thanks johnny, that was one my major problems - understand how Tascam inputs are listed in the Track Strip. I'll tinker some more and hopefully figure it out. -ryan

Jeff Evans


I think part of this problem is the way Sonar actually displays or does not display mono tracks. The problem is that the appearance of the track meter remains the same for either stereo or mono and that is a major flaw in my opinion.

The interleave button is also confusing. It is not obvious at first if the track is in stereo or not. Also the input options are confusing. This is why someone can think they are recording in mono but in fact they are only recording on one side of a stereo track and you cannot pan it afterwards. That should never be able to happen.

Sorry to say but Studio One has got this seriously right. Tracks are either stereo OR mono and that is it. A mono track only has one meter (not two, that is dumb) so it is very obvious it is mono. When a mono track is created the stereo input options disappear and you can only select either L or R to record onto that track. When you create a stereo track you get two meters and all the input options. You can never make a mistake in terms of recording either stereo or mono tracks from input sources.

Don't you think this is the way it should be? This part of Sonar's software could be revisited and improved. This is an example of over complicating a relatively simple issue instead of making it easy and foolproof. I have never been a fan of the way Sonar handles this. It is the very reason people get confused and make mistakes here. Of course seasoned users know about it but it can be confusing for the person just starting out.

I'm going to agree to some, but not to some other parts. The input lists showing for example '1L and 1R rather than '1L and 2R, yeah it' was a bit to get used to.
 
The track interleave button does introduce some KungFoosion it's true too. It has nothing to do with setting up mono or stero tracking. Its job is to force the track path to mono, overrides some inserted plugs that would create a stereo effect on a mono track for example.
So if you see even a 'mono track can carry stereo info, and it is therfore always a stereo' capable path, it'll begin to make more sense, as will perhaps their metering choice.

Sorry CJ if others had figured out the problem. I just observed that both Daveny and Kalle had figured the problem out and offered solutions but then everyone seemed to obliviously carry on discussing and even arguing  the finer points of recording multi guitars, stereo and all that stuff.   

After I posted this I noticed, they are still at it... Oh well advice comes cheap round here..

I split stereo inputs and synth outputs all the time. 1 lft-2rght. When Mono is selected the meter is no longer a split meter. On split outputs, only half of the meter bar will light up. Top half left, bottom half right on horizontal meters. But none of this really helps the OP. Make three mono guitar tracks, leave one centered in the mix, pan one left, pan one right. Adjust the EQ's differently on all three, <---(personal taste and wanted effect). Alter the volumes slightly where you want the pan effect in your left and right tracks. Use envelopes if you want. There are numerous other ways to do it, all will sound different.

 

Umm I didn't ask. OP did. You do actually read this stuff right?

No they don't. Most people don't bother. If you look at the first response (mine) I explain about recording in mono instead of stereo, yet at least 7 or 8 people afterwards say the exact same thing as though it had never been said already! So the answer is NO they don't bother to read. :D

It'd be a pretty boring board if every question on here received one reply, especially if it didn't actually answer the OPs question...........

6stringsat100mph

Umm I didn't ask. OP did. You do actually read this stuff right?

No they don't. Most people don't bother. If you look at the first response (mine) I explain about recording in mono instead of stereo, yet at least 7 or 8 people afterwards say the exact same thing as though it had never been said already! So the answer is NO they don't bother to read. :D

Sometimes you need to read between the lines. At the time you wrote your proper answer it was not yet obvious that OP had no idea of the track settings, panning or stereo/mono routing during recording. That's why he could not even describe the situation correctly, and everybody assumed the problem was less basic than it was.

Sometimes you need to read between the lines. At the time you wrote your proper answer it was not yet obvious that OP had no idea of the track settings, panning or stereo/mono routing during recording. That's why he could not even describe the situation correctly, and everybody assumed the problem was less basic than it was.

 
Welll,... we're probably saying the same thing. But often here, it's our intention to make the OP think along different lines. To approach it differently, to recalculate the situation with new elements. A lot of people want you to be their engineer, but you're just not sitting there and people leave out details you can't see. So, you have to make them think.

Sorry to drudge this up again but I was wondering what types of posturing had been done in response to my "No they don't" quip and I am very nicely surprised that only slight turbulence and some excellent responses. Take Crg as he posted just above mine here. I thought quite a bit of the mindset people have when posting and gathering the needed responses that make this and any forum worth anything. I would have to sincerely doubt, however, that people have an educator approach in mind when guiding or answering. I try and picture any one of us really making a strong attempt to get into the various probabilities and covering each base in a calculated and organized tutorial type manner. If they did, they would, in my opinion, be seriously wasting their time. What I mean to say (and I will put it bluntly) when I ask a question I want nothing more than to be answered in as much a "to the point" fashion as I can get. I log in, check the thread, find the answer, feel satisfied and then quickly go put this new knowledge to work without reading all the various other views and "points of view" that may give me more understanding into the process of being developed into a well groomed audio technician...blah blah blah....nope. We want to be answered, and move on. This may be unthinkable to some and may even be categorically wrong in my assumptions. They are however what I think to be true. So there it is..I just vomited up exactly the type of response I stated is not done. Awesome, no? ;)