Stereo/mono aware plugins on "quasi mono tracks"

binbinhfr · 10-01-2022, 08:44 AM

I know that in Reaper, track channels seems to be in multiple of 2.

But typically, as many users, I have many "mono tracks" (100% made of mono items), for example, all my vocal tracks are made of mono items and could be processed as mono tracks before fader/pan (gate, comp, EQ and saturation treatments could be mono).

And I know that some plugins are clever enough to switch in mono mode if they receive a mono signal, and thus reduce their CPU usage by 2...

So I wonder if on these "mono tracks", in Reaper, every plugin is forced to run in stereo, duplicating their workload ?

binbinhfr · 10-09-2022, 12:00 PM

So I assume that plugins are duplicating their work even on a mono media ?
I really wonder how Reaper sends a mono item to a "intelligent" VST plugin, which can detect the number of channels and adapt its work.

Like the FabFilters that claims :
"FabFilter Pro-Q 3 can also work as a mono or surround equalizer plug-in and will adapt itself automatically to the channel layout of the track it is inserted on. In a mono instance, the dedicated stereo options like output panning and stereo placement are not available, of course. When used on surround/immersive audio tracks, Pro-Q 3 offers extra channel placement options to configure the selection of speakers that EQ bands will apply to. See Surround and Dolby Atmos."