Why can't I record in Stereo?

Hello,

For some reason I am no longer able to record a stereo track on Cubase 5. I am using a Saffire 6 usb and I would just like to plug in a guitar and record a stereo track. I used to do this all the time, but now I can’t and I cannot see what has changed. I have tried to re-enter the buses in VST Connections and I’m sure I’ve done it right, but nothing. I have tried all configurations in the track window and still nothing.

Can anybody please tell me what it is i’m not doing?

Thanks,

Farns

A mic is a mono source so you’d have to make a stereo input that uses two of the same channels.

To have your guitar record in stereo, you would either have to have a stereo guitar or first plug in to a module that would create a stereo image, using both inputs of your Saffire. Otherwise, you are producing a mono source as mashedmitten mentioned. If you indeed have a mono source, you can make it stereo with a stereo effect that creates a stereo image. In that case, with a mono source, you wouldn’t have to have a stereo track because the effect will have a stereo routing to the master output allowing you to hear and print it in stereo.

Thanks for that. A very sensible answer. Indeed, why would I want to record a guitar in stereo anyway. Somehow my equipment was always set up to do this anyway, but as there is no real need I shall change my habbits.

Ta,

Farns.

you could always re-import the guitar track back in as stereo via audio mixdown ,if you don`t want lose what you have already recorded .

I record my mono guitar (actually - all mono sources) into stereo tracks all the time - I wouldn’t do it any other way. It allows me to take advantage of channel inserts that work with stereo signals such as stereo choruses and delays and not have to bus out to another channel to do the stereo processing (I’m still on 4.5 - maybe 6 changes things?). My audio interface is set up so that the guitar input is pushed to both channels of one stereo output.

You can simply chose a mono input bus for a stereo track. That way you can record mono and have the stereo insert processing.

Actually - that’s probably what I am doing come to think of it - and if not I am going to start doing it that way - Thanks! Gotta have stereo tracks even for mono sources.

this helped me , easy conversion mono to stereo: