Newbie--convert mono to stereo

trumphodge · Post by **trumphodge** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 12:47 am

Newbie question (though I have searched knowledge base, forums, etc)--I am recording an electric piano in mono--and want to duplicate the left mono channel to the right channel for adding tracks.

How do I do this? I tried copying the mono track to a second audio track and changin it to the right channel, but it seems to persist as the left channel.

Help! Thanks--

Patricia

ErnstEiswürfel · Post by **ErnstEiswürfel** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 2:28 am

i guess you recorded a stereo file on only one side?
try ableton's audio effect "utility". there you can select which side should be played back etc..
but it would be even better to record in mono from the start.
to do so, check the preferences / audio / input configuration.
probably you have selected a stereo pair (1&2) in there.
enable the mono settings on the left - then you can select those channels seperately in the inputs of your audio track.

trumphodge · Post by **trumphodge** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 1:15 pm

Thank you--I appreciate the help in solving my problem. I'm recording accompaniment tracks with a digital piano (direct input) so there isn't a true stereo effect but I want the sound coming out of both speakers when my singer starts singing!

Patricia

ErnstEiswürfel · Post by **ErnstEiswürfel** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 1:25 pm

trumphodge wrote:Thank you--I appreciate the help in solving my problem. I'm recording accompaniment tracks with a digital piano (direct input) so there isn't a true stereo effect but I want the sound coming out of both speakers when my singer starts singing!

Patricia

yes.. your problem definitely sounds like you recorded a stereo track on only one side.
what do you mean with "direct input"? you mean line-in minjack on your computer or something?

8O · Post by 8O » Fri Jan 16, 2009 1:26 pm

Hi,

Maybe this thread can also help: http://forum.ableton.com/viewtopic.php?t=104014

trumphodge · Post by **trumphodge** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 1:51 pm

I have the piano plugged into an ASIO interface--not a MIDI connection. (I think it's a line-in minijack--I'm vague on some of the terminology.) So I want to have that track play back on both speakers when my singers get going.

My sisters and I get together each year at this time and our main activity is recording music. They are the singers--I do the piano and manage the recording. So I'm still pretty much a novice, but we've done some nice things, and I want the recording to go smoothly. They arrive today!

Another question--I'm getting occasional pops when I've been recording these accompaniments. Doesn't seem to be clipping. I'm going to look at some of the contention info, but I'm wondering if there are any prime culprits to focus on. I have a Dell desktop, 1.6 GHz, 2 GB RAM, Windows 32 bit Vista. The computer isn't used for much else--bascially a dedicated machine. It is on a wireless network for occasional internet use.

8O · Post by 8O » Fri Jan 16, 2009 1:56 pm

trumphodge wrote:Another question--I'm getting occasional pops when I've been recording these accompaniments. Doesn't seem to be clipping. I'm going to look at some of the contention info, but I'm wondering if there are any prime culprits to focus on. I have a Dell desktop, 1.6 GHz, 2 GB RAM, Windows 32 bit Vista. The computer isn't used for much else--bascially a dedicated machine. It is on a wireless network for occasional internet use.

Might be your buffer settings. Have you been through Live's built-in lesson on setting up audio i-o, that should be a good first step here...?

8O · Post by 8O » Fri Jan 16, 2009 1:59 pm

Also, for Vista, read this: http://www.ableton.com/pages/faq/vista

trumphodge · Post by **trumphodge** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 2:22 pm

I followed the instructions in that lesson when I first did the set-up, but it would be worth re-visiting.

Suede Subway · Post by **Suede Subway** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 11:03 am

There is a simple answer to this.

Export your file to Audacity. If you don't have it then just do a web search in Google and download it - it's FREE. It's also very useful.

One you have imported your file into Audacity - see what you have - sounds obvious.

If you have recorded a stereo track on "only one side" then split the track and simply -> select all -> copy -> paste your selection into the empty half of the split.

Alternatively, if you have a genuine mono track, there is an option to split the track.

Re import the track into Live by dragging it to a track in a arrangement view.

Hope that helps.

Ian

trumphodge · Post by **trumphodge** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 11:55 am

Thank you, Ian--I do have Audacity and find it an easier editing tool than Live. Patricia

Suede Subway · Post by **Suede Subway** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 1:34 pm

OK

You can do a lot in Live, and overall I don't like to export/re-import files too much.

But it seems a relatively simple way to achieve what you want.

I always keep a back up of my original file too.

Ian