Switching mono to stereo [Achieved]

+1 Switching to Cubase really made me appreciate Pro Tools’ handling of this with mono-to-stereo plug-in implementation and such. Extremely cumbersome in Cubase.

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Still no response or explanation from the teams. However, considering the amount of votes and likes, and considering the comments of some of us, it seems that this is a long-awaited feature.

Voted for this, too. I mostly use mono tracks (well, apart from some VSTis), and while I am usually happy setting up fx channels reverbs and such, it would be really practical to sometimes just put a stereo delay on a guitar or a doubler effect on a vocal.

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What exactly is the impact? Have you done any measurements, any A/B’ing?
I stopped using mono tracks altogether years ago and never looked back. Can’t say I have noticed any major added processor load, but I have never made any serious tests.

Do you have a specific reason for using mostly mono tracks?

The main reason I mostly use mono tracks is because I’ve always done so :wink: If I record with one mic, I only need a mono track, of course.
But stereo tracks definitely use more CPU, that is a) logical, because plugins have to calculate twice the amount of samples and b) measurable. I’ve done a test, 40 audio tracks each with 8 instances of a demanding compressor plugin. With stereo tracks, it is nearly twice as much ASIO usage than with mono tracks.
Now, whether that makes a noticeable impact on real world projects depends probably very much on how many tracks you have and how many and which processors you use. Still, if not strictly necessary, why would I waste CPU cycles on tracks that most of the time do not need it?

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The only reason I ever use a mono track is to record a mono source completely dry (guitar, vocal, etc.). The only reason for that is “visual”. Meaning, it’s easier to look at one waveform to make initial cuts/fades. After that initial edit, it’s stereo all the way.

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+1 for this.

Really annoying importing a bunch of audio files from a client and the mono clips are configured as mono tracks and then the audio is locked to that. Not being able to just click the button and switch up the configuration on the fly creates a hurdle in my workflow.
Logic and Studio One and Reaper don’t have this hurdle, it honestly makes me consider switching to one of those DAWs when doing mixing jobs for clients

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Steinberg, I think it’s time to do something :sweat_smile:

I second that. A feature to easily switch from mono to stereo and vice versa is much needed.

My guess is that it will most probably be added when the audio engine will be reworked (gapless audio engine). According to posts and feature request polls from official Steinberg representatives, it really is on top of the list.

…a long time ago in a galaxy far far away… :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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Exactly what we wanted many years later :laughing:

Lol, this really was working Cubase decades ago, but it does not now?

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Here we are two years after this original post and still Steinberg is just too busy to listen to what their customers want. This has still not be implemented but yet we have had a many other useless updates and graphic’s tweaks but nothing to speed up our workflow. Great job Steinberg !!

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Still waiting here… there was even a post older than mine (on the old forum) requesting this feature.

@Cubase Steinberg this is absurd HOW IS THIS NOT A SIMPLE BUTTON FIX wait until you’ve been sitting for hours mixing and you realize all the tracks you imported are locked in mono and NOW I have to create an FX chain preset for EVERY TRACK and drag and drop EVERY TRACK to a stereo track because I’m using stereo reverb on EVERY TRACK. THIS IS BASIC STUFF HOW IS THIS FEATURE STILL ABSENT AFTER YEARS AND YEARS OF USER REQUESTS? What a huge waste of time and we all know time is money. I think Steinberg owes everyone here for the time spent dragging and dropping clips from mono to stereo tracks. Time for a class action lawsuit.

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Hi and welcome to the community!

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This thread will always make me laugh :sweat_smile:
(Steinberg THE community talks to you !)

Just having a think about how I would do this, if I had to deal with mono stems :slight_smile:
I think I might make a template with mono tracks with a paired FX tracks
I’d drop in the mono samples, and have a saved mixer state that hides all of the mono tracks

But I’m still not certain why using the combined pan isn’t the answer as KHS said.

I was watching a tutorial today and the instructor created a stereo track for every single mono track and copied them over. I thought that was the most ridiculous workflow and just knew there had to be an easier way, especially in Cubase!
Well, after researching here i am, sitting in the same boat as y’all. Get on this Steinberg, PLEASE.