i’ve got an SSL Alpha channel connected via spdif to my MR816x
The left channel is a processed stream (alpha channel EQ & Gain)
The right channel is an unprocessed stream
cubase only allows direct monitoring on a stereo input with spdif so when i record everything works, but i have a stereo WAV with the signal i want on L and the unprocessed signal tracked on R
how can i split this track into 2 mono channels (so L = mono 1 and R = mono 2 ?) in a way that i select the stereo recording, push a button and 2 new mono tracks appear in the project window?
I don´t think this is true, maybe your interface does… Nevertheless, it should be possible to record a stereo input bus on two mono audio tracks, by selecting Left input or right input of the stereo input bus only.
Create two mono input busses (F4), one for S/PDIF-L and one for S/PDIF-R. You can rename them to something more convenient, perhaps “Alpha” and “Raw”. Set up two mono audio tracks and set the input of one to “Alpha”, and the input of the other to “Raw”. Record.
iv’e tried all input combinatioms except the double mono, will try that one now.
its’ really weird on the spdif input
if the spdif input does not receive a L&R signal, it will record but direct monitoring doesn not work. so maybe dual mono and only use the mono mapped to spdif left after recording might work. will let oyu guys know, thanks
The aforementioned technique is the way to permanently split the file.
But a couple of sideway options for fun
If the spdif stereo has only one channel of information and the other side is digital silence the you could just copy the stereo channel to a mono channel.
Or pan the stereo channel hard to the side containing information and route to a mono channel.
Or use the 6 to one plugin
Anyway can you not make a stereo input and select a mono channel to just record spdif in(l)
i know all of that, let me elaborate on the issue a bit more
got a Steinberg MR816x which works fine
i can connect a mic to input 1 and record vocals in mono, stereo no problem, with direct monitoring enabled and the MR reverb for the performer on the Studio1 mix.
Now… I’ve also got a SSL Alpha channel, this unit has analogue and spdif out, analogue again no issue, plug in in the MR 1/2 insert (to bypass the MR per-amp) and record away, all configs work.
however, the MR also has an spdif input.
since spdif is always 2 channel the SSL sends out the processed signal on spdif L and an unprocessed signal on spdif R
Now, if things were easy, one would map MR spdif L to a mono input and just do the same stuff as with an anlogue input right? WRONG! if you don;t map the right channel the spdif will not lock
Ok, you think then create 2 mono inputs (1 for spdif L and one for R) WRONG! 2 mono’s won’t lock either.
ok, you think so the the input needs to be stereo, sort of makes sense. I’ll sort it out on the channel side.
so you create a mono channel and map stereo L in to that channel, guess what? direct monitoring will not work
ok let’s map to stereo in R, same issue
ok let’s make a stereo channel then, so stereo IN stereo OUT et voilla! direct monitoring works, however, every recording is left channel processed sound, right channel unprocessed sound.
mixdown works to split these, but i.e. routing the stereo WAV to a mono subgroup just creates a summed mix even with the panning all to the left. So it’s not as easy as its sounds, Steinberg just needs to test this and fix whatever is broken with a spdif discrete L or R CH support.
Assuming the MR is your ASIO master clock device, you’ll have to connect S/PDIF out from the MR to the Alpha S/PDIF in, otherwise the Alpha will not lock.
You may see a signal from the Alpha on the MR’s S/PDIF input but the Alpha is freewheeling at 44.1kHz unless it has something to sync to at its S/PDIF input.
Unless you believe the A/D converters in the Alpha are significantly better than those in the MR then there’s nothing wrong with just using the Alpha as an analogue insert.
+1
In the export Audio Window you can select “Split Channels”. You can do this on a mixdown or on a single channel activating “Multi channel export” and selecting the stereo channel you want to split.
I’ve used the spdif input to slave and it locks, i can use the analoque out as well, but i just like thinks to work (and think that the SSL ADC might be better, at least good enough to test it)
for now i just need to export > split, which is not a problem as an added bonus you get both the processed vocal on L and the unprocessed -12db on R, so if oyu mess up take with too agressive settings, you still have the unprocessed signal to fall back on, rather than have to track again. So i don’t consider this a problem any longer.
Though might switch to analoque since i expect my 2nd Alpha channel and X-patch very soon.
But let’s face it, if you could record onto two mono tracks, one treated and one not, isn’t that where you want to end up anyway? It’s got to be possible to set up the busses as two mono inputs … I do this all the time with a MOTU, single S/PDIF input routed to two seperate mono tracks … and I can only think if it isn’t working, it might be a driver issue with the MR816X?
It shoulf be possible but it’s not working with this unit, and it’s not the the MR since i use optical out for monitoring on my BMC-2 and if i dissable one of the channels there the other keeps playing.
It’s also not that the signal does not come on dual mono, but it’s that direct monitoring no longer works.
