Wow, a sound guy that pays attention and reacts to solos! Nice!A FOH SoundGuy Perspective —
Send me all the channels you like, but I strongly suggest you test listen to your stereo presets in mono — because that’s what the audience will hear for 90% of the show.
Here’s the deal: I’m doing everything I can to get every source separated from the many many sounds coming off the stage so that each source is distinctly “available” to be heard in the overall mix, and most of the time I’m taking your multiple channels and comping them down to an additional single mono signal — and THAT’S the fader I’m using in the mix most of the time, except for those occasions when you’re soloing front and center (which is when I dial up your additional channels to gloriously occupy more space in the mix). Without the ability to create that overall space in the mix you lose most of the punch and clarity that makes live music so exciting.
Do keep in mind that I do this every time, regardless if the FOH system is mono or “stereo” (a somewhat nebulous concept in most live applications) unless, of course, you’re soloing and you want the ambience of a huge/immersive sound.
So there.
Thanks for your input. Personally, while I use the word "stereo", all I'm really after is the 2-amp blend. I try them out with various pan settings, but haven't found I need change anything due to pan placement; it all seems to work. Having Leslie and delay effects spread out in the mix is great, but a luxury. I run stereo to my IEMs and mix that with the mono monitor send from the house, so I'm always spoiled.
The vast majority of techs I've worked with have panned the 2 channels. I sometimes hear it open up as they bring up FOH in sound check. Whether they dor or not, I get many comments from them that Fractal sounds fantastic, and they're happy to have control of the mix without stage volume hassles.
Of course, all the audience cares about is that we play great, smile, and have a good time on stage, so they're caught up in that same energy. No one give a crap about our precious tones but us.