I started a fresh project on my laptop, using a UR22 as interface for monitoring (just for the record), with all of my working mono tracks (two sources) routed first to individual mono Pre-DX groups, which were in turn routed to a single mono DX group.
Got back home and transferred the project to my home computer (Fireface 800 as interface, fwiw). Did all the editing and set it up for batch marker export, with the output as the mono DX group.
Started the export, walked away, went to sleep. Woke up to find all of my exported masters were stereo files. Checked the export dialog for any departure from my usual setup; there was none. Tried doing some individual exports: all came out stereo. I thought about using the “mono downmix” option, but had no confidence in the ultimate levels, and didn’t have time to spare experimenting.
So… I saved the various FX chains for the group channels, made track archives of the audio to be exported and markers, and imported them all into a fresh project. Just tested it out. Everything exports the way it ought to.
I have no clue as to what could have gone wrong. Settings are identical between the two projects; all groups are mono. All plugins are UAD2. Only difference I can discern is that one works; the other doesn’t.
I got nothing. I’ve been doing mono projects in N4, N5 and N6 for as long as they’ve been around (started on N1, but never really worked in mono with them). Never had a problem until now, and only this once…and once I have time (can’t anticipate when that will be) I will definitely do some troubleshooting. All I know for sure is that they exported stereo when they shouldn’t have.
The way I understand the relationship is that the output format is based not on the channel width of the group, but of the main output bus - so if the mono group is routed to a stereo output, the final format is ultimately 2 channels.
In my workflow, I create ghost outputs - routed to no physical outputs - that match the channel widths of the project’s groups, and direct-route groups to the various outputs as needed. My mono NARR and DIA groups are output to mono and stereo outputs, and the file formats come out accordingly.
That’s not exactly true. If you choose a mono channel for output at export, when everything’s working right it doesn’t matter if that channel is routed to stereo out. Output should be mono. If you take that mono channel’s output from the stereo bus, then it’ll be stereo.
In previous versions I did the same as you, with dummy outputs-- but then the improved routing of N5/N6 came along… Saves so much time, and usually works!
I do this all the time-- and as I said, exporting my tracks to a fresh project fixed it. Was wondering if others had experienced the problem… and if it was worth troubleshooting, or just one, weird, corrupted project. Even then, I’d like to figure out what happened, as I’m going to be working under the same (mobile/laptop/interface rig transferring over to desktop rig), and if it has something to do with THAT process… well, got to nip it in the bud.
I agree with you, and noticed the same thing as I posted. If you’re batch exporting from a mono group, the output should still be a mono file - I have had the experience of channel batch exporting from stereo and mono groups simultaneously and ended up with all dual-channel files.
Strange that it happened with no discrepancy between the two workstations. Good luck.
Me, too. I was not explicit enough in pointing out the issue; I WAS using batch export, and had chosen a mono output! As I said, it works all the time, just not in this case. I tried fooling around with making new mono groups and exporting from them. No dice.