Hello,
I am trying to record a stereo track with one microphone using mobile pre. I am able to record a stereo track using just my computer’s built in microphone, but I need to use a better source as the sound is echo-y. When I use the Mobile Pre, it only records on the left side. I have tried everything I can think of. Is there any way to remedy this? I have tried using the Mobile Pre with both windows and on my mac. My husband is what you would call a “sound guy” and he says it must just be audacity and to get a different program. However, I find audacity the easiest to use, otherwise.
“Stereo” recordings have two different signals, one signal for the left channel (plays through the left speaker) and one for the right channel (plays through the right speaker).
Standard microphones produce one signal channel only - they are mono devices.
For a stereo recording you need to use two (or more) microphones to provide the signals for left and right channels.
(You can get “stereo microphones”, but these have actually got two microphones inside one microphone case).
Normally, for recording one microphone, you would record in mono - the mono signal from the (mono) microphone is then recorded in the one (mono) channel of the recorded track. Playback of a mono track goes equally to both left and right speakers (just like listening to a mono radio station on a stereo radio).
Audacity can be set to record mono by selecting “1 channel (mono)” in the Device Toolbar .
The mobile pre uses its left channel (channel 1) for mono. or uses both channels for stereo.
To record with one microphone and the mobile pre, plug the microphone into the left input (channel 1).
I think that’s the unit that’s not a mixer. It’s just a digitizer and depends on you to unscramble it later.
It’s not that hard to convert your Left Voice into either Mono or Stereo with you on both Left and Right. Recommended particularly if you already like how it sounds.
There is a series of instructions and settings under the little black arrow to the left of the track. It’s a drop-down menu.
Capture something. I’ll assume the Left is OK.
Drop-down > Split Stereo Track
Using the little [x], delete the right channel.
Drop down > Mono.
And you’re done. The track, even though it only has one “voice” it’s marked Mono which will play to both Left and Right speakers.
If, like me, that makes you nervous, then duplicate the track Control-D (or Edit > Duplicate).
Then using the little drop-down, Make Stereo Track.
I think with that sound device, this is all you’re going to be able to do with any sound program. Once the device produces a stereo USB sound signal, you’re sort-of stuck.