Bounce Mix to Mono?

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crantle
Posts: 4
Joined: 19 May 2020

11 Sep 2021

I work on a lot of sound design for talk-heavy podcasts -- and the desired output is almost always a mono audio file.

I'm not seeing any way to directly mono bounce from the master bus in Reason 12, and I have noticed a lot of similar complaints/feature requests across this forum.

It's looking like my workflow, if I continue to use Reason for these projects, is:

1. Bounce my mix (forced stereo)
2. Convert to mono in Audacity
3. Import into Reason to master, then bounce (forced stereo)
4. Convert to mono in Audacity for final delivery

I'm really hoping I am missing some basic functionality, or there's a rack extension out there which can perform this simple export function directly in Reason (I'm happy to pay for this feature) ...and if not, what workflow would you suggest as a better workaround? Please feel free to tear apart my approach above!

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deeplink
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11 Sep 2021

Unplug the Right cable from the master output.

Or place the Mono Combinator Effect as an Insert.
Get more Combinators at the deeplink website

crantle
Posts: 4
Joined: 19 May 2020

11 Sep 2021

deeplink wrote:
11 Sep 2021
Unplug the Right cable from the master output.
This results in a stereo file with left channel audio only.
deeplink wrote:
11 Sep 2021
Or place the Mono Combinator Effect as an Insert.
The Combinator still feeds into the stereo master bus -- and any bouncing/exporting from here always results in a stereo file. Am I missing something?

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nooomy
Posts: 543
Joined: 16 Jan 2015

11 Sep 2021

You can send everything to a buss channel and set width to 0. Or you can set the Mclass stereo width in the master and pull down the width to 0.

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deeplink
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11 Sep 2021

nooomy wrote:
11 Sep 2021
You can send everything to a buss channel and set width to 0. Or you can set the Mclass stereo width in the master and pull down the width to 0.
I think what OP is looking for is not a just a mono sound, rather the actual audio file is exported with a single mono channel only.
Get more Combinators at the deeplink website

crantle
Posts: 4
Joined: 19 May 2020

11 Sep 2021

deeplink wrote:
11 Sep 2021
nooomy wrote:
11 Sep 2021
You can send everything to a buss channel and set width to 0. Or you can set the Mclass stereo width in the master and pull down the width to 0.
I think what OP is looking for is not a just a mono sound, rather the actual audio file is exported with a single mono channel only.
Yes -- I can easily make Reason "sound" like a mono track (and do so often for stereo mixing), but I'm looking for a mono file output option from the master bus. It appears, after more forum perusing, that this is a very common feature request and is not possible from within Reason 12 at this time.

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moneykube
Posts: 3447
Joined: 15 Jan 2015

11 Sep 2021

I have always wondered why this was / is not an option when bouncing... it surely should not be difficult to add this option > it is common in many daws and helpful for some tasks.
https://soundcloud.com/moneykube-qube/s ... d-playlist
Proud Member Of The Awesome League Of Perpetuals

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huggermugger
Posts: 1292
Joined: 16 Jul 2021

11 Sep 2021

crantle wrote:
11 Sep 2021
I work on a lot of sound design for talk-heavy podcasts -- and the desired output is almost always a mono audio file.

I'm not seeing any way to directly mono bounce from the master bus in Reason 12, and I have noticed a lot of similar complaints/feature requests across this forum.

It's looking like my workflow, if I continue to use Reason for these projects, is:

1. Bounce my mix (forced stereo)
2. Convert to mono in Audacity
3. Import into Reason to master, then bounce (forced stereo)
4. Convert to mono in Audacity for final delivery

I'm really hoping I am missing some basic functionality, or there's a rack extension out there which can perform this simple export function directly in Reason (I'm happy to pay for this feature) ...and if not, what workflow would you suggest as a better workaround? Please feel free to tear apart my approach above!
Why are you doing Step 2? Get the Mix where you want it but don't Bounce it. Instead, save the Project under a different name for the Master. Apply your mastering as needed. Then do Step 4.

