Topic: How do i get stereo recording with MT and a mono mic?

[bewildered]

Apparently mono mics (like 90% of all mics) will only record in mono (i know, duh).....so for reasons i dont understand i want to get a stereo recording using a mono mic. Do i get a mic to Y 1/4" cable and plug the mic into both L + R ports? Or do i get a TRS to 1/8" adapter for my mic-to-TRS cable and plug it into the stereo port (which im not even sure will work cause i believe the stereo mic port doesnt have phantom power which my mike requires)?

I dont get it, so most recordings are done in mono, then edited to be dual mono (giving the illusion of stereo)? or is everyone expected to use two mics to get stereo?

[rodeen]

Either two mics or a stereo mic with two capsules in it.  Then for best results configure your mics in one of these configurations:

http://www.taperssection.com/reference/pdf/MicConfigTemplate.pdf

[BayTaynt3d]

I dont get it, so most recordings are done in mono, then edited to be dual mono (giving the illusion of stereo)? or is everyone expected to use two mics to get stereo?

I wouldn't say most recordings are done in mono. Also, just editing to be "dual mono" as you say does NOT give the illusion of stereo, it's just the same signal coming out of both L and R.

However, getting at the main point... Most formats, this includes WAV and MP3, have a "mono" format that can be used. This is preferrable for true mono recordings because the file is half the size. Pretty much any player at that point should recognize that it is a mono recording, and then it will play the mono signal through both channels on playback. However, the file has to be truely saved as a "mono" file for this to work. If it is a stereo file with only one channel having audio, then it'll play back that way. So, personally, if I was going to record in mono, I wouldn't worry too much about how you set it up physically when recording. I mean if your recorder can do true mono, then do it that way because it'll save you steps in post and produce a smaller file at the time of aquisition. But if your recorder can only record stereo (say an H120 for example), just record both channels in stereo like always, knowing that only one channel will actually have a signal on it, then in post, just convert the stereo file to a true mono file (the software will ask you which channel to "keep" somehow, and that's it. You'll have one file, that is half the size, and when played back, it'll play through both speakers.

That said, there is one advantage to routing the one mic to both channels during acquisition, and that is this. You can run one channel pretty "hot" and let the other channel have a little more headroom on the levels. Then in post, you can pick which one you want to use for the resulting final mono file. If the hot channel made it through without clipping, great, use it, if it didn't then use the other channel normalized instead.

[bewildered]

ok let me get this straight, so most recordings are just mono played on both channels, and the only reason to go through the process of getting true stereo is to create a bigger soundstage, which makes sense. 

Ive gotten a bit confused however when i use my microtrack, i can record in both mono and stereo (wave format), but i still only plays in one channel either way. Your saying that even though it does that, it still records in half the file size, and i would have to modify every recording i ever do in post somehow to make the mono play in both channels. So there is absoulutely no point in me recording on the stereo setting given my configuration?

[BayTaynt3d]

Dude, NO.

Most recordings (at least the ones here at TaperSection) are recorded in STEREO.

You asked about mono. And all I said is that if you record in mono, you can save an MP3 or WAV in a "mono" format, which will end up with a file that is half the size, but also one that will (usually) play through both speakers.

But let's be real clear about something, a stereo recording BLOWS AWAY a mono recording for a whole bunch of reasons... 

[jeromejello]

Apparently mono mics (like 90% of all mics) will only record in mono (i know, duh).....so for reasons i dont understand i want to get a stereo recording using a mono mic. Do i get a mic to Y 1/4" cable and plug the mic into both L + R ports? Or do i get a TRS to 1/8" adapter for my mic-to-TRS cable and plug it into the stereo port (which im not even sure will work cause i believe the stereo mic port doesnt have phantom power which my mike requires)?

I dont get it, so most recordings are done in mono, then edited to be dual mono (giving the illusion of stereo)? or is everyone expected to use two mics to get stereo?

if i understand this....

yes, most mics are mono not stereo, because they only have one capsule in there (the stereo mics have 2)

you can split the signal from one mic in to left and right and you are still going to have a MONO recording over 2 channels.

the second mono mic on a seperate channel gives the recording a stereo sound because most simply the fractional differences between the sound hitting one cap and the other (PS, this is where you can get a shit ton of different feels with the positioning of the mics to the source and a whole new can a worms).

one mic, unelss its stereo, will not give you stereo results without serious manipulation of the wav form in post, and even then, not so much.

[bewildered]

So what programs makes a mono recording play on both channels? can i do this with audacity?

[dallman]

ok let me get this straight, so most recordings are just mono played on both channels, and the only reason to go through the process of getting true stereo is to create a bigger soundstage, which makes sense. 

Ive gotten a bit confused however when i use my microtrack, i can record in both mono and stereo (wave format), but i still only plays in one channel either way. Your saying that even though it does that, it still records in half the file size, and i would have to modify every recording i ever do in post somehow to make the mono play in both channels. So there is absoulutely no point in me recording on the stereo setting given my configuration?

When you set the MT to mono , it should record to both channels using one  TRS jack. I am not sure if it is either left or right jack that records to both or just one . I have never tried to record mono with my MT. You can have the one mic to both channels and if you unlink the recording controls so they are separate, then as mentioned above you can have different recording levels, but the sound other than that would be identical.

Most recordings of shows by tapers are done in stereo, using two mics or one mic with two capsules (which is really two mics ). The mics are pointed in different directions or configurations and it creates a stereo  (2 channel) image. If done right this can be dramatic, if not, then less dramatic.

It is not significantly harder to record using 2 mics than one mic . Even in the most stealthy environment, most tapers will record in stereo .

[jtessier]

ok let me get this straight, so most recordings are just mono played on both channels, and the only reason to go through the process of getting true stereo is to create a bigger soundstage, which makes sense. 

Ive gotten a bit confused however when i use my microtrack, i can record in both mono and stereo (wave format), but i still only plays in one channel either way. Your saying that even though it does that, it still records in half the file size, and i would have to modify every recording i ever do in post somehow to make the mono play in both channels. So there is absoulutely no point in me recording on the stereo setting given my configuration?

When you set the MT to mono , it should record to both channels using one  TRS jack. I am not sure if it is either left or right jack that records to both or just one . I have never tried to record mono with my MT. You can have the one mic to both channels and if you unlink the recording controls so they are separate, then as mentioned above you can have different recording levels, but the sound other than that would be identical.

Most recordings of shows by tapers are done in stereo, using two mics or one mic with two capsules (which is really two mics ). The mics are pointed in different directions or configurations and it creates a stereo  (2 channel) image. If done right this can be dramatic, if not, then less dramatic.

It is not significantly harder to record using 2 mics than one mic . Even in the most stealthy environment, most tapers will record in stereo .

When set to Mono, the MT records just the left side, so that's where you need your Mic plugged in. And it really doesn't 'record to both channels', as that wouldn't save any file space. However, when the file (that only has a mono track in it) is played back on the MT, if you listen with the headphones, you will find it is playing the track out of both the left and right channels (but the level meters will only show level on the left since that's the only channel that actually has any audio in it). I just wanted to try and clarify thinks a little bit more before you get any more confused.

J.T.