Using ONLY Left Output

[marcelo juan]

Hello my interface has only one Input (Scarlett Solo) so I can use only ONE Minifreak output. In this case I read I should use the Left Output. Is this Left Output sending Left+Right channels together in a MONO balanced signal? thanks.

[Matthieu_Arturia]

Hello marcelo juan

In order to ouput Left+right on one output you must go to Utility/Audio/Stereo to Mono => On.
Hope that helps.

[olimpomarcelo]

Hello many thanks !! I read that only effects have true Stereo information. "True" meaning they are really two differente signals and not the two same signals sent through two diferent outputs. So if I set Utility/Audio/Stereo to Mono => Off I will lose only the right stereo effects information. Am I correct?

[DrJustice]

I'm pretty sure it mixes down the effects left+right channels to a mono signal, so you don't lose anything.

[olimpomarcelo]

Hello, that would be with:
Utility/Audio/Stereo to Mono => On
what happens with:
Utility/Audio/Stereo to Mono => Off ?

[DrJustice]

With utility/Audio/Stereo to Mono => Off, you get only the left and right channels from each output.

On many synths the left jack = mono. To do that, there's a mechanical switch in the right plug that performs the stereo to mono mix to the left plug when the right plug is NOT inserted . Some times you can even use either of the left and right to get a mono signal, e.g. with the Roland JX-8P.

[olimpomarcelo]

Hello you are so kind to answer my newbie question! So I got an answer from Arturia Support and they told me:

"If you're using a mono input on the sound card you would need to use the left one, which sums everything to mono,
You would not lose anything else than some stereo information in the case of using reverbs and delays which are stereo,
In your use case I would simply recommend using delay or reverbs after the unit in your daw, to get a better stereo image"

Anyway they didn't mention the setting we were discussing:
Utility/Audio/Stereo to Mono => On
Utility/Audio/Stereo to Mono => Off

So I asked them again, I'm waiting for the answer.

[DrJustice]

If you take a look at the manual, chapter "15.2.3. Utility > Audio", it says  "Stereo to Mono: changes the Left and right + headphones outputs to be Mono.".

With this setting on, it doesn't matter which output jack you use since both carry a mono signal, as in left+right mixed down to mono.

When it's off you get only the left and right "halves" of the signal from each output jack.

I just tested this, and it's easy to hear if you use a ping-pong delay in the FX section.

[olimpomarcelo]

I will try thanks