Problem getting mono tracks for sharing with Pro Tools

[mctconsortium]

Hi all-

 

l'm working with an engineer long distance who will be producing/mixing for me. He is using Pro Tools, so I need to get him my tracks from Logic. The plan was to share all my tracks (audio and soft ints) as WAV with no processing (no plugins, etc.), a set of the WAVs with my processing on it (for his reference), and the MIDI files for the software instruments, so he can throw his own software instruments on them.

 

The problem I'm having is in getting the PURE ORIGINAL (as recorded) MONO tracks out for my mono audio recordings. Before starting, let me say I have extensively searched and read up on the forum here and elsewhere on the topic, but haven't come to a conclusive answer on a couple of things. When using the 'Export all Tracks as Audio Files," I ALWAYS get 2-channel (stereo) WAVS. This is true for my mono-recorded audio as well. Just as a double-check, the regions and the channel strips both indicate mono (single O, not double OO) for these tracks as expected. I have selected to bypass all plugins, and have the include pan/volume NOT selected. I'm exporting one file per track, as 24-bit, 44.1. When I run this, all tracks export as 2-channel WAVs.

 

One solution I've read is to solo each track, make sure it is mono, and then bounce the Output channel as mono. But this has problems. 1.) It is very manual (can't do all tracks at once), 2.) I'd have to turn off all the plugins manually 3.) need to route pre-fader (i guess?) to make sure it doesn't include volume/pan. 4.) need to turn off all automation. Point being, this is a PITA.

 

Another option I've seen involves bouncing, splitting, and tossing one of the now independent channel WAV files.

 

Still another option (and the one I've liked best so far) is to Export as I was before using the 'Export all tracks as Audio Files' function (in order to take advantage of the ability to batch process and bypass plugins), and then open the stereo WAVs it creates in Soundtrack Pro. Then use the 'Convert to Mono' function in soundtrack pro and re-save the file. Again, this is not as elegant as Logic handling it in the first place, but I recorded an Automator script to accomplish the Soundtrack Pro mono conversion, so It's not awful. What I'm NOT sure about is regarding how using the 'Convert to Mono' function gives you the choice of using the Left channel, Right channel, or combining left and right to create the mono. If the stereo audio tracks logic has created are identical in Left and Right, does it matter what I choose? Will Combining SUM the two, and therefore make it louder? Or is it all the same? What I want (obviously) is the pure original recording in mono unprocessed. If I just use one channel, is this what I'm getting?

 

Questions:

1.) Is it 'standard' for a Pro Tools engineer to ask for/require mono audio recordings? Should PT be dealing with it during the import?

2.) Why aren't my mono audio tracks coming out as mono WAVs using the 'Export all Tracks as Audio' function? Is this "just how it is"

3.) Is bouncing each track individually via the Output on mono the best way to ensure non-degraded quality?

4.) In Soundtrack Pro, when converting an audio file that has identical Left and Right channels to mono, is there any difference between selecting using only the Left Channel vs. Combining Left and Right to create the mono? Which selection(s) will result in Zero Quality loss?

 

Your help is VERY much appreciated. We really need to get a workflow down to share non-degraded tracks. If there is a better workflow you can recommend for sharing between Logic and PT outside of what I've outlined above, I'd appreciate that too.

 

Thx-

Brian

[Jordi Torres]

When using the 'Export all Tracks as Audio Files," I ALWAYS get 2-channel (stereo) WAVS. This is true for my mono-recorded audio as well.

 

Make sure you do not include volume and pan automation in the export all tracks as audio files dialog.

 

J.

[ski]

Real quick...

 

It's definitely NOT normal for a PT engineer to request mono tracks (or split stereo) unless he's working on an extremely old system.

 

If you want to bounce out of Logic in mono, the solution is pretty easy, but you have to watch your step doing it:

 

• click on the double-circle on the stereo output (or whatever output you're bouncing out of) to make it mono

• if the output's volume is set to anything other than 0 dB, set it to 0 dB. This is critical.

• bypass any non-latency-inducing plugins on the output and physically remove any that are latency-inducing

• if you've got automation on the output, turn off automation

 

Now you can safely bounce out your parts in mono. When you're done, put everything back the way it was on your output.

 

Now... if you DO give the engineer interleaved stereo tracks where both sides contain the same material (which is the most convenient thing to make in Logic), it is entirely possible for the engineer to import that audio, split the tracks into mono, and use just one side. But the process of doing that, he'll end up with three tracks in PT for every track he has to do that with: one stereo track, and two mono tracks. He'll then have to do a bit of work (being very careful about it too) to delete the no-longer-needed stereo track as well as whichever side he's not going to use.

 

So initially, this will potentially clutter the session with unneeded tracks, and the project will contain unneeded audio files (say, the R side which is not going to be used). All of that stuff can be cleared out, but it just takes time.

[mctconsortium]

When using the 'Export all Tracks as Audio Files," I ALWAYS get 2-channel (stereo) WAVS. This is true for my mono-recorded audio as well.

 

Make sure you do not include volume and pan automation in the export all tracks as audio files dialog.

 

J.

 

 

Thanks for the reply. That's correct, I am NOT including volume/pan automation, but I still only receive stereo WAVs.

[mctconsortium]

Thank you for taking the time to respond.

 

It's definitely NOT normal for a PT engineer to request mono tracks (or split stereo) unless he's working on an extremely old system.

 

He is not using an old system I think it's just that he needs/wants the original mono recordings (of guitars, vocals, etc.) so that he can mix as necessary. These should not be stereo tracks.

 

If you want to bounce out of Logic in mono, the solution is pretty easy, but you have to watch your step doing it:

 

• click on the double-circle on the stereo output (or whatever output you're bouncing out of) to make it mono

• if the output's volume is set to anything other than 0 dB, set it to 0 dB. This is critical.

• bypass any non-latency-inducing plugins on the output and physically remove any that are latency-inducing

• if you've got automation on the output, turn off automation

 

 

This is what I was trying to avoid; using the 'Export All...' function is much simpler and allows for bypassing plugins automatically, etc. MUCH better than going through this process for each and every track manually. Besides the headache it creates, it also just leaves SO much room for human error.

 

Now you can safely bounce out your parts in mono. When you're done, put everything back the way it was on your output.

 

Now... if you DO give the engineer interleaved stereo tracks where both sides contain the same material (which is the most convenient thing to make in Logic), it is entirely possible for the engineer to import that audio, split the tracks into mono, and use just one side. But the process of doing that, he'll end up with three tracks in PT for every track he has to do that with: one stereo track, and two mono tracks. He'll then have to do a bit of work (being very careful about it too) to delete the no-longer-needed stereo track as well as whichever side he's not going to use.

 

Would this not be fucntionally the same asme doing it myself in advance via Soundtrack Pro using the method I described before? And also, do you know if (in Soundtrack Pro) keeping just One Channel is the same as, or even the preferred alternative to, combining Left and Right to create mono?

 

Thanks,

Brian

[triplets]

I would definitely use Export all tracks as audio files.

[Jordi Torres]

When using the 'Export all Tracks as Audio Files," I ALWAYS get 2-channel (stereo) WAVS. This is true for my mono-recorded audio as well.

 

Make sure you do not include volume and pan automation in the export all tracks as audio files dialog.

 

J.

 

 

Thanks for the reply. That's correct, I am NOT including volume/pan automation, but I still only receive stereo WAVs.

 

Something's not right, then. If that box is unchecked the result should be mono files for mono tracks.

 

J.

[ski]

Not 100% sure about this, but perhaps it's something to check... if you have mono --> stereo plugins on a track, they will export as stereo even if you select the option to bypass plugins.