Recording vocals in center channel

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Recording vocals in center channel

Postby Mesogears » 16 Oct 2013 10:52

So I'm attempting to record vocals with my interface for the first time, and honestly, I'm kinda lost. I understand that the interface has two inputs, each corresponding to the left and right channels. However, my recordings only output in the left or right channels, as opposed to the center. Is this normal for vocal recordings? Sorry if this comes off as noobish, but I'm pretty clueless at this point.

P.S. I'm using a Samson CS1 and an XLR-XLR cable.
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Re: Recording vocals in center channel

Postby the4thImpulse » 16 Oct 2013 11:11

What interface are you using?

I have never heard of an interface with mandatory panned inputs.. that just makes no sense at all.
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Re: Recording vocals in center channel

Postby Mesogears » 16 Oct 2013 11:18

I'm using a Scarlett 2i4.
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Re: Recording vocals in center channel

Postby the4thImpulse » 16 Oct 2013 11:24

Mesogears wrote:I'm using a Scarlett 2i4.

Alright, simply go into the Scarlett control panel, find the input you are using and set it too mono. I know Scarlett automatically opens them as stereo tracks but they are switchable to mono. Make sure your DAW is only using the mono channels (like channel 2 only, not channel 1 and 2). Setting everything to mono will put your vocals in the center.
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Re: Recording vocals in center channel

Postby Mesogears » 16 Oct 2013 11:40

the4thImpulse wrote:
Mesogears wrote:I'm using a Scarlett 2i4.

Alright, simply go into the Scarlett control panel, find the input you are using and set it too mono. I know Scarlett automatically opens them as stereo tracks but they are switchable to mono. Make sure your DAW is only using the mono channels (like channel 2 only, not channel 1 and 2). Setting everything to mono will put your vocals in the center.


Are you talking about a digital panel or the one on the actual interface? If it's the former, I'm not sure where to find it.
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Re: Recording vocals in center channel

Postby the4thImpulse » 16 Oct 2013 12:02

Mesogears wrote:
the4thImpulse wrote:
Mesogears wrote:I'm using a Scarlett 2i4.

Alright, simply go into the Scarlett control panel, find the input you are using and set it too mono. I know Scarlett automatically opens them as stereo tracks but they are switchable to mono. Make sure your DAW is only using the mono channels (like channel 2 only, not channel 1 and 2). Setting everything to mono will put your vocals in the center.


Are you talking about a digital panel or the one on the actual interface? If it's the former, I'm not sure where to find it.

The digital one, should be called Scarlett MixControl. I have the 18i6 so mine might be a little different but below the channels is a button with a sideways '8' looking sign (just above the PLF/M/S buttons). Click it to turn the channels into mono channels rather joined stereo.
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Re: Recording vocals in center channel

Postby Mesogears » 16 Oct 2013 12:25

the4thImpulse wrote:The digital one, should be called Scarlett MixControl. I have the 18i6 so mine might be a little different but below the channels is a button with a sideways '8' looking sign (just above the PLF/M/S buttons). Click it to turn the channels into mono channels rather joined stereo.


Interesting...I don't have that program, nor was it included as part of the downloadable content when I registered the interface.
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Re: Recording vocals in center channel

Postby the4thImpulse » 16 Oct 2013 12:45

Mesogears wrote:Interesting...I don't have that program, nor was it included as part of the downloadable content when I registered the interface.

Their website says it for the entire Scarlett interface range, you could try downloading it straight off their website.

Also check your DAW settings, see if you can create mono channels and only use one of the inputs at a time (what DAW are you using?)
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Re: Recording vocals in center channel

Postby the4thImpulse » 16 Oct 2013 12:50

Maybe this video can help, its straight from Focusrite and gives exampes for ableton and logic


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Re: Recording vocals in center channel

Postby Mesogears » 16 Oct 2013 12:52

the4thImpulse wrote:
Mesogears wrote:Interesting...I don't have that program, nor was it included as part of the downloadable content when I registered the interface.

Their website says it for the entire Scarlett interface range, you could try downloading it straight off their website.

Also check your DAW settings, see if you can create mono channels and only use one of the inputs at a time (what DAW are you using?)


Checked Focusrite's website. According to it, MixControl isn't compatible with the 2i4.

Also, I'm using FL 11.
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Re: Recording vocals in center channel

Postby the4thImpulse » 16 Oct 2013 13:06

Mesogears wrote:Checked Focusrite's website. According to it, MixControl isn't compatible with the 2i4.

Also, I'm using FL 11.

Well that's just dumb. It still sounds like its a problem with the way FL is handling the inputs. You should be able to, somewhere, select only one input channel in FL studio.

Does the microphone still work without a DAW open? it could have to do with the way you are monitoring the microphone. Have you tried messing with the 'direct monitoring' toggle switch and knob on the scarlett?
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Re: Recording vocals in center channel

Postby FLAOFEI » 16 Oct 2013 14:02

I think you can record in FL in 2 ways
1 Press the big red rec button and an eddison channel pops up and your ready to go (Guessing thats what you did? I never use that button)
or
2 You take a mixer channel, open a recording plug in, chose the input, then record. I'm guessing you have the stereo source selected instead of the mono source. The bar for selecting your source is in the mixer next to the "IN>", usually says "(none). That bar opens the list of your sources, and they should come up in different categories, I have "ASIO4ALL v2 - Stereo" and "ASIO4ALL v2 - Mono", and then you obviously chose the mono (and then chose the other one cause you realise you took the right instead of left channel) and then just press record in the plug in.

Or if nothing helps you could just record in "stereo" and then convert the recorded channel to mono useing eddison, Tools -> Convert ___ channel to mono
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Re: Recording vocals in center channel

Postby itroitnyah » 16 Oct 2013 16:33

No, I run with a 2i2 instead of a 2i4, and all you need to do is go to the mixer track that you're inputting to, and drop down the menu next to the "IN" and at the top of the plugins thing, and then the dropdown should display "Input 1 - Input 2" at the top, and then "Input 1" and "Input 2". Just choose the Input 1 option, it'll all be good.

The inputs essentially represent the XLR ports, so with "Input 1 - Input 2" it's recording from input one for the right channel and input 2 for the left. And then with just the "Input 1" option selected it's recording for both channels from the first XLR port, you get the idea.
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