Mono v Stereo

 Stupid question of the year, but how do I create Mono track? Whenever I insert an audio track, it is stereo. If I want to record a Mono synth, I then have to convert all the clips to Mono. Surely there is some way to create a Mono track from the start. THanks.

To create a mono track, you need to record a mono source.

To convert a stereo track to mono, you just click the track interleave to mono

FYI: some scenarios
Most synths are stereo. 
Recording a vocal with one mic is mono.
Recording a snare drum with 1 mic is mono.
Recording drum overheads with a left and right mic is stereo, unless you record each mic onto a separate track and then its mono.


Cj

If you record each synth onto a separate mono track, then each track is mono. If you record each input onto a stereo track, its stereo.
If you play the 2 mono tracks you will create a stereo sound

Let's say I have a synth with stereo outputs plugged into two inputs of my interface. The synth sound itself is mono

Well the sound of the 2 mono tracks will be in stereo when you play them. There each a mono track, but when played together, they create a stereo sound.
Look at it like this. The color blue is the color blue and the color yellow is, well yellow. When you combine the 2 colors, you get green. It doesn't change the fact that you the color blue is not blue still. It is, but when combined with yellow, it makes green.
I bet your completely lost now LOL
 
Most songs are recorded with mono tracks and these tracks when played together created a stereo sound.
 
Well talk later about the other
 
Cj
 

What are the things we should record in Mono and what things in Stereo?

This question can be more difficult to answer than it might appear.  I think the simplest way to decide is to ask yourself whether the source is mono or stereo.  

- If you have one mic as an input it is mono.
- If you are using a pair of mics to capture a single source.  For example room mics on a drum kit.  It would be stereo.  Or two mono tracks if you want to process each side separately.
- If the source has a stereo effect applied BEFORE it is captured (for example, the stereo output of a Pod, stereo synth/piano) it is stereo.  
- There is no need to capture in stereo if the input is mono even if you intend to apply stereo effects such as stereo delay/reverb/chorus/phaser... You can record a mono source as mono and still use stereo effects (turn on stereo interleave).

Some people are confused by mono vs stereo because they think of something panned in the stereo field as stereo.  In most cases it is mono and panned to wherever you want it to appear in the stereo field.  It is very rare to record a solo vocal in stereo but it is done.  Bruce Swedien used stereo mics on many of Michael Jackson's recordings.  If you are going to do this you are doing it to capture the "room" sound along with the voice/instrument - and you better have a good sounding room.  If you are using a single (mono) mic to record something you gain absolutely nothing by recording it in stereo track.  Both tracks will be identical and you will have to jump through hoops (Sonar's Channel Tool) to pan the track in the stereo field.

Don

Thanks, guys. The concepts are not problems, it's just the quirks of how Sonar works with the V-Studio 700. Before this kit, I was used to single mono tracks and channels that could be linked to stereo pairs, so the operational details are a bit different. No worries--thanks.

One thing to keep in mind is that even if its a "mono" synth it may be in stereo. Often when mono is used to describe a synth what is meant is monopoly not monophonic. Monopoly is one voice. Monophonic is one audio channel.

 
This should clear things up for you.
 

 
You're welcome.

If its a mono source you should use a mono track. Before you record the input should be either left or right on most audio devices and Sonar will set up a mono track. If you set the input to stereo it will create a stereo track. If for some reason this gets screwed up simply change the track interleave to the right one, stereo or mono.

CJ, Don,
Help me clarify this.
So do you record vocals to a stereo track (Sonar's default) and then convert the track to mono, i.e just the one waveform line?

A vocal is a mono source when recorded with one mic, so i never ever record a mono source into a stereo track. I record a vocal into a mono track.
 
There is no reason why you should be recording mono source into a stereo track. Mono source records into a mono track and a stereo source recording into a stereo track
 
Cj

When I insert a new track (audio), I have to select the inputs for it. My options when I click on the INPUT for the track include: 

Stereo (R&L) Focusrite Saffire
Left Focusrite Saffire
Right Focusrite Saffire

^^^ This is extremely important. you CHOOSE what you want recorded, Mono or Stereo, The choice is yours (depending on the source)

californiamusic


I've recorded vocals in stereo accidently, and just converted to mono.. but it does increase the gain of the track as much as 10db.

I always thought CJ and Konradh were the same person.. need to stop looking at just pictures.  Durr

If you bounce down to Split Mono you'll not get the gain increase, just an additional track which you can delete.

I always thought CJ and Konradh were the same person.. need to stop looking at just pictures. Durr

I'm way way way more handsome then he is

Skyline, when you inset a track and select the input for that track, so it can record  form your sound card, that defines the track as mono or stereo.

Fro example:
If you select input 1 left stereo, then it will be a mono track
If you select  1 left and 2 right stereo, then it will be a stereo track

Note, all sound cards have different ways to describe the inputs

Cj

Try this Skyline_UK,

Before inserting a new "audio"track, make sure that the "Inspector" is visible on the screen. Insert new audio track. By default it will be stereo as indicated by the "Interleave" button..., which is blue. I guess Cakewalk could of programmed this insertion to be mono by default instead of stereo. But a default usually means (what's most commonly used or most likely to be used). Then, you still need to select the input device. If you select a mono input (L for example, as you want to record an acoustic guitar with 1 mic plugged into your left mic-pre), notice how the "Interleave" button changes to mono automatically.

So this is what CJ is saying...

"CJaysMusic"
when you inset a track and select the input for that track, so it can record form your sound card, that defines the track as mono or stereo.

Hope this helps!

OK, this is still not working right.  I have a mic plugged into one input in the V-Studio interface (in this case #8).  I create a track.  Sonar does not let me select stereo v mono.  The input in the track Inspector says Right 7-8 which is how Sonar makes you pick an input.  There is no way to pick 7 or 8: you have to pick 7-8 and then say whether you want left, right, or stereo.

When I record, I get a stereo track with the same signal on both sides.  I still see no way to record a mono track.