STEREO OR MONO ???

when tracking a sampled loop from mpc to pro tools, which tpye of track do you chose? 2 seperate mono track for one loop or a stereo track for one loop? just wondering, thanks

A stereo track is two seperate mono tracks.

To answer your question, I record individual tracks as one mono track each. Everything is mono until the final mixdown (beat + vocals).

TREV wrote:when tracking a sampled loop from mpc to pro tools, which tpye of track do you chose? 2 seperate mono track for one loop or a stereo track for one loop? just wondering, thanks

For a loop, I prefer mono.

If instruments need panning movement I'll use stereo.

If instruments don't need panning movement, I'll use mono.

if there is vital stereo information(sound) then Ill record in stereo, if theres nothing there that I mind losing then mono...

I use stereo all of the time...unless recording vocals or bass.

I've never paned any of my samples, I've always tried to keep them in the center at different levels with different EQ settings. Maybe I should start panning my samples by small increments?

The Beat Conductor wrote:I've never paned any of my samples, I've always tried to keep them in the center at different levels with different EQ settings. Maybe I should start panning my samples by small increments?

You'll end up with a much fuller mix if you position your sounds across the stereo field. In addition you can use panning while mixing to add a sense of "movement" to your mix. Picture yourself standing in front of a stage with live players. Kick drum is dead center. Snare and hats are slightly off center. Toms spread across the center. The bass amp is usually right next to the drummer. Keys and guitar are usually spread further out and the vocalist stands in front. You may add a horn section to one side and some backup singers to the other or any other combination you may think of. At one point I did an unofficial psycolgical study of the way sound make you feel as the move across the stereo field. On the whole I found that sounds moving left to right were natural or relaxed while sounds moving right to left created a feeling of anticipation or tension....go figure...it's obvious I have way too much time on my hands....

I'm going to start experimenting with panning...

I've never paned any of my samples, I've always tried to keep them in the center at different levels with different EQ settings. Maybe I should start panning my samples by small increments?
>>>>>>

hell yeha- keeping things central just stacks everything on top of each other

greg

um i don't know what u guys r using but if a drum hit is in stereo just sample it in stereo. u can always change it to mono with one mouse click in a daw easily. u may think that u just want it in mono when u hear it by itself, but that may change once everything is together. i'm all about options and changing a stereo file to mono is so easy that it makes no sense not to do it.
also i am not talking about taking a mono signal and recording it in stereo. that makes no sense. i am talking about taking a source that has 2 different pieces of info on the right and left channels.

cooocooo1 wrote:if there is vital stereo information(sound) then Ill record in stereo, if theres nothing there that I mind losing then mono...

This is the key. If what you're sampling has more than one instument for example, and you like the placement of the instruments in the stereo field, record it in stereo.

On the other hand, if you're sampling just a guitar lick, it can be recorded in mono. But, odds are, you're still going to lose some information since reverb, delays, ect. are sometimes panned left/right. Now, if you're going to remix the sample yourself, and add reverb, delays, ect., it may be best to get rid of what's there. But then the sample will sound thinner than the original recording unless you can bring it back.

Beat God wrote: u can always change it to mono with one mouse click in a daw easily.

or.....

i usually sum to mono on my desk prior to sampling drums, then i may convert hats or perc back into stereo once in the mpc

this way you minimize the room sound on each drum and can add your own later

the cool thing about stereo is that u can also stereo spit the file and use 1 channel as the main sound and really squash the second channel with a 1176ln type compressor (all buttons mode), then mix both to taste. this mimics what a lot of engineers do with room mics on a kit. the possiblities r endless.

Multiple mono is cool if for some reason the gain on one side is higher or lower than the other...you can adjust them to hit roughly the same. I don't use drum loops myself, sometimes chops...but you may find you might not like what's actually coming from one channel or the other. Most drum breaks have a distintively stronger, cleaner channel that is preferable in the mix. Some of that is personal taste as well. With a joined stereo track you are pretty much stuck with things as is. With Protools, I'd probably sample it stereo, then convert the tracks to mono. This upholds timing accuracy between the left and right channels if you end up using both IMO.