has anyone here ever gigged in stereo?

[chuck3]

Just fooling around, I ran the stereo outputs from my EBS UniChorus into two amps separated a fair distance with the drums between them. The result is a pretty cool sound. I'm wondering if anyone here has ever taken the trouble to set up a stereo rig for a gig. Obviously it's a fair amount of trouble for something you may only use in a few songs, but still ... anyway, just wondering what others have done.

[iridiumrocks]

If I practice with headphones directly out of my effects processor, you do get some cool stereo separation if you use some of the effects. However, I don't generally use these type of effects when I play live so I run in mono. I typically use compression, distortion, and reverb most of the time which doesn't gain a noticible difference running stereo or mono. It definately complicates the setup with the sound system to run in stereo.

[otis_thick]

Originally Posted by chuck3

Just fooling around, I ran the stereo outputs from my EBS UniChorus into two amps separated a fair distance with the drums between them. The result is a pretty cool sound. I'm wondering if anyone here has ever taken the trouble to set up a stereo rig for a gig. Obviously it's a fair amount of trouble for something you may only use in a few songs, but still ... anyway, just wondering what others have done.

In my 3 pc band, we set up in stereo for most of our shows. The whole ambient thing is part of our schtick. I usually take 2x410 and set them on each side and slightly behind the drummer on stands.

[RickenBoogie]

I have done it, and would like to do it more often, but the pia factor far outweighs the benefit in my situation.

[Jojabeau]

I use to see Mike Stern in a bar gig in the late 70's. He ran into a Roland stero flang/ch? into two Acoustic amps very cool. Is stero punchy enough for a bass?

[Atomik Rooster]

I gig stereo almost exclusively and love it. I got hooked sending stereo chorus into two combos and never went back. What's funny is the look on the sound guy's face when I hand him two DI cables instead of one. Truthfully, I don't employ stereo effects as a rule, so it's probably more trouble than it's worth for the net benefit. Still, even if it's just two amps/cabs right behind me with no separation to speak of, I like the semi-spacious sound.

[pringlw]

I've used Rick-O-Sound with my Rickenbacker 4001 a bunch of times. Bridge pickup into a guitar amp, neck pickup into a bass amp. It is a PITA in terms of hauling around extra gear - but it lets me get a sound that I just can't get any other way.

[Snakeman1066]

yup.....

run a 4 x 10 dirty and a 1 x 15 clean every weekend!

[TheMutt]

I've done it before with my rig. It's a stereo amp, and I ran one side effected and the other clean. It sounds nice, and would probably be even cooler with two rigs.

[fretlessrock]

I run my Stereo PA for gigs that it can handle and it works great. Most of that is with a full-kit drummer, and IME the key to making the stereo mix work in a live setting is drum dynamics. If the drummer is going to blast over everything, don't bother. You won't have that nice point source from your amp and you will go nuts trying to hear yourself. Bad rooms don't handle it well either. The phase problems from reflections can swamp any stereo effect you throw at it. Be realistic about how much of a stereo image you can actually generate in a given setting. Sometimes you just need to have that single point of sound.

[Spacelordmother]

Originally Posted by fretlessrock

I run my Stereo PA for gigs that it can handle and it works great. Most of that is with a full-kit drummer, and IME the key to making the stereo mix work in a live setting is drum dynamics. If the drummer is going to blast over everything, don't bother. You won't have that nice point source from your amp and you will go nuts trying to hear yourself. Bad rooms don't handle it well either. The phase problems from reflections can swamp any stereo effect you throw at it. Be realistic about how much of a stereo image you can actually generate in a given setting. Sometimes you just need to have that single point of sound.

Excellent points, and something to definitely keep in mind!

Thanks!

[synaesthesia]

There is a difference between stereophonic audio, which properly depends on symmetrical sources contributing to a stereo audio 'image'; and dual mono channels. A Ric sending one pickup signal to one amp and the other to another is strictly speaking, dual mono.

[erik281]

i only use stereo but it's only me and a drummer, 2 8x10's, 2 svt 4 pros, split signal depth charge on side, and on the other side mxr double shot, keeley proco.


all dirty, maybe some octave pedal use occ.


:bass ist:

[bongomania]

Originally Posted by synaesthesia

There is a difference between stereophonic audio, which properly depends on symmetrical sources contributing to a stereo audio 'image'; and dual mono channels. A Ric sending one pickup signal to one amp and the other to another is strictly speaking, dual mono.

+1 Same for "one clean, one dirty": that's not stereo, though it's a great way to go for other reasons.

I have run a stereo-as-in-true-stereophonic rig many times, and one thing I learned was that low frequencies are nondirectional, so there's absolutely no point to running them "in stereo". Also the lows are the range that get gutted the worst when phase interference occurs. So the "fix" and the smart approach is to have one main bass rig as you normally would when playing in "mono", and then have a satellite speaker off on the other side of the stage which only carries the highs and high mids, and which only carries 100% "wet" effected signals such as delay or chorus that are not as likely to cause wave cancellation.

[synaesthesia]

If you really need to run stereo signals for electric bass, read:

http://www.prosoundweb.com/article/i...e_power_alley/

[chuck3]

some great points made here, thanks all.

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by bongomania

+1 Same for "one clean, one dirty": that's not stereo, though it's a great way to go for other reasons.

I have run a stereo-as-in-true-stereophonic rig many times, and one thing I learned was that low frequencies are nondirectional, so there's absolutely no point to running them "in stereo". Also the lows are the range that get gutted the worst when phase interference occurs. So the "fix" and the smart approach is to have one main bass rig as you normally would when playing in "mono", and then have a satellite speaker off on the other side of the stage which only carries the highs and high mids, and which only carries 100% "wet" effected signals such as delay or chorus that are not as likely to cause wave cancellation.

Ya, a guitar amp is very good for such purposes. Me, I think it's all a waste of time in a live environment to run true stereo, unless like one of the posters on here, you're doing some weird ambient thing. But stereo PA, IMHO, just tends to frustrate the listeners since they can't always hear both sides. I remember seeing Devo in 1981, and they ran a stereo PA, and when they panned sounds, it would piss me off because I couldn't hear them.

Stereo's great in a controlled environment like a home theater system or headphones, but for live, not so great. Just my opinion, though. Take it or leave it.

[metalmariachi]

I have to agree with what every body has posted so far.
I've run my chorus, delay and phase to a separate amp.
I like the sound that way, but with too little separation (amps next to each other) you don't really get the effect and too far apart kind of makes the sound confusing in the audience.

Of course the limited space in most venues these days , the latter problem seldom comes up.

MM

[LarryR]

I've run a Maxon stereo phaser into a Walter Woods stereo head to split EA MLine wizzy's. Phaser's always on. Subtle enough, just adds colour (more pleasing to my ear than a chorus or flanger) yet, doesn't hurt articulation or take away lows. My 2 cents.

[neatobassman]

Originally Posted by synaesthesia

If you really need to run stereo signals for electric bass, read:

http://www.prosoundweb.com/article/i...e_power_alley/

interesting article. I will have to do some experiments next time I'm at a show.