Audio Track Configuration - Mono <> Stereo

Just recently I had to work with Studio One 5.4 and noticed a extremely smart feature we should have seen already since years in Cubase: easy change of audio track configuration. If you create an audio track in SO 5.4 in mono for instance and you then want to have it in stereo you just have to click on the icon in the track, bang! And you can do it back an forth. How could they even do that since we were told for years it is more than rocket science :grin:
Please bring that in for Cubase!

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Yes, sir? :thinking:

Great idea!

Do you realize you can create macros for this? Create a macro, then assign it to a key command.

  1. Convert stereo to mono
  2. convert mono to stereo
  3. convert stereo to 2 mono tracks
  4. convert 2 mono tracks to stereo.

I think there are others, but those are the only ones I use.

BANG!

Sure I realize, but after looking over the fence I saw a very smart and straight forward way to do it better. 1-click (certainly also as a key command) solution with no magic. Try the demo and you’ll understand that this conversation isn’t the smart way. And it is not about audio material it is about track configuration. This is a missing thing in Cubase 11 still. Also, check Reaper, there you do not even have to care which type of track you have, MIDI, audio, icecream, it is a track and can be what you want…there is much room for improvement.

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Then your quote "And it is not about audio material it is about track configuration. "

I’m confused. The room for improvement never ends except those who complain about upgrades.

You said ā€œIf you create an audio track in SO 5.4 in mono for instance and you then want to have it in stereo you just have to click on the icon in the track, bang!ā€

Thats exactly what the 2nd macro above achieves. You have created a audio track in mono, but now you want it in stereo. Press 1 button, a Cubase macro assigned to a KC. Bang!

Now, if you want more click icons on the Project Page, especially ones that can already be configured as a macro, LE, or PLE, then you are competing with users who say Cubase is too cluttered looking already. Also, users who want other important-to-them stuff for example a track volume slider on each track on the project page which can’t be achieved by a macro. There are a lot of different types of Cubase users, and they all want different things. This is why Cubase provides the PLE, LE, and macros. Customize your Cubase.

The 4 commands I wrote above, assuming a track is in focus, are all 1 button press and each one can be created using a macro.

I don’t see how much more simple it can be other than you use a KC and not an icon to click on in the project page. Are you referring to something completely different, maybe a video or tutorial about what you are referring to?

1 Like

hi!

how do you make this macro? ā€œConvert To Stereoā€ or anything like that doesnt show up in key commands search

I can only find ā€œConvert Tracks: Mono to Multi-Channelā€, but this is something else

You made a macro that ā€œflipsā€ single mono tracks inc inserts etc to stereo?

thanks…

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Well, a macro is chaining commands together to achieve a function not achievable by a single key command. Yes, you are right there is no ā€œconvert to stereoā€ key command so you have to put together a macro that achieves this.

I’ll gladly list my Macro steps so you can simply press 1 key on your keyboard to instantly convert a mono file to stereo if that’s what you want.

But tomorrow…I’m too tired now. :crazy_face:

yes we need it!!!

:slight_smile:

some coffee???

stereo to mono: Make sure your track is focused.

  1. Audio>find selected in pool
  2. Media>convert files
  3. enter
  4. enter

The first time you do this you need to set the convert files option to mono. But it stays that way for future use.

You need to enter a 2nd time to say OK to the warning that this operation can’t be undone. Also in Metagrid I have programmed a few .2 second pauses between commands, but I’m pretty sure you don’t really need that to make the macro work.

Heres a few others that might help although the following isn’t the way I do it.

Also there is the export audio mixdown window to convert stuff. But I don’t think that works configuring things as a macro.

2 Likes

Thanks Greggybud for getting back about converting mono to stereo!

I forgot about this method, with all the ā€˜rendering in place’ i do these days :slight_smile:
I use rendering through stereo groups to get the same result.

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Good idea. Macros are good (and they do work for this) but, a simple button that can be added to your configuration is a better way to simplify this need.

Regards :sunglasses:

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MIDI/Audio is a MUST - I’m so tired of creating 3 tracks to feed one. Every instrument or recording gets 3 inputs, Audio, MIDI Note, MIDI CC, then those are all routed where they need to go. Why not have all of that one one track? Don’t even get me started with FX. Why do I have to put inserts on an FX track to get it to process on a different core? Why can’t I set a CC to turn the insert on and off when it’s an insert, and not on it’s own FX track? Why does automation loose it’s CC data?..

I already noted that, indeed. It is pointless to continue as you are the best example of not understanding or not wanting to understand. If you ever uesed Cubase you had noted that there is a tiny icon already showing the audio configuration of the track (on o is mono two oo is stereo). In the other DAW, guess what, you click on this icon (available in both DAWs) and you can switch between mono or stereo back and forth: But again, I can see that you are one of those Cubase users being over protective for ā€œtheirā€ DAW, which is fine, but I won’t continue a conversation.
Best regards

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Yes, I use it 5 days a week. Weekends off. I’m familiar with the stereo/mono indicator.

Again I think you are asking for a simple switch for each track instead of creating a macro and assigning a KC to it. I don’t see anything wrong with a dedicated icon switch either. Maybe make it a feature request here? All I’m saying it that you can already achieve conversion with a basic macro, and assign it to a KC. But you don’t want a macro, you want a GUI switch to click on for every track just like S1.

S1 has newer code which makes it easier to configure from the ground up. Unfortunately, Cubase has some older code so to achieve what often seems simple, isn’t always as simple as some might think. My guess is that since these conversions can be achieved with a macro as described above, and assigning the macro to a key command, Steinberg feels other issues should take priority.
IMO the question is ease of implementation (cost of adding the feature) and whether or not the feature warrants achieving something that can currently be achieved by a basic marco.

Maybe ask yourself why this has not happened in the past 20 years. I’ll assure you they have considered a switch. My conclusion is every developers resources is limited, and so far they have decided those resources should go elsewhere since you can achieve the same with a macro.

I would bet that they just never tried to add it. I came here because I googled the same thing. I can pretty easily just create a stereo track and pull all my inserts and routing over to the new track…but that button would be a breeze. I mean were on Cubase 12 now…still no button. I know the code is not that old or difficult. I mean we have audio quantizing, variaudio, and all kinds of other stuff I don’t even know how to use now…that’s WAY more difficult than a button to switch stereo and mono configurations. The reason I need it now is cause one of my plugins need a stereo track to work…a VOCAL plugin… Who does vocals in stereo lol?

but all this time I’m spending complaining I could be moving the tracks and effects around :frowning: I started out on Cakewalk Proaudio 8 or 9, stayed with them through like Sonar 8 or 9 and then switched to Nuendo, and I’ve been with Steinberg ever since.

The easiest way to get around this issue is to stop using mono tracks altogether.

2 Likes

The easiest way to get around this issue is to stop using mono tracks altogether.

Unless you get audio files from someone else. In most cases, audio files for vocals, guitar, drums, bass, etc. are recorded in mono.

And when you import them into a Cubase project, you get a lot of mono tracks.