*Quickly* switching between mono & stereo...

Cubase
1

Is there any way (with a key command, macro, or something similar) to quickly switch the master stereo bus to mono - and back again?

While mixing, I constantly need to switch back & forth between stereo and mono. I’d love to be able to just type ALT+SHIFT+something and have the master bus swap between mono and stereo.

Any way to do this? I’m considering buying a fancy monitor controller (with a mono button!) or soldering something DIY just to enable this kind of quick one-push button time savings. Would rather just have a macro or key command though!

Aj

2

Aloha A,

I use an Ik ‘stereo enhancer’ plug set to ‘0’ width (mono) on the main out stereo buss
and then just hit the ‘Activation Effect’ button to toggle back and forth between.

Steiny’s C7/7.5 ‘StereoEnhancer’ plug works just fine for this as well.

Good Luck!

3

Thanks curteye, I usually just center the stereo bus pan - but I’ve done the stereo enhancer mono trick too.

However, I’m really looking for a way to VERY QUICKLY swap between stereo and mono. Quicker than calling up the stereo enhance plug and clicking activate on/off. I want to just press a key stroke (key command? macro?) and boom, it happens.

At certain points while checking mixes, I find I swap back and forth between mono/stereo monitoring so often that it would be just awesome to be able to A/B mono/stereo almost instantaneously.

So keeping with that stereo enhancer technique, I suppose the question has become - is there a way to activate/deactivate a specific plug-in (on the master bus) with a single keystroke?

AJ

4

There’s a Stereo/Mono switch in the Control Room. You have to enable the CR, of course.

Also, you may be able to sign a keyswitch for this function.

5

Control room is definitely the way to go in software solution.
I use a Steinberg UR28m which has this feature built-in the hardware as well as Dim and Mute buttons.

6

Guys, thanks for all the replies. I am indeed aware of the various ways to monitor in mono - panner; control room; stereo widener (forced to mono). Got it.

Still wondering though: how to instantly enable/disable mono monitoring via a quick key press “toggle.” Do-able? Via macro? Key command? Magical incantation perhaps?

That is my question here… sorry if I wasn’t clear. Or perhaps it’s not possible. FWIW, I’m also investigating getting a hardware monitor controller with (cough) an actual mono button to accomplish this feat. Might be a better all around solution anyway.

(As you can see, I really want to be able to quickly switch back and forth!)

7

Key Commands\Control Room\Select Next Downmix Preset

8

Awesome Grim, will try this out!

9

This is a nice little free plugin that recently came out - http://www.bozdigitallabs.com/product/panipulator/