I’m trying to figure out how to make the ‘Stereo acoustic guitar’ template record a STEREO signal in Cubase Elements 9… The description below the name of this template reads: ‘With this template you can either record a guitar with two microphones…’
I use a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 card along with a pair of Rode NT-1 mics. After the template is chosen, two tracks (Guitar Mic 1 & 2) pop up in the main window. I assume that I have to highlight and record enable both tracks to start the recording from both mics. Anyway, the outcome file is always mono. I tried altering the input routing for the first track from the default ‘MONO In 1’ to ‘Left - Stereo In’, and ‘MONO In 2’ to ‘Right - Stereo In’ for the second track, and it didn’t work out either.
NB. An ordinary "!Stereo Audio Track’ template works perfectly with my hardware and does create stereo files.
Why then is the ‘Stereo acoustic guitar’ template not working properly?
Mic 1 to Audio Track 1 (mono)
Mic 2 to Audio Track 2 (mono)
Add Group Channel (outside folder) to both tracks, assign its output to “No Bus”
Create Stereo Audio Track and assign the Group Track (outside folder) as the Input to the Stereo Audio Track.
Assign Group Track (Outside folder) to yet another Group Track “Guitar Bus” (inside folder)
Assign that final Guitar Bus Group Track to your Mix Bus Group Track (inside folder) which, in this example, goes to Stereo Out.
This is but one possible way to do this, but this might give you a path for some good-sounding results. Watch out for phase distortions between the mics and so on. Good luck and try out different things. Perhaps others will suggest other methods equally as good or better than this.
I put up a more involved song and dance with group tracks because the question interested me. I’ve used the routing I posted and gotten some nice sounding guitars with this method.
This is by default in the ‘Stereo acoustic guitar’ template. Done.
I have created a group track (ADD Track->Group Channel).
That’s where I get stuck as the Group track is not available for the input of the Stereo audio track. Please have a look at the screenshots.
It’s rocket science. I wonder whether the creators of the ‘Stereo acoustic guitar’ template really meant to complicate the entire process of recording stereo to such extent… Please explain what ‘assign a track to another track’ means in simple words, and how to do it.
They are both panned ‘C’ (center) in the template, and no, they do not give a stereo signal, either inside the project or as a rendered (audio mixdown) file.
Then make a stereo track and assign mic1 left and mic2 right, if you absolutely want a stereo track.
I prefer to record two mono tracks, it makes it easier to make it really wide by using different FX on the two tracks.
For example use a delay on the mic1 track and a chorus on mic2, also EQ them slightly different can help. And pan them all the way left and right. You can always narrow them later if it gets too big sounding.
This is an Elements limitation, you can’t have a Group track feeding a Stereo (or indeed Mono) Audio track in Elements. You need Pro for this (or maybe Artist).
Personally, like Peakae, if I do record Stereo acoustic guitar I have it on two separate tracks for flexibility but whether this is the template programmers intention we’ll probably never know. If you’d rather have it as a Stereo track then it’s pretty easy to modify the template and then save it as your own template for future use.
Why don’t you just pan them then?..this I guess is the intention.
Not every recording will work fully panned, or 40% panned or whatever…you choose how far apart to pan them based on the mic configuration and your own preference.
The Stereo Audio Track takes its input From the Guitar Group Track (outside folder, no bus). Go to the Stereo Audio Track and set its input to the Group. Now, you can record live, or mix those two tracks to a new stereo track (or use render in place).
Sorry, but I didn’t ask which version of Cubase you’re using. There are some differences, but I don’t know other than the Pro Nine version.
It appears you recorded two fine guitar tracks with each mic. Now, with my routing setup, you could send those two tracks to the Group (outside folder) and then, have that be used to Record Both Mics, left, right, onto one Stereo Audio Track.
The original question was how to record Both Mics to one stereo track in one pass, wasn’t it? In my setup, you’d not record the two separate tracks, but only record to the one Stereo Track (being fed by the guitar group, outside folder, no bus). However, since you have the two recorded tracks, those can now be mixed in any number of ways and you may not need the loop-the-loop to the Stereo Track the suggested Guitar Group routing lets you set up.
A step further might be working where you route the FX channel. The great thing about Cubase is there’s a lot of flexibility, that also gives us the learning curve we all deal with in using it.
Anyway, the main point here is that the Group Channels can be used in so many ways, sometimes the act more like a patch cord, or even a patch bay, other times they are used for sub-mixes, parallel compression stuff and on and on. I’ve learned a lot from hammering away at youtube and reading posts here and so on.
Keep pecking away at it and you’ll be doing this eyes closed in no time. The included Templates are very basic, so when you get a nice setup of your own, do save that as a Template. Good luck.
P.S. Check this screen shot against your own settings. I just re-checked it and all works perfectly.
Note: in my example, the FX Track gets its signal from the Guitar Group/No Bus. The Send Rack is not shown in the shot. The Output of the FX Track is sent to Mix Bus. This is only one possible set up but one I like.
As I mentioned above you can’t do this in Elements (which the OP has) where the routing options are far more limited. Audio tracks can only have physical inputs not Group tracks feeding them.
I missed that, sorry; thanks for clearing it up. And to the OP, I’m sorry if I sent you on a wild goose chase about this.
I’ve spent my time learning what I have, Pro Nine, and don’t have a good grasp of what is or is not available in the other versions. I’ll have a look at that.
…difficult to do without actually having both versions but I’m sure the OP appreciated your input, always nice to see people trying to help (as I know you do)!
I just happen to have Elements on a LapTop as well as Pro on my main machine so easy to compare and have come across some of the differences. Lots of these differences are very hard to find in the documentation. I shall probably drop behind them now as I’m not sure I’ll update Elements, probably just Pro as that’s what I use the most.
Thanks for the kind words. I enjoy these forums. In answering questions, I actually learn more about the many different ways people approach making music and working with sound.
I’ve watched so many videos where Pro Tools is in use I feel like I know it a bit. If there was one other package I’d consider learning, it’s that. I’m now experiencing version lag with 9.5 out. I’ll be updating soon, I’m sure (hooked, lol).
I did, though I had to scrap this template eventually and get back to a ‘normal’ stereo audio track - it’s not worth wasting time on.
I wish Steinberg were shrewder at enabling/disabling certain features for different versions of Cubse, not to mention their superficial and sloppy user manuals…
Please explain what ‘assign a track to another track’ means in simple words, and how to do it.
