Good Lord, if I hear one more inaccurate posting on stereo, I'm gonna go postal!

Look, anyone with a stereo can prove this to themselves. Make a CD with ONE tune done twice. First version stereo, second version mono (any audio editor will do this easily).

Now stand ANYWHERE in your living room, and switch between the two versions. To get the BEST stereo effect, yes, you should sit, stand, dance, whatever, at a point in an equatorial triangle between the speakers. But standing almost anywhere else in the room, short of right next to one of the speakers, you WILL hear a difference between mono and stereo.

The idea that unless you stand in that one 'sweet spot' you won't hear it at all is simply ridiculous...

I would not even consider NOT using sterio! My god do you guys want to go back to the 1950's?

It does not sound as good...period. And if does not sound as good why would I want it?

I play for myself first...and I care about sound quality. I am not inspired by a TOTL arranger sounding half ass.
A lot of the sounds I use a lot use dynamic panning L to R...how does that sound in Mono? Like crap. How would the Leslie FX work right with one channel? NOT. They use sterio to make the effect work.

If you just want to go out and get by as easy as possible, put the money in your pocket...it's time for a new profession.

I have heard recently a mono sound setup and it did not sound very good at all. Maybe the audience doesn't care but I do.

Lee S.

Man ..... Has this topic been beat to death or what!!!
To each his own!!! Do what ever turns you on and be happy!!!
AMEN!!!!

I believe that each of us is free to chose what we want to use...

I simply hate to see misinformation and half truths bandied about as 'fact', just to bolster an argument. I've used mono PA's, I've used stereo PA's... This has NO bearing on what stereo actually IS

DITTO! I rest my case.

Gary

No one is arguing there is no difference. Of course there a difference. Different sound is arriving to the ear at different times. Theres the perceptible difference...

The argument is whether the difference is better in a live venue. There is a reason professional engineers and Producers mix and master in the "sweet spot" and would never ever think of doing it off axis.

I think you were right the first time. if one personally needs all the bells and whistles and stereo etc to feel good about their performance then they are doing the right thing. For them.

To state others are delivering substandard performance because they don't believe stereo is all that and the benefits of a wide consistent area of sonic bliss is a better choice for themselves than a stereo sound field.

Others feel just as relevant and especially do not feel they are lowering their "standards" performing with a Bose System in mono......quite the contrary in fact.

We actually believe the ENTIRE audience is getting a better sonic experience then we had with the Mackie/JBL MR15 System in Stereo. Not just those in the front and center. Everyone hears exactly the same mix as we do with the Bose System. No hot spots, or harsh spots.


[This message has been edited by Kingfrog (edited 02-20-2009).]

I agree However if you are going to go with the Bose in mono get the Model II WITH the Tone Natch.IF you want stereo the Mod I will be fine. One of the Casino Boats here uses TWO model I systems outside on the water and have been since last Summer with no ill effect.
We will never to go back to a conventional system ......speaker poles, cable runs, xovers, big box Subwoofers. monitoring systems,large heavy boxes with 12" or 15" drivers,hand carts...A truck...

I will also bet your system gets some positive conversational attention by members of the audience,




[This message has been edited by Kingfrog (edited 02-20-2009).]

FWIW, I used the L1 with both the G70 and the PA800, and the only thing I noticed was a muffling of the main Piano sound on the G70, but ONLY when it was being played solo.

In amongst styles it wasn't as noticeable, and I found I could brighten it up some with the EQ.
And in any case the G70 had other pianos that sounded good without "tweaking".

No issues at all with the PA800, and it (the L1) sounds exceptional with the TC Helicon Harmony M.

Dennis

PS: Not disputing anything anyone has said, just posting my experience with the L1.

The "issue" with the Yamaha and mono is way over exaggerated. The benefits of an even nearly 180 degree wide dispersion of crystal clear sound far out weigh any supposed sonic deficiencies of the summing of a stereo output. Not to mention a CENTER, ARTIST FOCUSED sound source.

Another issue I have with OMBs and Stereo is I believe it further separates the player from the music source. If one is hearing separate parts from widely spaced speakers it tends to become more "karaoke like" where Stereo mixes are routinely played. Mono always appears to come from the center where the musician actually is. Thats why the Bose Pole placed just behind the artist is effective at focusing the attention TO the artist and not a "drum set 20 feet wide, or a guitar lead seemingly coming from ten feet right of the Artist and a sax "player" ten feet to the left left"

With that kind of disconnect, People will surely will ask "if there is a certain song in that thing" LOL




[This message has been edited by Kingfrog (edited 02-21-2009).]

OK, back OT.... (or what the topic has morphed into )

Personally, I don't use stereo to present an overly wide image to the audience. I keep most everything panned up the center, and only wide pan things that are doubled. I usually pan my drums back towards center, so you DON'T get the '40 foot wide drummer' syndrome.

But one thing I think that really improves with the width is the effects. The reverbs and choruses sound great spread as wide as they can (while the main sound is still fairly centered). And wide spread synth sounds. The spread on these can make a Pink Floyd tune HUGE! And this is apparent pretty much anywhere in the room, other than with your ear stuck in one of the stacks.

Not that I use stacks, anyway! A couple of 12" JBL SR's on poles and a sub, and a duo act usually mean that the speaker system is closer than most band PA's. I might go further apart this year, after buying a pair of Mackie SRM150's as stage monitors (they mount on the mike stands), but I'll have to see if having them spread wider helps or hurts...

I play outdoors quite a bit, so having a certain amount of realistic space around the instruments and vocals is needed when you don't have any room ambiance to deal with...

I am still not sure what the storm in the teacup is all about. Let's face it. What's the difference between a mono PA and a stereo one? ONE MORE SPEAKER. That's it. Not exactly a ground shattering, back breaking addition.

Oh, unless you have a Bose PAS, where the additional speaker turns into almost an entire second PA, with multiple parts, bases, subs, (and an almost doubling of price) whatever... Maybe this, and not the sonic difference between mono and stereo is what is REALLY turns PAS users off stereo?