PS By "forced stereo" I think maybe you mean 'dual mono'?

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stratatonic
Posts: 1507
Joined: 15 Jan 2015
Location: CANADA

11 Sep 2021

crantle wrote:
11 Sep 2021
I work on a lot of sound design for talk-heavy podcasts -- and the desired output is almost always a mono audio file.

I'm not seeing any way to directly mono bounce from the master bus in Reason 12, and I have noticed a lot of similar complaints/feature requests across this forum.

It's looking like my workflow, if I continue to use Reason for these projects, is:

1. Bounce my mix (forced stereo)
2. Convert to mono in Audacity
3. Import into Reason to master, then bounce (forced stereo)
4. Convert to mono in Audacity for final delivery

I'm really hoping I am missing some basic functionality, or there's a rack extension out there which can perform this simple export function directly in Reason (I'm happy to pay for this feature) ...and if not, what workflow would you suggest as a better workaround? Please feel free to tear apart my approach above!
Does this work for you?:
Setup:
Add a Mix Channel Directly below the Master Outs - Call it MONO OUT
Stick an Ozone Maximizer (or whatever you use) between the two.
Connect L Master Section OUT to L Ozone IN
Ozone L OUT to Mix Channel IN L/MONO
Direct Out L from Mix Channel to OUT above the Master Section

File>>Bounce Mixer Channels>select MONO OUT and "All Except Fader Section"

You should get a mono output file.

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nooomy
Posts: 543
Joined: 16 Jan 2015

11 Sep 2021

crantle wrote:
11 Sep 2021
I work on a lot of sound design for talk-heavy podcasts -- and the desired output is almost always a mono audio file.

I'm not seeing any way to directly mono bounce from the master bus in Reason 12, and I have noticed a lot of similar complaints/feature requests across this forum.

It's looking like my workflow, if I continue to use Reason for these projects, is:

1. Bounce my mix (forced stereo)
2. Convert to mono in Audacity
3. Import into Reason to master, then bounce (forced stereo)
4. Convert to mono in Audacity for final delivery

I'm really hoping I am missing some basic functionality, or there's a rack extension out there which can perform this simple export function directly in Reason (I'm happy to pay for this feature) ...and if not, what workflow would you suggest as a better workaround? Please feel free to tear apart my approach above!
Why do you have to monofy Two times and to master?

Isn’t it enough to just mono it as a last step ?

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fullforce
Posts: 849
Joined: 18 Aug 2018

11 Sep 2021

Selig Gain?
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Hazel
Posts: 76
Joined: 29 Sep 2016

12 Sep 2021

The Quadelectra Stereo Spliter has a mono setting and it's a 9$ RE. Not sure if this helps what you are trying to achieve or not.

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Aquila
Posts: 754
Joined: 21 Jan 2015

13 Sep 2021

Hazel wrote:
12 Sep 2021
The Quadelectra Stereo Spliter has a mono setting and it's a 9$ RE. Not sure if this helps what you are trying to achieve or not.
Not quite. To clarify, the OP wants to export a single channel (mono) audio file. Reason only exports dual channel (stereo). No amount of plugins or processing can change the export process.

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selig
RE Developer
Posts: 11685
Joined: 15 Jan 2015
Location: The NorthWoods, CT, USA

13 Sep 2021

stratatonic wrote:
11 Sep 2021
!
Does this work for you?:
Setup:
Add a Mix Channel Directly below the Master Outs - Call it MONO OUT
Stick an Ozone Maximizer (or whatever you use) between the two.
Connect L Master Section OUT to L Ozone IN
Ozone L OUT to Mix Channel IN L/MONO
Direct Out L from Mix Channel to OUT above the Master Section

File>>Bounce Mixer Channels>select MONO OUT and "All Except Fader Section"

You should get a mono output file.
That works, or you can even put the extra Mix Channel after the master section - the key is to remove the right channel on the mono output, wherever you put it!
No reason for all the confusion over the years IMO…every time I’ve seen this question asked the correct answer has been given,
Selig Audio, LLC

