Are people "Downmix to Mono" when rendering mono files?

Cubase
1

Hi - I recently noticed (being brain-dead, apparently) that my mono files are rendered to stereo because I have that button clicked in the dialogue.

I was just wondering, in cases where you don’t need the track to be converted to stereo, do you guys generally check the “downmix to mono” button to keep your file in mono when rendering? Or do you consider that just another time-consuming and unnecessary step to blow past?

Thanks-

2

Aloha a,
I have done some stuff for a movie documentary in which they wanted a mono file.
(they wanted an old 30’s/40s type sound).

But I simply recored and mixed it all as mono.
The client was happy and I must say it was
kinda kool working in that environment.

HTH
{‘-’}

3

If you select downmix to mono and use the stereo out bus, the file will be mono summed and outputted to a mono file according to the panlaw selected. (-3dB is a good start)
If you add a mono bus to the output you can use that for your mono channels and the stereo bus for the stereo channels and you can do mono and stereo stems in one operation.

4

Thanks for the replies, guys.

This is a hard one for me to get my head around for some reason. For starts, the terminology confuses me. If I’ve got a mono file w/ automation I want to render back into the project (so the automation is gone), am I “downmixing” when I use the batch export function? Until recently I’ve been getting stereo files back, because I’ve got the L/R box checked.

Split, I’m going to have to look closely at the export dialogue window when I get back, I think you’re saying I’ve got a stereo bus selected, I don’t remember remember seeing that or selecting any bus. :blush: I guess you’re saying that even if I’m not really leaving Cubase (as in my example), it still uses an output bus that I need to select appropriately? No prob, I can do that!

5

Yup, the export is routed through the master output channel.

6

Cool to know, thanks. I’ll look up how to direct mono tracks to the mono output, etc.

Thanks for your help, Split!

7

Surely I’ m misunderstanding you, but this would depend, on what exactly you export…
Batch export usually does not go through the master out…?!

8

Yeah, I should of been clearer…

9

How are you guys batch exporting a mono file (to render automation, for example) so that it comes back into the project as a mono file?

Mine comes back in as a stereo file by default, apparently. Not sure if choosing “split” for the L/R options is the best way to go, or if there is a better way to approach this.

Thanks!

10

Via a mono bus - as Split wrote already

11

Thank you, TC. My question in more detail is, “how/where do I route it to a mono bus”. Thank you.

12

Anyone else … how are you batch rendering a mono track?

I am checking the “Mixdown to mono” on the dialog. The way it is worded makes me think it was put there for stereo>>mono conversion, but I found it did null with my original mono track.

Is that the only way to batch export a mono track and keep it mono?

Thanks -

13

That’ s what it is there for…

No, exporting via moo busses is the other, as said twice already…
And if you don’ t know how to route a track output, you should start by reading the manual.

14

Great, thanks for that TC.

I guess I found out that in my hands, it was much more efficient to batch process multiple mono tracks (for rendering automation, e.g.,) using the “Downmix to mono” checkbox (Option A) than changing the routing on the multiple tracks to one of the mono outputs (Option B).

In the first case, I can leave the mono tracks routed to the stereo out bus, which is where at some time I must have chosen a default for all tracks to be output to. I just leave the routing alone (i.e., it stays routed to the main stereo out), and after selecting each mono audio file I want to export, it just takes a single click to the “Down mix to mono” button in the dialog.

In the 2nd case, I have to remember to change the output routing of each track I want to render (to a mono output), then when I’m done rendering, change them all back to the stereo out bus. Two extra steps, with lots of opportunity for forgetting and setting up for a mistake/confusion/troubleshooting down the road.

Everything nulls either way, so maybe I’m missing something ( :question: ), but for rendering automation on multiple mono tracks at once it seems much easier to click one button in the dialog (“Downmix to Mono”) than change and then unchange multiple output routings for each of the mono tracks.

How do you guys generally do it?

15

yeah, that way…