Mono or Stereo

[Bitfiend]

ok so SX3, exporting and audio mixdown (a single channel). if you're going to import back in to a mono channel, should you export it as a mono or stereo mixdown? I mean does it really matter to the sound quality?

[Rambunkcious]

Bit,

Mono should be fine unless you have a stereo effect on it, but if its being imported back into a mono track you should go with mono, with no degradation to sound quality as long as you have the proper bit depth and sample rate

Rambunkcious

[Bitfiend]

Thanks Rami. With most effects being stereo, if it's exported mono with a stereo effect (then imported to a mono channel), you'll just loose the stereoness (Meds has subiness, i now have stereoness, he-he) of the effect and not affect the audio quality, correct?

[admin]

Depends what you mean by 'sound quality', it's kind of an ambiguous term.

I believe when Cubase bounces a stereo file to mono it will mix the two channels together. Depending on the 'stereoness' this could result in phase cancellation or other changes to how the sound is now perceived. Some effects cancel out when turned to mono.

The actually process of converting from stereo to mono itself has no bearing on 'sound quality'.

Best thing is just try it and compare the two.

[Rambunkcious]

True, watch out for phase cancellation.

[admin]

You can always throw a stereo to mono plugin over the track to preview how it will sound before converting.