Split stereo track to two mono tracks??

[supersonic]

Good one!!!

[bayswater]

Tim knows everything, including stuff I've never found in the manual. But this has always been there, and can be found around pages 478-9.

[stubbsonic]

This comes up often enough that it should be a feature request. Select the track name, and then GENERATE TWO MONO TRACKS FROM THIS STEREO TRACK...

[waitsongs]

I didn't have any luck with this method in DP8 (possible user error, but I don't know).

The alternate solution I found was to export the interleaved stereo file to de-interleaved separate files, THEN RENAME THEM TO ERASE THE .L AND .R, then drag or import them back into DP.

There may also be a way to tell DP not to join two mono files with the .L and .R endings (which would save the renaming process), but this was an easy solution once I figured it out.

[Guitar Gaz]

Just today, I had to make a backing track from a stereo mix. I did the above, used the Inverse Phase plug on one of the tracks and panned both to center - this reduced the lead vocal about 95% and eliminated the bass and kick drum. I then enabled the stereo mix with a low pass filter set to 125Hz bringing back the kick and some bass. From there, it was easy to double the bass and add another rhythm guitar. Two hours later the client thought I was a miracle worker.

In a way you were a miracle worker - not quite water into wine but close....

[MIDI Life Crisis]

In the waveform editor, Command-select one side (or Select All, the click on the far left where the L and R are.), then from the mini menu choose to make New Audio from selection...repeat for other side.

Just a reminder... Thanks Tim. You saved the day today.

[tommymandel]

MLC, you took the words right out of my mouth: that Tim, he's an awesome source of DP solutions.
My pre-Tim way, (and I just saw this today) was to copy the stereo track, and put Trim plug-ins on both of them, and turn L volume down on the R and R volume down on the L, and pan them them hard L and R. But that uses 2 stereo files. I'm embarrassed to say, I almost never go to the waveform editor, as powerful as it is, I keep expecting it to work the way Sound Tools used to. One day though... And the renaming trick in the Finder, gotta try that one too!

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Not to mention his method allows partial selection of an interleaved file. Oh Tim, is there anything you can't do (with exception of using too many words?)

[Shooshie]

In the waveform editor, Command-select one side (or Select All, the click on the far left where the L and R are.), then from the mini menu choose to make New Audio from selection...repeat for other side.

Although this is way cool,

Try exporting the Soundbite from the SB window or right-click menu as deinterleaved and then drag them back to your project.

This is easier and faster. Select the stereo file sound bite (Tracks in DP 8, Soundbites in earlier versions), right-click and export as deinterleaved format of choice. Drag back in as mono tracks.

Both are better than the help files in Tech Support which must be so old that I won't re-post them here.

Just today, I had to make a backing track from a stereo mix. I did the above, used the Inverse Phase plug on one of the tracks and panned both to center - this reduced the lead vocal about 95% and eliminated the bass and kick drum. I then enabled the stereo mix with a low pass filter set to 125Hz bringing back the kick and some bass. From there, it was easy to double the bass and add another rhythm guitar. Two hours later the client thought I was a miracle worker.

Everybody listen up. Mike's got the bead on this one.
Tim gives some of the greatest advice in this place, and you all know how much I admire both his advice and his ability to put it in the fewest words possible. But in this case, both Tim and MOTU are using old info. There was a time when this was probably the only way to do it easily (though renaming a de-interleaved audio file in the Finder was always pretty easy), but now we have a bounce option to de-interleave a stereo file, and I don't think anything is any easier than that.

Select the part of a track that you want to use. You don't even have to go into the Waveform Editor to do that. Just select that track, hit Bounce, choose the output of that track and "De-Interleaved AIFF" (or your preference), and in less than 10 seconds, you've got de-interleaved tracks. OH... and set the output folder for the Desktop (Command-D) so that you don't have to go digging for it.

I don't think it gets much easier than that. To know for sure, we'd have to do a shoot-out and see who consistently does it faster, the guy using the Waveform Editor or the guy doing a de-interleaved bounce. I put my money on the bounce, partly because that's just how I do it.

In the end, of course, it doesn't matter which is faster or better if you prefer the other. But I'm just saying, this wasn't always here, and maybe not everyone thinks of it. But I've been doing it for a while, and I really think it's the easiest, fastest way.

Shooshie

[frankf]

When I've used any of these methods of creating stereo interleaved files then drag them into DP , DP always interleaved them again unless I rename them in the finder first getting rid of the .L and .R extensions before dragging them back in. What am I doing wrong?

[FMiguelez]

When I've used any of these methods of creating stereo interleaved files then drag them into DP , DP always interleaved them again unless I rename them in the finder first getting rid of the .L and .R extensions before dragging them back in. What am I doing wrong?

I think you could change that in the Audio section of the preferences. I remember there's a checkbox for using interleaved or non-interleaved, by general choice and project-specific (it's next to where you set the general projects and the specific project's bit depth in the preferences).

Also, the proper setting in the auto conversions section MIGHT have to be disabled for you to stop this.

[JSmith1234567]

Seeing as I started this thread, I've learned so many cool things from you all!

Thanks to everyone !!!

I will say I wish it were a built-in menu-bar feature, "split stereo track into two monos".

I often will record guitars, dobro, gut-string, etc, in one session and put up two mics, a small condenser and a larger condenser in a higher position, then when mixing just pick which is best for that instrument/cue.

I record it as a stereo file just because it's easier then using multi-record, new takes, and renaming takes and tracks on two mono files.

I can also clean up one stereo-track-set-of-takes before mixing allot easier than multiple mono tracks/takes.

So a menu split-to-two-monos would be terrific.