Need to take 1 channel recording to Stereo

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Ttown2

Ttown2

New DJ
Mar 7, 2011
14
0
43
Did a gig for a corporate event 2 weeks ago and used a Zoom H2n to record from the Mixer Main (XLR output from Mixer to 1/8" input on Zoom). The audio tech I was working with only had a mono input into my recorder and it recorded the entire event as a Stereo recording with only a Left Channel input. The Right Channel had no signal so its dead.

Is there anyway to duplicate the channel and 'flip' it to the Right Channel also to create a "Stereo" setup in Mono? I tried doing it on Garagaband and could not come up with an answer. the clients are desperate for the recordings, and I am at the end of the line here looking for help.

Thanks in advance - I thought about trying Audacity as I thought it was something I could do this with, but am unsure because I've never used that program. Thanks!
 
Hello and welcome.
First make a copy of the file and name it test file. then open the copy in Audacity. Then you can make a two channel track two ways , one is stereo track to mono and the other is mix and render. Keep in mind the file will not be true stereo but a dual mono file.
 
Ttown2 said:
Did a gig for a corporate event 2 weeks ago and used a Zoom H2n to record from the Mixer Main (XLR output from Mixer to 1/8" input on Zoom). The audio tech I was working with only had a mono input into my recorder and it recorded the entire event as a Stereo recording with only a Left Channel input. The Right Channel had no signal so its dead.

Is there anyway to duplicate the channel and 'flip' it to the Right Channel also to create a "Stereo" setup in Mono? I tried doing it on Garagaband and could not come up with an answer. the clients are desperate for the recordings, and I am at the end of the line here looking for help.

Thanks in advance - I thought about trying Audacity as I thought it was something I could do this with, but am unsure because I've never used that program. Thanks!
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Doing that will still NOT make it a stereo Recording. The Harmonics lost when you recorded one side, has been lost for good. No way to recoup it. It was like sending home the Sax guy and the bass man...you then recorded the drummer, singer, keyboardist and guitarist.... how then can you recoup what you did not record?


Its like trying to take a photo of 4 people standing side by side but the camera shifted and you only got three.


If you really want to do what DRZINC suggested above. Replay what you recorded, and use a "Y" connector out from the player, then use the two ends to go into the stereo inputs of the device you are going to use to make the Master.
 
Great advice Canute but he is asking about a product already recorded and the only option to accomodate is what DRZinc has outlined. Call it a lesson learned but for future make certain your able to provide a proper link to media to capture both channel stereo.
 
Jon Tuck said:
Great advice Canute but he is asking about a product already recorded and the only option to accomodate is what DRZinc has outlined. Call it a lesson learned but for future make certain your able to provide a proper link to media to capture both channel stereo.
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So he is going to give a Corporate Client a flawed product! :yoNo: Why not tell the Client the truth and then if they want the flawed recording, then let them have it.
 
Jon Tuck said:
Great advice Canute but he is asking about a product already recorded and the only option to accomodate is what DRZinc has outlined. Call it a lesson learned but for future make certain your able to provide a proper link to media to capture both channel stereo.
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I'm confused about that one. Why is Audacity the only option? Why wouldn't playing it back through a Y work? Audacity is audio only, isn't it? He then has to marry the audio back to the video, right? Wouldn't playback through a Y into a new recording accomplish the same feat (then marrying the new recording up to the video - as he would have done with the same file from Audacity)?
 
ittigger said:
I'm confused about that one. Why is Audacity the only option? Why wouldn't playing it back through a Y work? Audacity is audio only, isn't it? He then has to marry the audio back to the video, right? Wouldn't playback through a Y into a new recording accomplish the same feat (then marrying the new recording up to the video - as he would have done with the same file from Audacity)?
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That is want I was telling him! I think they like to take the long way....lots of gas to burn.
 
Canute did he mention that the client is aware or not? First find out details before giving your Gestapo reply. If they dont know then its on him to be honest or not.
 
Jon Tuck said:
Canute did he mention that the client is aware or not? First find out details before giving your Gestapo reply. If they dont know then its on him to be honest or not.
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I may be wrong but in his post "Is there anyway to duplicate the channel and 'flip' it to the Right Channel also to create a "Stereo" setup in Mono? I tried doing it on Garagaband and could not come up with an answer. the clients are desperate for the recordings, and I am at the end of the line here looking for help.", he sounds desperate which tell me that the Client does not know the real deal. Comprehension in what one reads and also what one regularly sees on this board can easily bring one to the right conclusion. Besides which, when FULL info is not given at the beginning conclusions will be drawn by others reading and deciding for themselves.
 
