Audio Interface Software Mixer Setup for PRO 2

[ARNK]

Hey all.

I use an RME Fireface UFX which has 8 hardware inputs, I have the PRO 2 L/R in jacks 1/2 respectively.

In the Software Mixer, I can separate channels 1 and 2 to have a fader for each channel. That is, Analog Inputs AN 1 and AN 2.

Or I could combine the channels so that only one fader controls the L/R, or AN 1/2.

So my questions are, given how the PRO 2 operates, a) When/why would I create independent/separate channels, that is, AN 1 panned L100 and AN 2 panned R100, versus one channel, AN 1/2 panned dead center?

b) This is probably obvious, but would separated AN 1 and AN 2 each panned center have exactly the same effect as the channels AN 1/2 combined panned center?

c) For creating patches, which setup is most useful, considering you may at some point want to switch a stereo patch to mono or vice versa?

May have a follow up depending, thanks for your insight!

[Paul Dither]

I can of course only speak for myself, but I would only use two inputs in a stereo configuration, which would equal the second option you've described (L/R, AN 1/2). There would be no reason for me to use individually controllable inputs because I use the Pro 2 as a stereo instrument. If I'd like to adjust the panning, I'll just do that in my DAW as part of the mixing process.

b) This is probably obvious, but would separated AN 1 and AN 2 each panned center have exactly the same effect as the channels AN 1/2 combined panned center?

If you'd hardpan the single inputs' signal to the left and the right that would rather equal the stereo sum of AN 1/2.

c) For creating patches, which setup is most useful, considering you may at some point want to switch a stereo patch to mono or vice versa?

In my case, the default is always stereo. Mainly because I like to use the delays a lot and never utilize them centered in the stereo image. So there's always going to be some panning involved in the patch itself, even if it's just a small amount.

If I would only like to use a mono signal, I would either switch from stereo to mono in the global menu of the Pro 2, or separate a stereo track into two mono tracks in my DAW.

[ARNK]

If I would only like to use a mono signal, I would either switch from stereo to mono in the global menu of the Pro 2, or separate a stereo track into two mono tracks in my DAW.

Thanks for your thoughts Paul. When you say you'd separate a stereo track into two mono tracks in the DAW, are you saying that you'd hard pan each channel in the DAW fully L/R?

I guess what I'm also curios about is which patches have been programmed in mono to start with? Were all of the factory patches programmed in stereo mode? I guess it's like trying to break down the complexities in a wine for example, I want to know what I'm hearing and why I know that takes time.

[Paul Dither]

When you say you'd separate a stereo track into two mono tracks in the DAW, are you saying that you'd hard pan each channel in the DAW fully L/R?

Some DAWs (Pro Tools or Studio One for example, I'm not sure which one you're using) provide the option to split a stereo track recording into two mono tracks. What you usually get by default after this conversion, is the left channel hardpanned to the left and the right channel hardpanned to the right. In most cases, you would then delete one of those mono tracks and pan the one you decided for to the center - at least before applying any further mixing strategies.

If you only hardpanned the single mono channels to the left and the right or if you just left the left channel hardpanned to the left and the right channel hardpanned to the right after splitting up a stereo track, you would essentially end up with the same outcome you had with one stereo track. A stereo signal is nothing but two mono signals hardpanned to the left and the right. It's up to the engine of - in this case - the Pro 2, how the signals of those two channels interact by means of the panning options that are provided in the modulation matrix for example. The distortion also operates in true stereo.

To make sure that you get exactly the same signal from both outputs of the Pro 2, you'd have to activate the mono mode in the global menu. If you did this, you could record exactly the same signal hardpanned to the left and right into a stereo track. So if you would decide to split the stereo track after such a recording, you could be 100% sure that it doesn't matter which channel (left or right) to delete for the use of only one true mono track that could then be panned to the center position.

I guess what I'm also curios about is which patches have been programmed in mono to start with? Were all of the factory patches programmed in stereo mode? I guess it's like trying to break down the complexities in a wine for example, I want to know what I'm hearing and why I know that takes time.

I doubt this could be reconstructed without asking all the individual sound designers that were on board. I mean technically you could also look out for what patches made use of any panning settings, no matter how subtle they may be. My guess is, though, that everyone probably used the Pro 2 in stereo mode for programming because it simply "defaults to stereo operation" as the manual says. And if that's the default setting with which the instrument is to be found in a store, you wanna make sure to take full advantage of that for the majority of programmed factory patches, just like you wanna make sure that each patch contains a sequence. That just lies in the demonstrative purpose of factory presets.

[ARNK]

This is awesome thank you, helps a lot.