Always plays Left or Right channel in both [SOLVED]

Audacity Help Forum Windows
1

I have a little problem with channels…

I work on a very, very old PC, running Windows XP SP3.
The version of Audacity is 2.0.2

The problem is:
I import a Stereo track. transform it in Mono, then I assign to the single track resulted, for exaple, left channel.

I do expect to hear the track only from left channel, with COMPLETE silence on the right… but it does not work.
It’s always on both the speakers.

I need to work with tracks that are entirely left or right, to create some effects.

Thank you in advance

Omala23

2

Two things:

Channel separation is never absolute. Good gear easily attains -60 dB between L and R. That means if you play normal volume in the left channel, it’ll be barely audible in the right.

Most laptops don’t even offer -60 dB channel separation. Professional audio gear might attain -90 dB, but that comes at a price.

Secondly, your Windows mixer might be lowering channel separation by mixing a bit of the left in the right and vice versa. Have you checked Devices → Speakers-> Properties?

3

Works for me. I start with a stereo show.
Tracks > Stereo Track to Mono.
Then with the drop-down menu on the left > [X] Left Channel.

Play it and it only appears on the left. The show is a single blue wave.

Now, when I export a WAV, Audacity converts the work to stereo with a dead right channel. It still plays only on the left. I don’t think there is any such thing as a left-only, single track show.

If you need to use this for production, you’ll probably have to export Mono (which will play on both sides) and tell the editor what to do with it in post production.

Koz

4

Thanx.

To Cyrano and Kozikowski.

I’ll try to use your suggestions.
Let’s see (and hear) what happens.

And… please don’t worry about my bad english…

5

It seems the real problem is my SounBlaster Audigy 2.
If I execute the tests in diagnostic the voice that speak “Channel Left/Channel Right” comes from both speakers indeed.
I’ll try later to reinstall the drivers.

6

Problem solved.

Thank for the useful tips.
It was not Audacity, that works fine and well.
I am testing now some “holophonic/pan” effects.

Thank again!