My audio interface provides two channels to a Realband audio track using ASIO. Both are used when the track type is stereo. So if the actual input input is mono (one microphone only) then only one half of the stereo is recorded. If the track type is then set to mono then only one of the channels is selected? One channel does work but there is no way (not that I can see anyway) of forcing the track to use one or other of the inputs.
It would be great to have any help on this please?
In Audio Prefs you can set a MONO track to record one side or the other. It's a 2-way system though; If the track type is Stereo it will record both tracks. If you change the track type to MONO, the above mentioned Prefs setting lets you decide how MONO tracks are handled; record L, record R, or record Both.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
I record everything that I play in mono on the left channel, sometimes switching to right when I am mic'ing the amp and want to use the right channel of the Asio/audio interface.
But generally speaking, when you are recording your own tracks you want to record in mono, and choose either left or right.
Even with some real tracks that render as stereo I convert them to mono in audacity so I have more control in the panning process.
The only exception is drums which I usually leave in stereo.
Hope that makes sense.
David Snyder Songwriter/Renaissance Man Studio + Fingers
How can we make RTs mono if we are panning tracks in BIAB itself? Are you altering your actual RealTracks in Audacity? Assuming they are stereo. I'm very confused as to whether having them in mono is important for backing tracks that are going to be played on a PA, and am not sure how it can be done. Likewise, a while back someone suggested panning the drums and bass one way, so that you could control the mix more easily on the PA for different venues. That's got me completely baffled now. I guess what I'm trying to ensure is that my backing tracks are clear and not taking anything away from my guitar and vocals.
Thanks.
Last edited by lambada; 12/06/1604:38 PM.
Windows 10 Home 20H2 Build 19042.487 BIAB 2021 (Build 818) Intel(R) Core(TM), i3-4160, CPU @3.60 GHz RAM 16 GB, 64 Bit X64-based processor Zoom UAC-2 (USB 3 interface-built in midi) VoiceLive 3 Extreme, Sputnik Valve Condenser Mic
I have wondered, but never asked, why when you generate tracks they are not all mono or all stereo. Typically drums are stereo, bass is mono, and then it's seemingly at random.
@David Snyder re: panning. I usually leave drums, bass, vocals and solos in the middle but the rhythm instruments go left and right.
One of my teachers used a baseball field as her example. A baseball team always wants to be strong up the middle. Catcher, pitcher, shortstop, second base and center field. Or to apply the metaphor, drums, bass, vox and solos. The other example she used was visual where she held up 5 things behind a computer tower, to visualize that you could only see the last 4 when she moved them to the left or the right. Just expanding on what you said. Record them in mono and then move them left and right. Depending on how many rhythm instruments I have I will do hard left, 45 degrees left, hard right and 45 degrees right. Makes for some depth.
I have at times split a mono track RB created into 2 tracks so I can have a left and a right and place effects on one and not on the other. It doesn't always stay in, but that's some of the experimenting. One time, I had a 12 string track and I cloned it 3 times so I had 4 tracks of the same thing. I went hard left clean, 45 left chorused, hard right with reverb, and 45 right with a little delay, all at low and varied volumes. I was trying to make it sound like 4 guitars playing the same part with slightly different color. A Phil Spector-ish move. It worked well enough but I didn't keep all those layers in the end.
There is a selection in the Master tab submenu, Set mix to flat, dry and center.
Access this by right clicking on the Master tab to open the menu window.
This is a useful feature when exporting BIAB tracks to a DAW for further processing where you will add effects, volume envelopes and panning and want to export your tracks dry, equal volumes and no panning.
If you select STEREO as the input type for the track ... you must provide both a left and a right input via the 2 channels in the interface.
If you select MONO as the input type for the track, it will send only that side that you selected as the MONO input to the track.
In MONO, it is totally possible to have the other interface channel providing another different MONO input to another track. So you could record guitar to one and vocal to the other. Both would be mono tracks and both would be recording at the same time if you decided to do it that way.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.com Add nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.
The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
1.) I only use Real Band to generate usable backing tracks. Except for drums, I always want those tracks to be in mono, so I go into Audacity after the export and do stereo to mono and resave the tracks if those tracks rendered as stereo in Real Band (and were exported that way.)
Some people use plug ins to reshape stereo tracks inside the DAW but I find that to be a nuisance. I want my tracks (except for drums) to be in mono so I can pan them where I want them. It is just my preference.
