Bounce mono track yields stereo track-? [SOLVED]

I have a mono vocal track. I have the i/o insert on the track leading to an outboard compressor. It all works fine. When I bounce, though, I have a stereo waveform. I import the new file back onto the mono vocal track and it pans as I would expect from a mono track. In other words, it sounds fine. My amateur-level question: Does it matter that bouncing my mono track and mono compressor through the Stereo Output results in a stereo track?

Jim

It really does not matter much.

One thing is that the file will be double the size.

You can bounce to mono by changing the output to mono > Output 1 on the track and then clicking on the format button on the Stereo Output.

You can now click on the little bounce button on Output 1.

Thanks for the reply, Eric. When I do as you suggest, however, bouncing to Output 1 yields a file panned far left, and bouncing to Output 2 does the opposite. Is this expected behavior?

Jim

You have to make sure that you click on the little bounce button on Output 1 and not the Stereo Output 1-2.

Another option is to create a new mono audio track and set it's input to an unused bus.

Now route the output of the track that you wanted to bounce to the same bus.

Select the new mono audio track and press record.

Thanks again for the reply, Eric.

I had split the Stereo Output into 1 & 2 and bounced only from the single channel strip, but the resulting file was still panned far left or right.

To go back to your initial reply, you said "It does not really matter much" whether the resulting bounce comes out as stereo or mono. I'm inclined to agree as the resulting file pans as I would expect from a mono file. If that's the case then maybe I'll just keep the bounces I get out of the Stereo Output and call it a day.

Jim

I had split the Stereo Output into 1 & 2 and bounced only from the single channel strip, but the resulting file was still panned far left or right.

If the file itself is panned, that means you're still bouncing a stereo file. To bounce a mono file, make sure you click the Bnce (or Bnc) button at the bottom of a mono output. The title bar of the Bounce dialog should say "Bounce Output 1" (OR "Bounce Output 2").

Man--you guys are quick!

OK--preparing dinner. I'll check it out this evening or tomorrow morning and report back.

Thanks so much,

Jim

You're welcome! One more thing:

To go back to your initial reply, you said "It does not really matter much" whether the resulting bounce comes out as stereo or mono. I'm inclined to agree as the resulting file pans as I would expect from a mono file.

You shouldn't expect a mono file to be panned unless you pan it voluntarily in your mixer upon playback: a mono file yields a single audio signal, so if you place it on a mono track with the pan knob set to center, you'll send that single audio signal to both speakers in equal amounts, and the sound will be perceived as coming from the center of the stereo field.

So by default a mono file is always going to come out from the center.

On the other hand, by default, a stereo file may already be panned since it will yield two audio signals, one for the left speaker and the other for the right speaker, and those signals may be different (and/or have different levels).

I use an RME interface and this turned out to be a TotalMix issue. Specifically, I had to make the input and output channels which connected the outboard compressor into mono channels and I then had to select the "Mono" button on the main output channel. At this point I was able to bounce a mono file.

I have no doubt that TotalMix is a remarkably powerful software mixer, but I have the most difficult time accomplishing what seem to be simple goals. No doubt that's an indication of my limitations, and not those of TotalMix.

No matter, and thanks to both Eric and David.

Jim

You're welcome Jim.

For what it's worth, Logic Pro's bounce is internal and should not involve the Main output of your interface unless you have routed something from it back to Logic.

Logic Pro's bounce is internal and should not involve the Main output of your interface unless you have routed something from it back to Logic.

+1. TotalMix has nothing to do with the format of your bounced files in Logic.

Hi

Even with a Realtime bounce (which you'd need if you were bouncing using an I/O plug to an external compressor)?

CCT

Even with a Realtime bounce (which you'd need if you were bouncing using an I/O plug to an external compressor)?

Yes, bouncing a single output produces a mono file, wether bouncing in realtime or offline.

Hi

Even with a Realtime bounce (which you'd need if you were bouncing using an I/O plug to an external compressor)?