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stratatonic
Posts: 1507
Joined: 15 Jan 2015
Location: CANADA

14 Sep 2021

selig wrote:
13 Sep 2021
stratatonic wrote:
11 Sep 2021
!
Does this work for you?:
Setup:
Add a Mix Channel Directly below the Master Outs - Call it MONO OUT
Stick an Ozone Maximizer (or whatever you use) between the two.
Connect L Master Section OUT to L Ozone IN
Ozone L OUT to Mix Channel IN L/MONO
Direct Out L from Mix Channel to OUT above the Master Section

File>>Bounce Mixer Channels>select MONO OUT and "All Except Fader Section"

You should get a mono output file.
That works, or you can even put the extra Mix Channel after the master section
In my example , I did :)
selig wrote:
13 Sep 2021
- the key is to remove the right channel on the mono output, wherever you put it!
No reason for all the confusion over the years IMO…every time I’ve seen this question asked the correct answer has been given,
I assumed that that OP wanted to bounce out a mix of his project. For zero future confusion though, I do think that there should be a MONO button on the mixer to make it really flipping simple though.

My way (I think) is the only way you can get your entire mix out in mono through the Master Section, but you have to mess around in the back with a few devices and cabling.

Even simpler, depending on the size of your project, I suppose you could buss your tracks you wanted out, level your mix, stick in a Selig Gain on the buss, set to mono, unplug the R cable and the bounce the buss.
Maybe you could also put a Selig Gain in one of the sends, mono on, unplug R, and adjust your mix thru sends and bounce the send.

40charlton07
Posts: 12
Joined: 13 Jul 2018

05 Jul 2022

selig wrote:
13 Sep 2021
stratatonic wrote:
11 Sep 2021
!
Does this work for you?:
Setup:
Add a Mix Channel Directly below the Master Outs - Call it MONO OUT
Stick an Ozone Maximizer (or whatever you use) between the two.
Connect L Master Section OUT to L Ozone IN
Ozone L OUT to Mix Channel IN L/MONO
Direct Out L from Mix Channel to OUT above the Master Section

File>>Bounce Mixer Channels>select MONO OUT and "All Except Fader Section"

You should get a mono output file.
That works, or you can even put the extra Mix Channel after the master section - the key is to remove the right channel on the mono output, wherever you put it!
No reason for all the confusion over the years IMO…every time I’ve seen this question asked the correct answer has been given,
hi family!

so sorry to dig up this old thread - i am just a bedroom banger but i have a friend who is a good engineer who said he can mix and master some of my projects. he has asked me to send in mono only.

in the example above from @selig and @stratatonic, do i have to use a maximiser? i would like to bounce all channels to disk without any effects or fader data. Could i just use the mix channel after the master section, wired as above with the R channel removed and that would work?

thanks everyone. reasontalk is such a great resource for people like me.

best wishes
40C

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selig
RE Developer
Posts: 11685
Joined: 15 Jan 2015
Location: The NorthWoods, CT, USA

06 Jul 2022

Depends on exactly what your engineer means.
What do they want you to do with stereo sources, such as a pair of drum overheads or room mic, or stereo piano/synth/etc?
Maybe they want all stereo files delivered as individula mono, labeled “.L” and “.R” to differentiate.
OR maybe they just want you to be SURE you’re not sending actual mono sources as “dual mono” stereo files (common).

For the most part you should NOT have to add anything to achive this, but you many want to remove certain added effects. Best way to do this is to use Bounce Mixer Channels and tap the signal before the fader and inserts. The result should be mono sources are bounced mono, stereo sources are bounced stereo. That is what I ask for when mixing for clients, but best to ask for clarification before going through the process incorrectly.
Selig Audio, LLC

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mimidancer
Posts: 636
Joined: 30 Sep 2021

11 Jul 2022

fullforce wrote:
11 Sep 2021
Selig Gain?
I agree Selig Gain is the best and easiest way to mono in reason. Just one button.

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