Splitting a stereo track to two mono tracks in Logic Pro

Logic Pro doesn't seem to have an easy way to split a stereo track into two mono tracks. But there is a way. It isn't logical at all, but it's quick and it works. Check out the Audio Masterclass Music Production and Sound Engineering Course at bit.ly/3W3tpKo
P.S. There's another way to do this. I'll cover it in a future video.

[@fabiogasparini]

On very earlier versions of Logic, splitting mono from stereo track was quite easy. Now it's a complicated copying/convert a split/interleave stereo mess. You can do from there but it's confused of someyhing once it was not. Your metod is not standard but very straightforward and effective. Really gonna be used.

[@AudioMasterclass]

I use another method in my video at kzbin.info/www/bejne/p53WhZSinNV0jtk There are probably other ways too but maybe I'm just old-fashioned for thinking that a mono recording should be on a mono track containing a mono file. DM

[@fabiogasparini]

@@AudioMasterclass Yeah, I saw your earlier video after. But, as I said, I found this new method simple and very effective. I expect using it next time.

[@AidaKhorsandi]

@@AudioMasterclass For me it actually worked reverse! It merges the stereo track to another stereo track! weird!

[@artistcharlesmaring]

You Rock! I recorded a 3 hour live performance into a Zoom recorder with vocals on left and guitar on right... This worked like a charm.

[@vinahoonie1004]

Is it work for vocal and back vocal too?

[@sebastianminino7245]

Saved me some time... i thought i was going to have to have manually record into a mono track using a bus. You just saved me about 80 minutes lol

[@JustinasGrazulis]

Logic does not really have a lot of logic. Huh, who could have guessed. Very helpful video!

[@malcolmlucard5666]

Worked like a charm. Thanks!

[@IDONTEXIST_6]

okay, so say i have a stereo guitar stem from a long lost project. how would i go about splitting that up into where i can hear the left and right guitars on two different channels?i want to hear each tone perfectly to eq and add some spice.

[@cjpratt81]

This actually made me laugh! Such a strange way to do it! You’ve helped me greatly! How did you even discover this? I was going to pan and buss then record in real time to another track. However I’m editing long form video content.

[@martinsmith1961]

Great hack - however, as long as you don't mind working with more than one software tool, you could just export the track to something like Audacity, split into two mono tracks and bring them back in?

[@dobrepytanie828]

don't have these options :-( Instead of Left and Right have Input 1 and Input 2. No matter what I do I still hear both tracks

[@ThatOtherMikeyGuy]

I followed this exactly and, sure enough the right channel separated. But the Left channel stubbornly remains a mix of L&R material no matter what I did!

[@ProAudioIQ]

Tried it. Must be doing something wrong. Logic I've panned the tracks like you did and followed all directions and logic is producing a mono of just the LEFT side. It's lot letting me have a mono of the right channel, so I keep producing monos of the left.

[@AudioMasterclass]

I made this some time ago with an older version of Logic so things might have changed in the meantime. You may find more up-to-date methods with a web or KZbin search.

[@johnkatalenic9080]

This is GREAT! But is this Destructive Editing or is the Original Stereo file still intact? I want to split a piano track that was recorded with the left track at a significantly lower level than the right. Thanks!

[@AudioMasterclass]

I'd guess non-destructive but I'd have to test it to be sure. But you can test it for yourself - just check the raw file and see if it is still present or has changed. DM

[@magictouchfamily1942]

Very Nice

[@Basil_Hallward]

Super informative clip. I wonder if the option given on "mono, left, right, etc"...is only available through the download of all the features in logic. Somehow, I can´t find it as it is. Anyway, many thanks for your video.

[@eaoadeyemo]

Click and hold

[@oortone]

Right click on the stereo clip and select convert. Then it's possible to create monofiles. I posted a great example of thisin a link but the comment was removed, probably by our great friends at KZbin.

[@AudioMasterclass]

On a clip level this is a good option thank you and I can see it being useful. I could wish for an easy way to split a whole track - it's probably in there somewhere just waiting for someone to find it. DM

[@madisonjake755]

My app is up to date and bounce is not an option under edit but an option under file, and when I click on it a series of things pop up but there is nothing that says "join per track".

[@AudioMasterclass]

Apple has some useful info at support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/logicpro/lgcpaa45acde/mac

[@StratsRUs]

Thanks !

