Strange dB scale in edit window

just realized and didnt know what the intention of the devs could have been or if it is a software error:

quadruple display of db scale on a MONO file.

Henry

Happens only if your track is set to Stereo.

Scale seems to look at the track configuration, not the file you have placed onto it ...

thx kahlbert. makes no sense anyway, because we are editing a mono file. no stereo information in this view at all.

Henry

The editor has to deal with the fact that there could be a mix of mono and stereo files on the track.
We decided too keep it simple and just use the track configuration.

Instead, the editor could look at all the events and determine which channel count appears most often, or use the event that is "nearest" or "most visible" (which could change on scrolling), but i think that could be confusing too...

The logic makes sense, but the end result is a scale which makes no sense against a mono file. I've no idea what the 'fix' might be. Presumably other DAWS don't allow a mix of stereo and mono files on a track? I can see the advantage of the flexibility it gives you (to be able to mix mono and stereo on a track), but this display makes it look like something is broken.

Maybe if you dump a mono file on a stereo track, it could display the dual-waveform (as if it was a stereo file) but with the word 'MONO' embedded in the wavform display (in the title, or as a watermark). Just a thought.

Dominic

dominicperry wrote: Presumably other DAWS don't allow a mix of stereo and mono files on a track?

Dominic

Yes. Both Cubase and Reaper do, as two examples, but neither (afaik) allows switching a track between mono and stereo and the latter doesn't have a separate audio editor display with scale markings. I can look at Nuendo's audio editor scale with a mono clip on a stereo track and see what it looks like and post back.

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 11/04/2012 16:14:03

Ok, I took a look at Nuendo and here's what happens.

In Nuendo you can only see one clip at a time in the audio editor so the scale follows the clip because it can always know what you're looking at, mono or stereo. In other words, if you open a mono clip that happens to be on a stereo track, it shows the mono scale. If you open a stereo clip on a mono track, it shows the stereo scale. It always only opens one clip at a time.

But Studio One's editing display is a bit more flexible it seems.

The main differences are that ...

1. Studio One's audio editor shows - all - clips on a given track in it's audio editor, at the same time. Nuendo only shows one. So in S1 you can actually be looking at both mono and stereo clips in the one editor window at the same time.

2. Studio One allows switching the actual track between mono and stereo, Nuendo doesn't.

So if you have stereo and mono clips on the same track in S1 it will still show the scale based on how the track is switched, mono or stereo.

I actually don't personally see an issue here (mmv), if you want the mono scale, switch the track to mono. You can do that in the editor window, if the mono scale is critical there for an edit.

LMike wrote:Ok, I took a look at Nuendo and here's what happens.

In Nuendo you can only see one clip at a time in the audio editor so the scale follows the clip because it can always know what you're looking at, mono or stereo. In other words, if you open a mono clip that happens to be on a stereo track, it shows the mono scale. If you open a stereo clip on a mono track, it shows the stereo scale. It always only opens one clip at a time.

But Studio One's editing display is a bit more flexible it seems.

The main differences are that ...

1. Studio One's audio editor shows - all - clips on a given track in it's audio editor, at the same time. Nuendo only shows one. So in S1 you can actually be looking at both mono and stereo clips in the one editor window at the same time.

2. Studio One allows switching the actual track between mono and stereo, Nuendo doesn't.

So if you have stereo and mono clips on the same track in S1 it will still show the scale based on how the track is switched, mono or stereo.

I actually don't personally see an issue here (mmv), if you want the mono scale, switch the track to mono. You can do that in the editor window, if the mono scale is critical there for an edit.

Thanks for the information - and I agree 100% with your conclusions.

thx for discussing that. didnt want to complain, just tell what I see and wonder about. So I take it as a feature

Henry