You will not get a stereo recording. You can duplicate the channel and invert it and then play with a stereo imager to try and enhance the mix but it will be missing a lot of stuff. I've done some works with a single (Mono) channel recording and convert it to "stereo" but the recording had all the information of both channels (I use Sony Sound Forge and Sony Vegas to replace or fix audio in videos). The problem with what you have here is that if an instrument or vocal was panned to the side not recorded you'll be missing that in the mix.
 
Thats essentially what Im saying we dont know if he has come clean with the client. He only has one option or leaving one channel blank what would be the only option to getting it mono from both channels is basically what appears he is asking. It wont be stereo cause he didnt get both sides. Its his situation to come clean or not we cant force that.
 
Jon Tuck said:
Thats essentially what Im saying we dont know if he has come clean with the client. He only has one option or leaving one channel blank what would be the only option to getting it mono from both channels is basically what appears he is asking. It wont be stereo cause he didnt get both sides. Its his situation to come clean or not we cant force that.
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Right now what he has is NOT even Mono. One side of a stereo channel is NOT Mono. It is part of a musical program/Recording.
 
DJ SVO said:
You will not get a stereo recording. You can duplicate the channel and invert it and then play with a stereo imager to try and enhance the mix but it will be missing a lot of stuff. I've done some works with a single (Mono) channel recording and convert it to "stereo" but the recording had all the information of both channels (I use Sony Sound Forge and Sony Vegas to replace or fix audio in videos). The problem with what you have here is that if an instrument or vocal was panned to the side not recorded you'll be missing that in the mix.
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We got that - the question was what does it matter if it's Audacity or through a Y? Same result, correct?

I separate this from Sound Forge / Vegas because the implication from your statement is that it edits the actual stream (video / audio combined).
 
Duely noted Canute but it is whatever it is and all he has to work with which was my main point. It sounds like arse and if duplicating to a second channel will sound like Arse X2.
 
Jon Tuck said:
Duely noted Canute but it is whatever it is and all he has to work with which was my main point. It sounds like arse and if duplicating to a second channel will sound like Arse X2.
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You are correct and he needs to realize that one cannot get blood from stone. Now can you understand what I mean when I say I am frustrated that so many are coming into the Industry with no clue how to do certain things properly? What he needs to do is go tell the client that he F***ed up and then offer what he has. If they paid him specifically to do that project, he needs to refund them their money. If he promised that project as a freebie in his contract then I hope he has learnt his lesson.
 
thats the part we have no call on Canute we can either help patch the titanic with double bubble or simply say good luck.
 
Sound Forge let's you edit every single aspect of the audio while Vegas does the video. I have old video clips where the audio is crap, but with these 2 toys I can separate and remove the original audio and replace it with a clean WAV that makes things perfect. What I was saying in my post is you can put the recorded channel in the empty channel but what's the point it's not a complete recording, it's missing 50% of the info. The streaming and Y connector can also be done in Vegas and Sound Forge, however it's a lot faster working directly with the files than streaming and recording the stuff that will have similar end products, it's just the difference in time used to make the finished file..
 
Another thing about these kind of threads. IT also is a good reminder for the experienced folks who might be preparing to do the same thing and will be certain to not forget proper source to complete this rare situation or prepare for a first time effort even though 10 or 20 yrs in the industry. I do poke my share at these threads but I only hope whomever is asking for advice is able to take tough critique in hopes to improve the next time. If ya cant handle tough critique your certainly not going to have the grit to survive in this ever increasingly challenging career.
 
Where did the OP say anything about video? The Zoom is a digital audio recorder with built in mics.
 
Jon,
I think we're tough sometimes, but not because we're snobs (Hell I'm not in the business but love this profession and I actually enjoy helping people) but because one sees what's going to be presented to somebody and that sombody is going to talk about the quality of the product you are providing. My comments are not to make Ttown2 feel uncomfortable but for him to avoid a potentially damaging situation to his reputation by turning in something that is missing a ton of information. This thread is an opportunity to provide information others may need to provide their customers what they want.

There are free programs out there, but their limitations are obvious that's why if you're going to offer this service you need to buy a program that let's you do everything you need. Sony and Adobe have great programs to do this and I've done wonders on all videos with new high quality stereo tracks substituting the old mono and full of defects audio. It amazing how you can synchronize stuff and improve both the audio and video quality.
 
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