Creating a template for mono & stereo mixes... MIDI to audio

[tdm71]

I'm looking to create a go to template for all my MIDI productions. I work first in MIDI and then convert everything to audio once I have everything the way I want it.. I have a bunch of MIDI tracks created already routed to my hardware gear and a few stereo audio tracks created but not assigned to anything yet. I also created a few audio tracks and assigned them to buss 1/2 & 3/4 too.

However, I'm wondering what I need to do to begin mixing mono and switch back and forth to stereo as I'd like??

Also, is the above mentioned template the way you would recommend starting a project? Am I missing anything?

[MIDI Life Crisis]

What version of DP? Can you articulate your needs a little more? I'm not really seeing what the problem is very clearly.

[tdm71]

What version of DP? Can you articulate your needs a little more? I'm not really seeing what the problem is very clearly.

Well I create all my tracks in MIDI first then to audio. I think for the most my template is the way most would create it but my real question comes from how do I start my mix in mono and switch or reference it in stereo the way I hear so many people recommend? Is it something I need to do or setup in my template before I record to audio? Btw... dp 7.2

[MIDI Life Crisis]

OK, I think I got it. My question now is, why do you want to start in mono? I don't see anyone here suggesting what you are saying. Who is making that suggestion and, more importantly, why?

You check your work in MIDI and then bounce to stereo, preferably 24bit/48k. Why do you feel the need to do a mono mix first? What purpose does that serve?

[tdm71]

From various professional books and on line sources. It was recommended that if you can make a mix sound good in mono it will always sound great in stereo.... but rarely vice versa due to phasing and overlapping frequencies.

Is a mono mix essentially just having all the audio tracks recorded to one individual track or with stereo tracks paned dead center?

So how can I set it up so I can switch back and forth?

[Tritonemusic]

If you simply want to monitor in mono, use the Fold down button on the Master Fader.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

From various professional books and on line sources. It was recommended that if you can make a mix sound good in mono it will always sound great in stereo....

You certainly want to be sure that if your mix is listened to in a mono setting that is doesn't cancel out (phase cancellation) but sounding good in mono is no assurance your stereo mix will be great. I've been doing this stuff for years, both in my studio and in other pro studios, and I don't recall ever worrying about listening in mono unless the project specifically required it.

Folddown in the mixer is definitely the easiest way to go. Depending on your setup, you could also go "out of the box" and setup a mono output on your audio interface, possibly with an alternate set of speakers, and do the switch there, or setup a preset in your audio device that places the l/r channels center.

[Shooshie]

I guess you know that you can fold down your mix to mono on the Master Fader. Is that what you're asking? Or is there a more fundamental approach that you're looking for?

Shooshie