[@phaipakin8779]

Thank you🥰

[@AudioMasterclass]

You’re welcome 😊

[@raimundo5552]

when i click to select "left" or "right" it doesnt give me the drop down menu, it just switches to mono... any advice?

[@AudioMasterclass]

I'm guessing you mean the bit at kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3OlfIanrtZki8k (this is where timestamps in questions really help). Unfortunately I don't have an answer for you except to think maybe we're on different versions of Logic. I used 10.5.1 for this video. You might also consider a different method that I show in the first three minutes at kzbin.info/www/bejne/p53WhZSinNV0jtk There's a third method but I haven't made that video yet. DM

[@raimundo5552]

@@AudioMasterclass thank u! its actually press and hold :)

[@ElsonA9]

woo Great video thank you so much for sharing why Logic pro X make things difficult ? but how you figured out to do that ? thanks

[@AudioMasterclass]

Thank you for your comment. I covered another method in my video at kzbin.info/www/bejne/p53WhZSinNV0jtk DM

[@DemosInTheDark]

boy, sure wish i had found this video three hours ago!!! hahaha

[@promixlab]

Well there's a silly way to do it. Say you have two mono files Guitar.L and Guitar.R you want to import into logic. You can delete one file or move it to a different location (The point is to prevent logic from finding the pair) and then import one mono at a time. However, you are going to get the message says that The Guitar L or Guitar R doesn't exist when you do this, but Logic still reads each file as a mono track.

[@AudioMasterclass]

Anything that works is good. If only there could be a straightforward method of doing this. DM

[@oortone]

What about renaming, removing .L .R and replacing it with some expression Logic does not understand but you do? Like -le -ri.

[@vewilli]

👍🏻Interesting, but when do you really need to make to mono tracks out of a stereo track. Have you got an example when it’s useful to do this? I looked for this topic, because I wanted to make two mono tracks out of a stereo track, because one waveform in the stereo track was much louder then the other. Is it that?

[@AudioMasterclass]

1. If you want to process the channels differently in any way. 2. If you only want to use one channel (see kzbin.info/www/bejne/moKVY61vm5dsl9U for an example). 3. If you're old-fashioned enough like me to believe that a mono signal should be contained in a mono file on a mono track. Pro Tools makes splitting a stereo track trivially easy and when it's easy you find more opportunities to do it. DM

[@teddybearmonster]

Or if you record in Zoom, the m/s is in stereo. This is horrible.

[@Syllibethal]

If you want to use a stereo mixer or interface as a dual channel recording interface, eg acoustic guitar on left and vocals on right. Then split them in logic later, create two mono tracks, then mix them as though you had recorded two single channels. This may sound complex and pointless to anyone who already has the ability to record multichannel but for a lot of people a stereo interface is their only option and a workaround like this is great :)

[@adam-japp]

I do it to be able to send to different buses

[@vewilli]

@@adam-japp Thanks!

[@komsfon]

thank you.

[@AudioMasterclass]

You're welcome. DM

[@richardegerton9813]

A great hack, thanks

[@bcraigcraig4796]

How to split a mono source into two channels Left and Right?

[@AudioMasterclass]

You could copy a mono track, pan the original left and the copy right. It will still sound mono though. You might do this however if you wanted to process the tracks differently and create a stereo-like effect. DM

[@bcraigcraig4796]

@@AudioMasterclass I working with dear reality VR Montor it for binaural and surround sound trying to use mono sources to place in the abmsoincs space any tips to use mono to create fuller stereo sound?

[@bcraigcraig4796]

@@AudioMasterclass how would I bounce them out separately so I have a true mono of left coming out of my headphones and not hearing anything in the right side

[@calm..zzzone7258]

hah you hack the Logic,thank you for the video

[@johnwilmer2551]

No Split stereo to Mono tracks like Pro tools ? WOW thanks avid

[@AudioMasterclass]

If Logic has such a feature, I'm damned if I can find it. But with Pro Tools, it's right there where you need it. DM

[@bentbilliard]

Free tip for whoever cares, right click track and chose new track with duplicate settings for faster workflow.

[@AudioMasterclass]

I think quite a lot of people might care. I'll try it next time I'm forced to use Logic. DM

[@boristonkov9128]

Thanks! Good solution. However, because I do not have Bounce and Join command on my Logic version, I found another way here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nqGWf3SEbMuZn6c Cheers!

[@DWHarper62]

Logic is ridiculous...