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Stereo Rig - Define it.

schmittuml

schmittuml

Oct 25, 2004
495
17
41
Lowell, MA
#1
So what are the differences between mono and stereo? I know with stereo you can add more cabs and equal out between an 8 ohm and a 4ohm.....

Basically I wanna know how they are setup, and how to run "stereo"effects? would those consistute like delays jumping between left and right cabs?


I've tried searching and haven't found a clear definition or setup of anything.


Thanks in advance.



-Brian Schmitt
 
#3
Well you've pretty much hit the nail on the head. An example would be my stereo rig, where I plug my Bass into a mono (single channel) preamp and that connects to the input of my FX rack. That processes, as you say, delays that ping pong left and right, or lovely wide panning chorus sounds.. infact anything. I can run a distortion sound on the left and a clean flanger sound on the right. The left and right channels go to a stereo power amp and then out to 2 matching cabs, one for left, one for right. It sounds amazing!!
 
#4
metron said:
Mono - one output
Stereo - two outputs

Stereo is basically two amps. Some stereo amps have two inputs and some can have one input feed both outputs.
Click to expand...

To be pedantic, not necessarily. ;o) 2 amps could be 'parallel mono' where they both out put exactly the same sound.

Stereo, or 'Stereophonic' suggests that the 2 channels are made up of potentially non related signals. for example drums and guitar, much like you HIFI 'stereo'.

It's ok, I know what you meant i was being a nit-pick ;o) lol
 
#6
With my upright bass, I run a "stereo" cable to my rack, where it gets split thru seperate EQs, seperate sonic maximizers, seperate feedback killers, seperate power amps, and seperate speakers. Basically I have seperate everything for each of my pickups.

I say its dual Mono
 
#8
dood said:
To be pedantic, not necessarily. ;o) 2 amps could be 'parallel mono' where they both out put exactly the same sound.
Click to expand...

Ah yes a third mode of operation common to many stereo amps. :p Thanks dood!

I got rid of my stereo amp anyway because I only want amps that I can call "mono-block" because it sounds so cool, because of the block part. Its like an engine but mono instead of big. With all kinds of power and coolness. :bassist:
 
#9
Stereo requires not just two signals, but two channels carrying the same sound with positional information added, even if the positional information says it's panned dead center. Left and right channels are required for actual stereo.
 
#10
metron said:
Ah yes a third mode of operation common to many stereo amps. :p Thanks dood!

I got rid of my stereo amp anyway because I only want amps that I can call "mono-block" because it sounds so cool, because of the block part. Its like an engine but mono instead of big. With all kinds of power and coolness. :bassist:
Click to expand...

yeh I getcha, Block is cool.. My friend had one of those lovely FO great 70's Pontiac Firebird's over here in the UK and he always used to refer to the engine as a XXX (insert engine size) LUMP.. I'm running a 2000 W lump! ;o) I like that!
 
#11
jabberwock777 said:
Stereo requires not just two signals, but two channels carrying the same sound with positional information added, even if the positional information says it's panned dead center. Left and right channels are required for actual stereo.
Click to expand...

Eh. Disagree. Hmmmm.

Well, the "positional information" is not some secret signal that some Dolby engineer throws in there to mystify your aural perceptions. It's just that the signal is louder in one speaker than the other, so it sounds like it is more on that side (typically). I mean, you could also record the same sound from two different microphones that are spaced right and left.... then send the right microphone signal to the right speaker and the left mic signal to the left speaker. This also would be stereo. They are not the "same" signal, though they are similar.

Also there is something about whether the speakers are in phase or not that affects whether the sound comes like it is coming from in-between the speakers, or from the center of the room. You'll know what I mean if you have ever used the calibration DVD for your home theatre and they are checking to make sure you've got the phase set properly. "Video Essentials" I think is the name of it, though there are others.

From: http://www.m-w.com/
Main Entry: ste·reo·phon·ic
Function: adjective
Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary
: of, relating to, or constituting sound reproduction involving the use of separated microphones and two transmission channels to achieve the sound separation of a live hearing

Of course, you can have a mono "live hearing", but you know, I'm thinking Webster meant "live" like "strictly acoustic".

I just don't think the two channels have to be carrying the same sound. If you've got one instrument panned all the way to the right... then none of that signal is going to be coming out of the left speaker. But as long as you've got something (that is in some way different) coming out of that other speaker - blam! you've got stereo.
 

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