Running Stereo to FOH

bread

Power User
I'm going to give Stereo a go on Friday but just before I do I thought I would check a few things to make sure I've got it set up correctly please.

All my stereo effects (chorus 2290 delay and reverb) are after the cab block and I have them all set to stereo with a width of around 60%. I have an enhancer block at the end of the chain on its default settings. I'm only running one amp with one can set to ultra res.

I intend to run 2 XLR to our 32 channel desk in 2 separate mono inputs. I will then pan the two inputs 9 o'clock left and 3 o'clock right respectively.

Is this correct please ? I don't have any experience of stereo with the axe fx yet and don't want to screw up my sound on a gig.

Thanks in advance.
 
For a full stereo separation I think you must go full left and full right.
If you go 9 o'clock left (same for 3 o'clock right) you'll get 50% of the left channel panned to the center and this will be summed with the other centered 50% from the right channel.
So you'll get 100 of your overall sound centered and only 50/50 panned L/R.
In the case of a - say - ping-pong stereo delay this will result in a no/poor ping-pong fx.
 
For a full stereo separation I think you must go full left and full right.
If you go 9 o'clock left (same for 3 o'clock right) you'll get 50% of the left channel panned to the center and this will be summed with the other centered 50% from the right channel.
So you'll get 100 of your overall sound centered and only 50/50 panned L/R.
In the case of a - say - ping-pong stereo delay this will result in a no/poor ping-pong fx.
I'm going to give Stereo a go on Friday but just before I do I thought I would check a few things to make sure I've got it set up correctly please.

All my stereo effects (chorus 2290 delay and reverb) are after the cab block and I have them all set to stereo with a width of around 60%. I have an enhancer block at the end of the chain on its default settings. I'm only running one amp with one can set to ultra res.

I intend to run 2 XLR to our 32 channel desk in 2 separate mono inputs. I will then pan the two inputs 9 o'clock left and 3 o'clock right respectively.

Is this correct please ? I don't have any experience of stereo with the axe fx yet and don't want to screw up my sound on a gig.

Thanks in advance.


I think you better keep your settings modest (unles you want extremes) and have the FOH 100% left + 100% right.
 
I would like to know what other instruments are in the band and where they are going to be panned as well. I don't think you can design the stereo field around one instrument without know what it will be mixed with.
 
I have always set the desk channels 100% left and right. I'm the only guitar player in our band so I can afford to mess with the stereo field quite a bit, whereas in other situations, if there's a lot going on with over guitarists etc, then it perhaps may not be as effective.
 
There are different ways of doing it, from keeping dry signal in the center and panning just the effects to dynamic panning of guitars during songs depending on their role (I.e. rhythm panned quite hard, lead center).

As properly mentioned earlier, all of this should be done in the context of the whole mix, not separately. If you have your own desk, do you have your own sound guy? Maybe you should talk to him.
 
Thanks for the replies.

We have our own sound guy on FOH so I think we will be OK I just want to make sure that everything will be set up properly. I'll run everything 100% Left and 100% right to make sure that I have the full stereo field. Our band will only have me in stereo, I am the only guitarist. We have 2 vocalists, 1 x bass player, 1x drummer and 1 x keyboard player.


My main preset uses Reverb Chorus and Delay in Stereo. On all scenes I use the same reverb and chorus types, just with different mixes and I use 2 instances of the 2290 delay - both in stereo with no weird ping pong et., just with the delays ducked and in stereo.

Thanks again
 
I'd say either set the fx fully stereo and have the channels panned at 3/9 o clock or have the fx spread at 50/60% and have the channels panned hard L&R.
The way I see it, I wouldn't use a 100% stereo configuration live because other than the people in the middle, most of the audience would mostly hear one side of your signal only, so you want them to be similar. Same thing applies to backing tracks, for example if I have a tambourine panned hard R, people standing on the L side of the soundfield probably won't hear it - or will hear it much quite than intended. You get the idea. I'd probably have the basic tone spread wide open and then have the channels on the foh mixer panned half way. That way, if you're recording a live and then want to mix it, you can then have your stereo tracks in the recording - which is a totally different thing than an actual live.
 
