Some Newbie RecordingMixing Questions

Hi all, I've just purchased and installed a MAudio Mobile pre with the aim of recording some live guitar & vocals, then mixing in some synths.

So I plug the acoustic in, click record in Cool Edit pro, and play a couple of licks. But when I play it back, the guitar is only on the left or right channel (depending on the channel I plug it into).

If I select left or right in the device properties then record, it records as mono, but at least the audio comes out of the speakers balanced.

So here is my super newbie question. When recording instruments & vocals, is each track recorded in mono, then mixed to stereo later?

There is also 1/8 in stero mic input, but I guess I just don't understand the difference between mono & stereo when it comes to actually recording an instrument.

Thanks in advance the help!

-Ross

 

* If you record one input at a time that is mono.
* If you use two inputs to record at the same time that is either dual mono or stereo depending on the source of the inputs you are recording.
* Mixing to a stereo output is the normal way to do things.
* For each mono recorded track in your recording software, there is a pan control. When playing back or mixing, set this to the middle posistion and it will now come out both speakers if that is what you really want.

If you plug a guitar, bass, or a single micorphone into your interface that is mono. If your interface had 10 inputs, that could be 10-mono in's or 5-stereo in's or any combo of stereo and mono inputs.

Stereo sources would be things like drum machines/samplers, keys/synths, CD player, effects units or when using two microphones such as for left and right drum overheads.

 

Some great info, thanks!