Not getting stereo onTimeFactor when Dly Mix is on a single delay mode

2 Moog synths (mono) -> Scarlett 8i6 -> TimeFactor -> Scarlett 8i6 -> monitors

Question about this setup: Are you using the Scarlett as a mixer that sends signal to the TimeFactor, or are you feeding the TimeFactor from an auxiliary send in your DAW?

If you’re connecting one synth to input 1 and the other to input 2, the TimeFactor perceives it to be a stereo signal, NOT A DUAL MONO PATH.

Again, if you have one mono synth hooked up to each input, this is not going to work because the TimeFactor, upon sensing both inputs are connected, will treat the signal as a stereo signal, not two individual mono paths. In most algorithms, when DLY MIX is set to the midpoint, it hard pans the delays. If you’re only using the synth hooked up to the left side, you’ll only hear audio coming out of the left output.

2. I thought it would be great to save some input/output slots on my Scarlett and use it like that: Moog synths (mono) -> TimeFactor -> Scarlett 8i6. However this combination works well when pedal is ON, however as soon as I turn it off, each synth goes into different left and right speaker. Is there not a way to mix both signals into one within Timefactor?

My response above applies to this question as well.

Thanks for your reply. 

Yes, I am using Scarlett as a mixer in this case, and not using DAW at all. I am not having synths hooked up, as Scarlett is hooked up to TimeFaktor, however using two cables, which makes it stereo input then I guess. So i assume the solution would be to simply use mono input into TimeFactor?

I just tried it and seems like I always get stereo when DLY Mix is set to midpoint, but when it’s not, it really depends on the delay type. Sometimes I get stereo and sometimes not. I assume a lot of delays simply cannot do stereo when only single delay is used or what is the reason?

You can connect to the TimeFactor with a stereo input, but still have it perceived as monophonic content. It just depends how the signal is panned coming out of your synth. Since you are wanting to hook up both mono synths to the TimeFactor, the only way to achieve this would be to submix the two synths using a mixer, and send the stereo output of that mixer to the TimeFactor. You have to make sure that if you’re hooking up a mono synth to your Scarlett, that the Scarlett is sending a mono mix out of a stereo output connected to the TimeFactor, not individual Outputs for each synth. Does that make sense?

I just tried it and seems like I always get stereo when DLY Mix is set to midpoint, but when it’s not, it really depends on the delay type. Sometimes I get stereo and sometimes not. I assume a lot of delays simply cannot do stereo when only single delay is used or what is the reason

A single delay will not give you stereo, even though if you pan the delayed signal it gives the impression of a bigger space. Most delay algorithms in TimeFactor pan each delay left and right, but as soon as you turn DLY MIX to either side, the image starts to become center-focused. This happens on purpose, to achieve a balanced image field. Otherwise, you’ll only hear delays predominantly on one side, which you may want that. In fact, many of the presets use this technique.

To sum it up, for the widest possible stereo image, keep DLY MIX in the middle, and make sure you’re not connecting one mono synth to each input. The algorithms are NOT DUAL PATH.

Understood, thanks for all the explanations.

I now mixed both mono signals into stereo within Scarlett and outputting that to TimeFactor using a single cable and seems to be the result I want. Everything works as expected. Also good to know about about single delay not being stereo, i need to read about that more.

Thanks again.