Yes, bouncing a single output produces a mono file, wether bouncing in realtime or offline.

My apologies...

my comment was in relation to this:

 

For what it's worth, Logic Pro's bounce is internal .

CCT

The bounce (summing) is still internal.

You can route things in and out of your interface but your interface will never be able to change how the bounce is done.

The OP wrote:

I then had to select the "Mono" button on the main output channel. At this point I was able to bounce a mono file.

How the output in TotalMix is set has nothing to do with Logic Pro's output bounce.

Re: bounces being entirely within Logic

I have no doubt that Eric & David are correct on this point. I can, however, add a couple points re: what I've learned about bouncing with regard to Logic and RME's TotalMix. My original goal was to bounce a mono file through an outboard compressor (using the i/o plugin) to a mono file. When I bounced the mono file through Stereo Output 1-2, however, I was greeted with a resulting stereo file. And so...

1. I was advised to split the Output 1-2 into two mono Output channel strips and change the track's output to Channel 1. I did so and this yielded the mono file I was after. However, during the realtime bounce the track played only out of the left speaker. Yet in the Logic mixer all the active channel strips were mono. What I finally figured out was that the TotalMix Output 1-2 channel was showing output only on the left half, and unlike Logic that channel strip cannot be split. When I hit the "Mono" button next to this strip in TotalMix the sound played in mono. None of this mattered to the bounced file in the end: It was mono and sounded as it should. It was baffling, though, to be bouncing what had been a centered sound coming out of only one speaker.

2. For a time I thought that the bounced file, too, was playing only out of the left. I dragged the new file onto the existing track and...LEFT ONLY! But then I realized that while I had turned Logic's Stereo Output back into a stereo channel, the track's channel was still set to output only on channel 1. When I changed it to Stereo Output all was well. Which proves, in the end, that I know far less about all of this than I would like.

Jim

Thanks for clarifying Jim.

Your explanation makes perfect sense.

It's exactly as you described.

Hey thanks for that, Eric. For once I don't feel like a complete imbecile when it comes to Logic/TotalMix.

Jim

You have to make sure that you click on the little bounce button on Output 1 and not the Stereo Output 1-2.

 

Another option is to create a new mono audio track and set it's input to an unused bus.

Now route the output of the track that you wanted to bounce to the same bus.

Select the new mono audio track and press record.

Bouncing to disk works, it produces a mono file and when played-back(outside of LogicPro) the signal is in both L and R, Great!! but, how about Monitoring while in this mono setup? because the signal is only present in either L or R but not both. I understand i can revert the MASTER OUTPUT back to STEREO but i have plugins on the MASTER and they behave/produce a different sound while in Stereo VS Mono.

It really does not matter much.

One thing is that the file will be double the size.

 

You can bounce to mono by changing the output to mono > Output 1 on the track and then clicking on the format button on the Stereo Output.

You can now click on the little bounce button on Output 1.

That's really useful. I've been bouncing to split files and deleting one of the resulting files and removing the ".R" suffix on the other. Duh!

On 8/4/2014 at 7:07 AM, Eric Cardenas said:

You have to make sure that you click on the little bounce button on Output 1 and not the Stereo Output 1-2.

Another option is to create a new mono audio track and set it's input to an unused bus.

Now route the output of the track that you wanted to bounce to the same bus.

Select the new mono audio track and press record.

I have the same problem and am trying to follow your instructions. I don't know what the "bounce button on Output 1" is. I chose mono output, but I still get a stereo file. Does it being in a Track Stack have any relevance?
 

4 minutes ago, edurbrow said:

I have the same problem and am trying to follow your instructions. I don't know what the "bounce button on Output 1" is. I chose mono output, but I still get a stereo file. Does it being in a Track Stack have any relevance?

It looks like you have some stereo plug-ins on your original channel strip? Click the plug-ins to check their format and make sure they're mono.