Comments

jrazz wrote on 3/17/2006, 10:01 AM
As for the mono format- my thought would be that usually a sound effect has a specific purpose and if you wanted to do 5.1, you would put it on a channel were the sound should originate from, thus you have a need for a single signal.
The same is true for stereo mixing. Let's use breaking glass for example, if it happened off screen to the left, you would only use the left channel for the sound and visa versa.

These are just my thoughts. It is easy enough to duplicate the mono track for stereo or change the stereo to mono. Since this is the case, I would further assume that the mono track, since it has less information, it is smaller and since it is smaller, more can fit on a cd and thus they can sale more fx on one cd to the consumer.

j razz
ClipMan wrote on 3/17/2006, 10:12 AM
" .... 1.) Is there an industry preference to use mono? ..."

Most effects were/are captured with a mono mic ..

" ... 2.) Any problem going to stereo? ..."

No problemo if you want to double the file size. These are sound effects and you simply want to convey an instant "message" with this type of sound and not deliver an orchestral rendition of glass breaking . The key is does it sound like a glass is breaking.? Is it clear that a glass is breaking? That's all you want to convey. Subtle instant message. Right click the Vegas track and hit "Combine". (This is according to me and how I use them. Others may use them much differently)

" .... 3.) Would any of this apply to Voice Overs? ..."

You want the richest, cleanest sound available for VO and you want it done professionally if it's selling a product or service. High quality (done in a sound booth) mono is no problemo. Again, that's how I personally see it.

Former user wrote on 3/17/2006, 3:54 PM
A music CD standard is Stereo so a 10 second mono soundeffect would take up the same space as a stereo one.

A MONO sound effect can come out of both speakers and still be mono. STEREO implies, normally, a discrete Left and Right sound.

If you want to make a sound effect stereo, pan to one side and echo to the other. This is really all stereo sounds in the world are. They are directional with residual (echo or such) in the other direction. This is how we can tell where a sound is coming from.

Dave T2
goshep wrote on 3/17/2006, 4:52 PM
Now you have ME curious as well. So, using Vegas or Sound Forge, how would one best simulate or convert to stereo from mono?
Steve Mann wrote on 3/19/2006, 12:45 AM
Are you sure that you want to? If a stero microphone were found on a movie set, I would be highly surprised. All movie sound starts out as many single-channel tracks and only in editing gets logically located in the sound space. If you listen to almost any Hollywood DVD, try turning off the center channel - you won't hear a word of dialog. Turn off all but the surround (rear channels) speakers, and all you will hear is Foley and SFX. No dialog, no music.
farss wrote on 3/19/2006, 5:08 AM
ALL sound SOURCES are mono, they originate from a single (or pretty close to it, some noteable exceptions) point. Stand next to an explosion and you have no audible reference to where it came from.

Stand 100 metres away and then you get acoustic information as to where it came from. Stand 5 KMs away in mountains and you're hard pressed to know where it came from but you know it's a long way away.

So all sound sources are recorded as mono, it's then up to your creative abilities to place that sound in the right space to make it believable. This is not just a matter of panning left or right!
Even a mono track should contain spatial information. For example as someone talking moves away from the camera they a) get quieter and b) there's more echo. Now that echo (or reverb) should match the environment.

The notable exceptions I was referring to are certain instruments such as pipe organs and if you are recording certain live sounds such as orchestral or choral works where the sound of the space is a vital part of the performance normally.

One oddity is that dialogue is almost invariably recorded centre channel even for cinema soundtracks.

There's a heap of good info in Jay Rose's book, save me retyping it and breaching his copyright and get yourself a copy, it truly is a must read. ISBN 1-57820-116-0 This book is focussed on audio for moving images. And Jay's a half decent bloke, helped me out more than once.

Bob.
goshep wrote on 3/19/2006, 6:55 AM
Fascinating stuff. Yet another component of post-production that is truly an art in and of itself. Thanks for the tips and the book reference!
Bob Greaves wrote on 3/19/2006, 11:23 AM
Some great comments above.

Although there are exceptional times I prefer to use mono efects . The effects however do not necessarily remain mono. They might get processed so that a difused echo reflects off the "hills." But having a mono original enables one to then do all the gimmiks with the sound to process it into a multiple channel field.