Need Pros/Cons Of Recording - Mono Source to Stereo Track

Prock · July 30, 2016, 9:59pm

esterman:

Hey @Prock,

i believe those two reasons are the main ones: less DSP load and having absolutely no problems in terms of cabling/routing, like @mrhehon said…

If you always use the stereo track, you will have to listen 4x more carefully and worry at least twice as much with every plugin you insert in that track…

When you are able to use a mono input in a stereo effect - e.g. amp simulators - the fx plugin either gives a manual option about how many inputs it will use (only left in, or “# inputs” for example), or it does that automatically, depending on the detection of input signal.

Many plugins that aren’t made with special care for mono input, like modulation, delays, anything pretty much except guitar fx, you have a big chance of having routing issues like one channel comes out clean, or out of phase, or whatever, when inserting plugins of a different configuration of its track, so like its been done since the 60’s, we usually go for the most perfect setup, like using mono tracks for mono inputs and stereo tracks for stereo inputs…

if you’re a modern one, you actually do record a mono guitar to a stereo track, in order to use an amp simulator in that track… but audio guys will mostly route the mono track to a group channel, and insert amp simulator there. It’s much smarter, bringing many more possibilities, than adding the amp plugin to a single track… (that would be the virtual version of soldering a physical guitar to its amp)

I believe that’s pretty much it… but depending on your style, if you know what you’re doing, you can break any rules man just make the track happen, that’s the most important part

Good summation. Thanks again.

Regards.