mono or stereo that is the question!

[DPDAN]

Here is a list of the patches (sounds) in GPO and their status as to whether the sound is mono or stereo.

This list will be very helpful for those who record all their sounds to audio tracks for mixing.

Since most Digital Audio Workstations allow mono and stereo audio tracks, it would be far less stressful for your computer resources to load the mono instruments into a mono track, and the stereo sounds into a stereo track.

The instruments in GPO, like JABB, have a pan setting that is already set to place that instrument onto the stereo field, (stage).

If the instruments you are recording are mono, then you should set the pan in the Kontakt player to "center", then select the appropriate stereo audio group that communicates to your recording track. Once the audio is recorded, the pan in your DAW mixer will be dialed in (by you) to determine the "spacial" location of the instrument.

Here is an example....
If I use the JABB Steinway piano in an orchestral setting, I would want to place the piano to the left, especialy since the given piece of music is not a piano concerto. If you pan the stereo piano pretty far left, then you will be missing about half the sound of the piano, mostly high notes. The high notes, or upper register are predominately heard in the right channel since the piano was (reasonably close mic'd). In this case, you will want to insert a plugin of some type that will allow you to "combine" or blend the left and right information. Then the pan can be set where you want it to be in the DAW mixer.

In the case of a piano concerto, you will want the piano center stage, HOWEVER!!!!! you will still want to "blend" or combine "considerably" the left and right channels to NOT allow the listener to hear the separation of high and low notes. Hearing this (stereo spread) would not at all be natural, or even possible if the recording was made with traditionally placed stereo overhead microphones in a real concert hall.


This information should allow a bogged down computer, to respond a little faster for those bigger projects.
Happy mixing!
dpDan :D

This stereo/mono status list pertains to the DRY folder. Any instruments used from the WET folder (in older versions of GPO) will be stereo.

All Flutes MONO

All English Horns MONO

All Oboes MONO except...
Oboe 2 Modern Solo and Oboe 3 Modern Solo (STEREO)

All Clarinets MONO
All Bassoons MONO
All French Horns MONO except...
Overlay F, Overlay F AG, and Overlay FF (STEREO)

All Trumpets MONO except...
Overlay, Overlay AG, TPT Piccolo NV Solo and TPT Piccolo V Solo (STEREO)

All Trombones MONO except...
Overlay and Overlay AG (STEREO)

All Tubas MONO except...
Overlay and Overlay AG (STEREO)

All Percussion Instruments STEREO except Snares KS (MONO)
All Harps STEREO
All Pianos STEREO
All Pipe Organs STEREO
All solo Violins MONO except... Violin 2 Strad Pizz Solo (STEREO)
All solo Violas MONO
All solo Cellos MONO
All solo Basses MONO
All section Strings STEREO

[Cantabile]

I was thinking under similar lines over the last few days. Honestly I simply do not understand the "reasoning" behind sampling mono instruments in stereo*and on a side note instruments like bassoon ect with vibrato, makes no sense*. Guess it is why I like GPO, you can choose mono instruments and also control vibrato on certain instruments like bassoon*turns and other ornaments sound mighty funny with constant vibrato*. I have Kontakt 2 but I rarely if ever load the orchestral instruments from it because of these facts. Cannot beat GPO in the wind dept.
I agree with the piano and actually have used it "centered" because the low to high stereo placement sounds odd with orchestral backing.

[Skysaw]

Very good point on the stereo image of the piano for orchestral work. I created a simple little ensemble in Reaktor that allows you to narrow, swap, and individually pan stereo L/R pairs non-destructively. It has presets for stereo-to-mono, channel-swap, and two different "narrowing" settings, the narrowest I now use for this purpose.

If anyone is using Reaktor or Reaktor Session and wants this little file, send me a PM, with your email, and I'll send it to you. It uses almost no CPU, and is very easy to use.

[Tangram]

There is also "Stereo Tools", a free VST from Kelly Industries

http://www.kellyindustries.com/stereo_tools.html

that allows you to pan or position both the left and right channels independently of one another, as well as sum both the left and right channels together.

Mats