Audio editing question

bobdadruma

Platinum Member
I have a video that was accidently recorded in mono. Only has sound on the left audio channel. I have loaded the video onto my hard drive. How do I create a right channel to match the left one so that when I post it on You Tube both of the listeners ears will be kept busy?
I have Garage Band and imovie in my editing arsenal. I don't think that these programs can do what I want. Do I need a sound mixing program? If so, is there an inexpensive one that will perform this task?
I recently downloaded Audacity but my computer had issues with the program so I had to delete it before I used it much.
 
You can do it in either or both. Just copy the audio in iMovie and paste it into the R channel. If you want it to sound stereo, offset it by a few milliseconds.

You could also export the audio file from iMovie into garageband and do the same thing there, then move it back to iMovie.

Good luck!
 
You can do it in either or both. Just copy the audio in iMovie and paste it into the R channel. If you want it to sound stereo, offset it by a few milliseconds.

You could also export the audio file from iMovie into garageband and do the same thing there, then move it back to iMovie.

Good luck!
I thought that I could do that also at first. It's not that simple! Garage Band treats an audio track as one entity, Right and Left channels can't be separated. If I copy the track, I wind up with a duplicate of the left channel. I can't make it move to the right.
 
Do the program give you the option of saving movies as mono? That way, at least, you have balanced output.

MediocreFunkyBeat is good with tech so, if he's around, he might have some ideas.
 
Is there a way of creating a mono bus and then adding the signal (at 100%) to that and then panning it to the right? You'll end up with a balanced mono output this way. I've actually faked stereo before doing this by having slightly different reverb levels on each bus. My way of doing it is to set up the single source, send to Aux 1 and 2, then to have no level from the original track. Then I will pan Aux 1 fully left and Aux 2 fully right. Does that make sense?
 
Do the program give you the option of saving movies as mono? That way, at least, you have balanced output.

MediocreFunkyBeat is good with tech so, if he's around, he might have some ideas.
I used imovie to edit and idvd to make a DVD. There is no option for mono on these programs as well as in GarageBand. When I play the DVD in a player on my TV, The logic in the TV and the logic in my surround sound system realizes that it is mono and these devices play audio through both the right and left channels. If I play the video on my computer or upload it to YouTube, Only the left channel is present when it is played on a computer.
 
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Is there a way of creating a mono bus and then adding the signal (at 100%) to that and then panning it to the right? You'll end up with a balanced mono output this way. I've actually faked stereo before doing this by having slightly different reverb levels on each bus. My way of doing it is to set up the single source, send to Aux 1 and 2, then to have no level from the original track. Then I will pan Aux 1 fully left and Aux 2 fully right. Does that make sense?
You're hurting my head man! You are above me in knowledge about audio processing terms. I need info in layman's language. I only began to process audio and video a short while ago. I think that what you are saying is that I will need a program that acts as a mixer. GarageBand is not a true audio mixer. I guess that I need software that acts as a mixer. Is that what you meant?
 
Let me just have a look at Garageband so I can get an idea of what you can do.

EDIT: Email me the .mp3 file and I'll sort it out. I can't find a way of doing what I'm saying on Garageband or Audacity. It will take me a minute or two. Bounce the track down to .mp3 so my email I've PM'd you with will accept it.

Essentially, yes. I'm sure you could do it in Reaper (a 'free' DAW), but it's a bit daunting to look at for a novice and it'll take me minutes to do it in Logic.
 
Should be receiving my reply any minute now. It's not 'in' Stereo as such, as in the instruments aren't panned left and right, but there are slightly different sends going to left and right from the same source (the .mp3 you sent me) so it effectively sounds reasonably stereo. I had to save some recordings I did a while back (a brass band no less) using the same trick and everyone was fooled.

I'm just going to post up the screenshot I sent, just to show people how to do it if they need to rescue a recording.

This won't produce a stereo image in the traditional sense - but it does produce a stereo effect.
 

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Thanks to Mediocrefunkybeat, I now have simulated stereo audio tracks for my videos. I separated the audio tracks from the video in Garage Band. I emailed the tracks as mp3 files to Duncan in the UK, He sent them back to me with two channels of sound in a short amount of time. Wonderful thing, the internet is! 3000 miles is right next door! I'm in Connecticut.
Thank you once again Duncan.
 
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No problem mate. It's just a shame I can't find a way of doing it in Garageband. I hope they release a version where you can.
 
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