How to convert analogue recorded mono audio to stereo?

[lansing]

Recently I have transferred an old video from a tape; the audio recorded was mono, and it sound flat. So I wanted to add some life back to the sound and to make it stereo.

However, simply duplicating the mono track to the left and right channel still left the sound dull. What are some of the techniques that I can do to achieve this?

[Ghitulescu]

You need to employ an audio editor. Try Audacity.

Nobody can explain you what to do, as every audio is different.
It's not need to explain how to do as this is in the manual. But I can tell you where to get it from -> http://audacity.sourceforge.net/.

[lansing]

what i wanted to do so far is to separate the different frequencies, such as the bass, vocal, background music from the mono audio, and then mix them back into a stereo to add more depth to it. The manual in audacity site didn't mention anything about this practice.

[smok3]

adobe audition can do frequency separation to multitrack with one click (dunno about audacity).

[lansing]

adobe audition can do frequency separation to multitrack with one click (dunno about audacity).

I just downloaded adobe audition 3 trail version, but I don't see anything about that function, can you point out what it's call?

[netmask]

What you are trying to do is basically impossible - once the eggs are scrambled you can't extract the yolks anymore! Same with stereo or any multitrack recording, once it is mixed down to mono that's it, frequency separation in bands doesn't extract just the vocal for instance - you might be able to get a viable bass track my low pass filtering up to say 80 to 120 Hz. Vocals frequencies cover the same reange as many instruments so there is no neat way of extracting vocals. Some emphasis may be achieved by a little bit of midrange boost - no more than say 4db centred around 3KHz. The best way to brighten up a dull track is to use harmonic exciter as is available in a number of audio plug-ins like iZotope Ozone which offers a range of enhancements. Also the Waves Ltd family of plug-ins. Ozone should work in Audacity as a DirectX plug-in but it is pricey. There may be some freeware or shareware harmonic exciters around but I've only used the professional and semi- pro units.

http://www.izotope.com/support/help/ozone/pages/mod_harmonic_exciter.htm

Have a look here you might find a freebie
http://www.audiomastermind.com/browse-harmonic_exciters-5887012-1.html


A typical studio unit here
http://www.aphex.com/204.htm This is a *real* unit that simply works but....$$$$$$

These devices are really the only way to produce "enhanced mono" or pseudo -stereo, Most of the big studios back in the late 50's and early 60's spent a lot of time and money to try and "convert" their considerable inventory of music recorded in mono to fake stereo. These days no one really bothers apart from adding sparkle without actually boosting the top end. Sometimes a small phase shift between 45 and 90 degrees is introduced to produce a sort of location fuzzyness..

[lansing]

sorry for the late reply.

I've tried iZotope Ozone 4 trial, and its harmonic exciter works pretty well. But I have trouble understanding some of the functions on how they suppose to work. Such as the "stereo" and "mid/side" button, do they all add up to one single output, or are they totally different way of frequency adjustment and have nothing to do with each other? And also how do i output a stereo file from a mono audio with it?

[netmask]

Terminology is everything! You will never output or create a "stereo" track from a mono source but you can create a left and right track or dual mono. Making more than a subtle change between the tracks is only going to make things less coherant.

The reference to MS (or mid side) apply to a particular microphone technique and has no application to what you want to do.

If you want to learn more about MS recording technique look here

http://www.wikirecording.org/Mid-Side_Microphone_Technique

First create a dual mono track from your single track - there should be a menu item to allow you to do that in Cooledit, Adobe Audition etc. It really doesn't matter as a mono track will be outputted on both channels anyway.

In iZotope just select a menu item that adds harmonic and say widens. Whatever sounds best to you.

[lansing]

i think i got how it works after playing around with it for a few days now, thanks for the help