Again, this is just my way of doing things.
2.) The question of "Mono left" might be confusing. When I say 'mono left" I mean I am simply using the left channel input on the audio interface to record a mono track, and again--and this is just me--I prefer all the audio tracks except for drums to be in mono.
Then once I have them in Sonar, I pan bass just slightly off center, main vocals straight up, drums straight up, doubled vocals at 10, and -10, main instruments at 25 and -25 and sweetening instruments at 30, -30, or sometimes -35, and 35.
Bob Buford just wrote an excellent column on this in the recording forum.
I hope this makes sense!!!
David Snyder Songwriter/Renaissance Man Studio + Fingers
David, regarding rendering RB stereo tracks to mono. You can save time and effort doing this in RB rather than exporting back and forth between RB and Audacity. I was wondering why you use this particular procedure.
I think we have been around this before. There are aspects of audacity I like, and it takes me 10 minutes to "trim" and normalization ALL of my audio for any song remove, clicks, unwanted passages and stuff, and convert stereo to mono.
I can blow the audio up real big, look for artifacts and zap them in a millisecond with negative amplification.
I mean, everything is ready to go into the DAW after about 10 minutes.
I guess I have just gotten use to it and just like doing it that way though it is nice to have the extra in information about Real Band, so thanks a lot.
But again. once I leave Real Band with my tracks I don't go back. I mix in Sonar.
David Snyder Songwriter/Renaissance Man Studio + Fingers
Tech support could not figure out my lingering problem. Since going with this Scarlett 2i2 the melody track midi in yellow is out of sync with the RealTracks -a couple of bars behind. Resetting to factory settings (all option) fixes it but only for a while, it goes back to this problem. Unchecking the use VST/DX on the Midi driver setup dialogue box made it better but still off a little then later it was back to same.
In MIDI preferences, even though you have the 'Use default DXi' checkbox enabled, do you have the MS Wavetable synth selected as the device in the box above the check box? For some reason we have seen this fix a weird problem or 2 before. Just a shot in the dark. It shouldn't matter since all MIDI is getting re-routed, but like I said it has helped before in weird situations.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
Tech support could not figure out my lingering problem. Since going with this Scarlett 2i2 the melody track midi in yellow is out of sync with the RealTracks -a couple of bars behind. Resetting to factory settings (all option) fixes it but only for a while, it goes back to this problem. Unchecking the use VST/DX on the Midi driver setup dialogue box made it better but still off a little then later it was back to same.
You should put this in a new post/thread.
Midi playing behind is called latency and is generally a driver issue. The Focusrite Scarlett is a good interface. What driver mode are you using with it?
Are we talking about BB or RB or both?
Give us as much detail on your recording rig setup as you can.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.com Add nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.
The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!
If you're already using Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, make sure to grab the latest update! Build 904 is now available for download and includes the newest additions and enhancements from our team.
PowerTracks 2026 is here—bringing powerful new enhancements designed to make your production workflow faster, smoother, and more intuitive than ever.
The enhanced Mixer now shows Track Type and Instrument icons for instant track recognition, while a new grid option simplifies editing views. Non-floating windows adopt a modern title bar style, replacing the legacy blue bar.
The Master Volume is now applied at the end of the audio chain for consistent levels and full-signal master effects.
Tablature now includes a “Save bends when saving XML” option for improved compatibility with PG Music tools. Plus, you can instantly match all track heights with a simple Ctrl-release after resizing, and Add2 chords from MGU/SGU files are now fully supported... and more!
Get started today—first-time packages start at just $49.
Already using PowerTracks Pro Audio? Upgrade for as little as $29 and enjoy the latest improvements!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 15, 2026!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
Version 2026 introduces a modernized GUI redesign across the program, with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, and a new Dark Mode option. There’s also a new side toolbar for quicker access to commonly used windows, and the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, making it easier to customize your workspace.
Another exciting new addition is the new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. You can view the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to process an entire track or focus on specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Windows to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade during our special, you'll receive a Free Bonus PAK of exciting new add-ons.
If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!
Good news! You still have time to upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box® for Windows® and save. Our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® special now runs through January 15, 2025!
We've packed Band-in-a-Box® 2026 with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can process an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PST on January 15th, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® today! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you over the phone. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday, and 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST Saturday. We are closed Sunday. You can also send us your questions via email.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you on our Live Chat or by email. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday; 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST (GMT -8) Saturday; Closed Sunday.
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean