Mono times two = stereo?

[blaus]

Hi!

I'm capturing from a VCR, which has just one audio output. Therefore, when I capture to my computer, just one channel is heard.

Is there a way to double this output, so both computer inputs are heard? Either through hardware or software?

Thank you!

[awhitney]

Audacity is a freeware audio editing tool and I have used it to convert mono to stereo.

[Bodyslide]

Try something like this :
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103340&cp=&origkw=1+rca+phono+t...entPage=search

Radio Shack has the correct part. Good Luck

[Noahtuck]

If the tape has a true stereo soundtrack and there is only a mono output on the vcr by just copying one mono channel and making a left & right channel in software or any other way will not be true stereo and not sound near as good.
You can get a plain stereo vcr for pretty cheap.

[Cornucopia]

(edit: referring to OP)
Yeah, but let's just be clear about the terminology. The material would be "2ch" or "2ch-mono" or "dual-mono", but it's not really "stereo".
And you can just as easily route a mono track/file to both speakers without having to save it as such...

Scott

[TheFamilyMan]

(Edit: Looks like I've been beaten to the punch)

The Y-cable is the ticket (it splits the mono into 2 lines that you connect a stereo cable to), I've been doing this for years with my old camcorder. BTW, dual mono is not true stereo though it can be stereo "enhanced" using DSP effects, of which I never bother for it usually sounds pretty cheesy.

[ozymango]

If your VCR has only one audio output, that means it's using the linear audio track on the tape and even in SP mode, they (linear audio tracks) can sound like crap. In EP mode they definitely sound like crap.

If the tapes are at all important, I'd check to see if they have hi-fi audio (stereo) tracks; if they're home video tapes (like from a VHS camcorder) they may just be linear mono (or perhaps linear Dolby stereo) and you don't need a hi-fi playback deck. But I'd check these on another VCR that has hi-fi output, if at all possible, so you can know whether you're getting the best sound possible.

[blaus]

Firstly, thanks for all the help.
For what I need, I guess this Y-adapter would work for me.
I also have an old stereo VCR. I thought I could connect my VCR to this old VCR, and then to the computer. This old VCR would be a by-pass VCR, and I guess it would provide the stereo sound. Am I wrong??
By the way, before you ask "why don't you use the old one directly?", let me say that its playback is very poor.
Thanks again!

[Noahtuck]

If it's coming out of a mono vcr, it's alway's going to be mono no matter what you do to it or put in line.
You may as well just pick up a $3.00 Y adapter and not run it through anything else.

[blaus]

Understood.
Just a stupid question: is there a possibility that my VCR be stereo, even with just one output?

[Cornucopia]

No.

HiFi Stereo VCRs are what, like $40? It's probably worth it to get one...

Scott

[blaus]

OK.
Thanks for the help. I've just bought a 1-RCA to 2-RCA cable. I guess it's the same as the Y-adapter you've referred to, isn't it?