Stereo-to-mono for dialog

Former user wrote on 5/5/2022, 5:31 AM

I want to convert dialog, originally recorded in stereo, to mono. Sound Forge Pro has three options to do this, single channel (left or right), 50% and 100%. I am thinking the latter takes the left and right channel and smashes them together into a mono signal as the resulting waveforms look much larger. I am not sure what 50% does. If I am going to get a piece of dialog and convert to mono, for best clarity results, which option of the three is best to go with?

Comments

rraud wrote on 5/5/2022, 10:12 AM

convert dialog, originally recorded in stereo, to mono.

Hi @Former user,
See my recent comment here:
https://www.magix.info/us/forum/can-i-work-with-left-and-right-stereo-tracks-separately--1299166/#ca1779094

Just choose the 'Left' or the 'Right'. If there is spatial content the 'Mix' option could cause phasing and/or a volume change. If not, it should not matter. Mono files are easier to work-on, faster to render and half the size of stereo (if the files are PCM) and there is no loss of quality. A win-win-win situation.

johnebaker wrote on 5/5/2022, 10:52 AM

@Former user

. . . . convert dialog, originally recorded in stereo, to mono . . . .

Was this using a stereo microphone or mono and duplicated on both channels?

If the latter then conversion should not be necessary as the audio will play correctly on a mono and stereo player, one advantage of this is that you can use the balance control to poisition the audio on the sound stage, by default with equal left/right it will be in the centre.

The options 50% and 100% in simple terms will use 50 % or 100% of each channels signal to create the mono signal.

The 50% option should not increase the volume level - at least that is how a small program installed on my PC and laptop which does a 50 - 50 addition of both stereo channels to give a mono signal at the same audio loudness works ( I am deaf in one ear so stereo audio is not heard correcly on headphones.).

HTH

John EB