I'd say either set the fx fully stereo and have the channels panned at 3/9 o clock or have the fx spread at 50/60% and have the channels panned hard L&R.
The way I see it, I wouldn't use a 100% stereo configuration live because other than the people in the middle, most of the audience would mostly hear one side of your signal only, so you want them to be similar. Same thing applies to backing tracks, for example if I have a tambourine panned hard R, people standing on the L side of the soundfield probably won't hear it - or will hear it much quite than intended. You get the idea. I'd probably have the basic tone spread wide open and then have the channels on the foh mixer panned half way. That way, if you're recording a live and then want to mix it, you can then have your stereo tracks in the recording - which is a totally different thing than an actual live.

Hi Edo I think that answers my confusion - how the ratio of left and right channels are influenced by the amount of stereo width in the FX block. I've set all stereo width to 60% and I'll get sound to pan hard left and right.

So, to summarise, the stereo width is the amount of hard left and hard right that is output from the FX block, so that a 60% amount would be 60% left and 40% right in the left channel, with 60% right and 40% left in the right channel (if you get my idea). The higher the stereo width, the more panning needed.... ?

Thanks for your help.
 
when playing multiple venues and possibly different sound persons I found it best to no use the 2290, it can have phase issues when summed to mono. if the sound person does not pan your lines you could have no delay. also live go easy on the mix of effect, to much effect can make a mess of things in a live setting.
 
Hi Edo I think that answers my confusion - how the ratio of left and right channels are influenced by the amount of stereo width in the FX block. I've set all stereo width to 60% and I'll get sound to pan hard left and right.

So, to summarise, the stereo width is the amount of hard left and hard right that is output from the FX block, so that a 60% amount would be 60% left and 40% right in the left channel, with 60% right and 40% left in the right channel (if you get my idea). The higher the stereo width, the more panning needed.... ?

Thanks for your help.

Bread, think of it this way: if your stereo width is set to 60% (on a scale from 0 to 100), it means that your stereo signal is panned 60% to the left and 60% to the right (8 and 4 o clock so to speak). Now, if the channels at foh are panned hard R and hard L, your guitar will translate at 60% of that (so again, 8 and 4 o clock). On the other hand, you could have your fx width set to 100% and have the foh channels panned at 8 and 4 o clock. The final result is the same. It's up to you and your needs. If you had to record, I'd go with the latter option as this way you're actually recording a full stereo signal for post production, while with the first option you can only go from mono to 60% stereo
 
OK thanks guys !

I'll try it at rehearsal tonight. I've got rid of the 2290 in favour of the dual delay and everything that's a stereo block at 60% so I'll go hard left and right on the desk as advised.

Fingers crossed
 
at our last show I was able to walk out front while sound testing the guitar via wireless system etc. but I had our vocalist toggle some stereo stuff (2290 delay, and TC MIMIQ pedal for live double tracked effect) on and off for me and honestly the MONO sounded best. Stereo seemed to get lost. Anyways, yes pan Hard L&R.

good luck
 
Sounded great tonight in our rehearsal room. I'll try it like this live on Friday at one of our shows.

One wierd thing that happened was one of my scenes started sounding like a wah with the heel down for no reason at all. Pressing the scene again cured it. It happened with the same scene in another preset too - it's not phase cancellation or CPU limit I'm convinced of that but after switching off and on it appeared to be fine again. Both scenes use the dual delay - none of the others do...

Wierd
 
I tried running stereo a couple times in a couple different venues. Both times the sound was washed out compared to Mono. I went back to mono for live use. Like was said above, it just sounded overall better with the mix in the room-more "up front".
 
Stereo is not really good as the sound quality of the mix will change depending on where you are in the crowd.
I'd keep the stereo effects for the recording and keep to mono live.
 
Do I need to buy a radial DI of some sort for my axe? Even when I tell the guy as he plugs in the two xlrs.. Dude put a pad on, and turn the faders down low, it's gonna be LOUD. and my front volume knob was just barely at 1. and we were still having trouble quietening it. all my presets are set to hit the line on the horizontal VU meter.
 
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