stereo to mono best practices

In order to save space and also because it is sometimes unnecessary to have stereo files, I want to work on the project and then bounce out a mono file. Since most of the projects are a mix of stereo and mono files, i can't just keep it all strictly mono. Is the best way to do this changing the final output to mono? what is really happening, and how is logic summing the stuff?

A lot of these sounds that I'm trying to keep mono are really just like spark sounds and stuff, so they don't really need to be stereo, but i don't know exactly how much information i'm losing. It also makes looping them for playback in game a hell of a lot easier than stereo files.

Thanks in advance.

I wouldn't want to have to work on something in stereo and then not be sure until afterward what it would sound like in mono at the end, so i would either:

use the gain plug to mono-ise the individual tracks for everything in the project

or select the left or right channel on a per track basis for audio tracks if I was happy to lose one channel.

How Logic sums to mono may possibly depend on how you have set the pan law but I don't know enough about the 'under the hood' stuff to be very useful

In order to save space and also because it is sometimes unnecessary to have stereo files

You don't make the decision to record in mono or stereo "in order to save space". You record stereo files when you WANT to use stereo files, and you record mono files when you WANT to use mono files. If you need to make those decisions based on space, then you should purchase a new larger hard drive.

I want to work on the project and then bounce out a mono file.

A mono file... of what? Of your project? Why? What is the goal?

Since most of the projects are a mix of stereo and mono files, i can't just keep it all strictly mono. Is the best way to do this changing the final output to mono? what is really happening, and how is logic summing the stuff?

The format of a bounced file is completely independent of the format of the files used on the various tracks you're summing: you can create a stereo mix out of only mono tracks, and you can create a mono mix out of only stereo tracks if you'd want. The big question here is WHAT do you want to achieve and WHY. It's hard to answer your questions until we know where you're headed.

It also makes looping them for playback in game a hell of a lot easier than stereo files.

If you want to work on a stereo recording, then work on a stereo recording. Deal with the challenges such as looping, HD space etc.. later. But don't let those challenges dictate whether you should use stereo or mono recordings.

I wouldn't want to have to work on something in stereo and then not be sure until afterward what it would sound like in mono at the end, so i would either: use the gain plug to mono-ise the individual tracks for everything in the project

I'm not sure what the point would be here.

select the left or right channel on a per track basis for audio tracks if I was happy to lose one channel.

How Logic sums to mono may possibly depend on how you have set the pan law

No it does not. Pan laws (and panning in general) are not related to mono summing so it's hard to guess what you had in mind there. Summing to mono means summing the left and the right channels of a stereo source (mono = left + right), in Logic just like in any other device that can sum to mono.

So WHAT are you trying to do exactly?

Hard drive space is not the issue. I didn't feel the need to elaborate on my original post at the time, but I'm working on sound fx for a game. Space actually IS an issue both due to streaming and to download and uncompressed format size. Sorry I didn't mention that. I'm aware that mono vs stereo is not a space saving technique when working on a regular project. It just so happens, that if im working on something that doesn't benefit from stero spread like a sparking sound, I would want to use mono. However, some of my source material is mixed. Also,certain mono files are just easier to place in a spatialized audio setting

Apologies for being unclear in the original post, after reading it back it is rather vague.

Hard drive space is not the issue. I didn't feel the need to elaborate on my original post at the time, but I'm working on sound fx for a game. Space actually IS an issue both due to streaming and to download and uncompressed format size. Sorry I didn't mention that. I'm aware that mono vs stereo is not a space saving technique when working on a regular project. It just so happens, that if im working on something that doesn't benefit from stero spread like a sparking sound, I would want to use mono. However, some of my source material is mixed.

Ok so you'll need to first detemine whether or not you want to produce a mono file or a stereo file. Have you determined that? That's the first thing you need to determine.

On the other hand, the format of the individual tracks within your mix will not affect the size of the final bounce file.

Also,certain mono files are just easier to place in a spatialized audio setting

But if the final bounce is mono then all of that doesn't really matter since there's no "spacialized audio setting" (I'm assuming that means a stereo field). If you're producing a mono track then I would recommend setting the format button (right below the meter on the channel strip) of all your tracks to mono, keeping all pans centered.