12/12 09:46:04 (permalink)
    Another good reason to periodically check your mixes in mono and adjust.
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    KingsMix
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    Re: Exporting Mono Tracks - Panning an Issue? 2015/12/12 09:47:33 (permalink)
    P.S it's just a flip of your stereo/mono button on your master bus or audio interface.
     
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    joden
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    Re: Exporting Mono Tracks - Panning an Issue? 2015/12/12 10:31:02 (permalink)
    haha, sorry further supplementary question!
     
    When effects are added to a mono track that is panned left or right - do the effects also follow that same panning setting? And, are the effects themselves mono or stereo - or is this distinction ruled by the source track?
     
    Thanks
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    slartabartfast
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    Re: Exporting Mono Tracks - Panning an Issue? 2015/12/12 12:18:42 (permalink)
    Bristol_Jonesey
    Yes it does and you can easily prove it.
     
    Import any short wav into an empty project
    Select the track and bounce it to mono
    Pan it hard left or right
    Export just this track selecting Tracks as the source
    Re-import it and look at the wav


    I am trying to understand what you are doing here, and what it proves. If you import a stereo wave file and then turn it into a mono track, then export that altered track as either a mono or stereo wave, that is not the same operation as exporting a mono track created in Sonar as a mono wave file. You have introduced at least one stereo to mono conversion.
    In fact I am not clear on what the OP is proposing to do with his mono track, export to a stereo wave or output or to a mono wave?
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    Bristol_Jonesey
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    Re: Exporting Mono Tracks - Panning an Issue? 2015/12/12 13:39:08 (permalink)
    All I was suggesting was that if you export a panned mono track, your export will also be panned.

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    Bristol_Jonesey
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    Re: Exporting Mono Tracks - Panning an Issue? 2015/12/12 13:41:00 (permalink) ☄ Helpfulby joden 2015/12/12 21:35:56
    joden
    haha, sorry further supplementary question!
     
    When effects are added to a mono track that is panned left or right - do the effects also follow that same panning setting? And, are the effects themselves mono or stereo - or is this distinction ruled by the source track?
     
    Thanks


    Depends totally on the Fx plug. Some will give a mono output, some stereo. Switching the track interleave between stereo and mono also yields some interesting results

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    chamlin
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    Re: Exporting Mono Tracks - Panning an Issue? 2015/12/12 15:49:56 (permalink)
    slartabartfastIn fact I am not clear on what the OP is proposing to do with his mono track, export to a stereo wave or output or to a mono wave?



    Intent was to export individual mono tracks to someone who is mixing something for me. Had realized that I exported with panning still set from when I was messing around with the mix, but I wanted him to receive everything straight up with no panning input from me.
     
    What I've learned in the thread is that I needed to return the tracks to straight up/not panned before exporting.
     
    And do I have this right: if I had wanted him to see what I was thinking in terms of panning, then exporting the tracks as panned would have given him that information. Correct? And would that work even if he was using ProTools, Cubase? (He actually uses SAWStudio.)
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    KingsMix
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    Re: Exporting Mono Tracks - Panning an Issue? 2015/12/13 10:12:27 (permalink) ☄ Helpfulby chamlin 2015/12/13 13:23:59
    chamlin
     
     
    And do I have this right: if I had wanted him to see what I was thinking in terms of panning, then exporting the tracks as panned would have given him that information. Correct? And would that work even if he was using ProTools, Cubase? (He actually uses SAWStudio.)



    If you're talking about sending individual files (file per track), no he wouldn't get an idea of your panning. If you send him the "project file" and he is using the same DAW as you, then the answer would be yes he would get exactly what you have set up in your project minus the plugins (which he may or may not have similar to yours).
     
    On that note, one of the easiest ways to give him an idea of your panning ideas as well as general overall project idea, pan and balance wise is to send him an included 2 track stereo mix file of what you have for a general reference.
    post edited by KingsMix - 2015/12/13 10:26:46
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    chamlin
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    Re: Exporting Mono Tracks - Panning an Issue? 2015/12/13 13:12:51 (permalink)
    Got it, thanks!
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