School me on stereo

One fun use of stereo that I use at my desk (studio monitors).
Use 2 different amps and each goes into separate Cab. Pan them hard left and right. That's it.
Sounds huge. It creates a stereo effect because the attack of each amp is different.
 
The number one rule when it comes to using stereo in a live setting Is to ignore all those who tell you it doesn’t work or doesn’t sound any good. Ignore the hell out of them, and try it out for yourself.
I have used full stereo for my rig for many years, and have also heard many pro musicians/bands who also do. Many DJs use full stereo PA systems as they love a big lush stereo mix to get immersed in. It’s a misnomer that as a listener you have to be stood on an optimal position to hear the benefit, because the human ear can detect and correct for such nuances to the point that the effect is a huge spacious sound, and it’s glorious.
The beauty of at very least trying it out is that nobody’s going to die. you can easily flip everything back to dual mono if you don’t like it. No harm done. Personally, I never went back. It’s a great piece of gear that gives you all these options to choose from.
 
I had my friend's FM3 going into my AxeFx III and I had the output so I could pan us hard left and right and add 3 dB when we were both playing the same parts in songs. When a solo came or something where we were playing different parts I'd pan us back to stereo. It was a lot of fun for me at least ;)
 
It would be a problem in a large space like a stadium to have very different signals hard-panned, but if you are playing smaller venues, it’s fine. The sound will bounce off walls if nothing else. Everyone will hear it just fine. I don’t pan the actual guitar, just stereo delay, and it’s gorgeous.
 
tysonlt said:
It would be a problem in a large space like a stadium to have very different signals hard-panned, but if you are playing smaller venues, it’s fine. The sound will bounce off walls if nothing else. Everyone will hear it just fine. I don’t pan the actual guitar, just stereo delay, and it’s gorgeous.
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There was a rig rundown I saw not terribly long ago that involved hard-panned trem effects in a stadium show.

Apparently, it was just massive.

ETA: I tried to find it and couldn't. I remember it was a band I didn't listen to and that the guitarist played a vintage SG. Other than that, I'm drawing a blank.
 
marsonic said:
There was a rig rundown I saw not terribly long ago that involved hard-panned trem effects in a stadium show.

Apparently, it was just massive.

ETA: I tried to find it and couldn't. I remember it was a band I didn't listen to and that the guitarist played a vintage SG. Other than that, I'm drawing a blank.
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Yeah I reckon stereo effects would work pretty much anywhere, which is the only reason I even want stereo to begin with. Panning different amps on a recording is also awesome (just been playing with the new factory preset with the plexi + AC20 and it is just BISCUITS) but that’s specifically what isn’t really going to work as well live. You’d have to be dead center to get the same mix, and I think that must be what people are thinking of when they caution against live stereo.

(Imagine two amps panning on an oscillator, that would be cool!)

If, however, it was a silent rave situation… then you could really have some fun!
 
I run two similar sounding amps in stereo on my Axe FX 2 and 3 direct to FOH in venues ranging from small to pretty large open air with great success. It might sound a bit different on the left side vs the right, but both sound great isolated but sounds even better when in positions that you can hear a mix of both. Also sounds great in our IEM mixes.

EDIT: to clarify, I only run the Axe FX 3 live now and I used Axe FX 2 in the past. I don't run them at the same time.
 
RockYoWorld said:
I run two similar sounding amps in stereo on my Axe FX 2 and 3 direct to FOH in venues ranging from small to pretty large open air with great success. It might sound a bit different on the left side vs the right, but both sound great isolated but sounds even better when in positions that you can hear a mix of both. Also sounds great in our IEM mixes.

EDIT: to clarify, I only run the Axe FX 3 live now and I used Axe FX 2 in the past. I don't run them at the same time.
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Thanks for sharing this, I have wanted to try this since discovering the Plexis+ACs preset (254). Scene 1 sounds great with a strat, but they are obviously very different sounds.
 
Feflicker said:
Meh, it just doesnt work live unless everyone stands in the middle by the soundboard.
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So, it doesn't work for the people in the middle because there are other people on the side? I think you meant it works only for the people in the middle, not everyone.
You will hear it in mono if you are on the sides regardless. So going stereo won't take anything away from them; however, the stereo will add extra to the people in the middle.

Go stereo!
 
tysonlt said:
Thanks for sharing this, I have wanted to try this since discovering the Plexis+ACs preset (254). Scene 1 sounds great with a strat, but they are obviously very different sounds.
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Yeah, to be clear, as per others' concern, you have to be okay with people on each side only hearing the amp being used on that side, so having Plexi on one side and AC on the other MIGHT not be what you want, but maybe it is! For me, having a Friedman on one side with a Diesel on the other sounds great. Both sound good by themselves, but sounds really good with both hard panned.

I also use the Enhancer on Modern mode. One may argue that it can make each "mono" send on each side sound not as good, though. The biggest thing is you gotta try things out for yourself and see what works for you.
 
RockYoWorld said:
Yeah, to be clear, as per others' concern, you have to be okay with people on each side only hearing the amp being used on that side, so having Plexi on one side and AC on the other MIGHT not be what you want, but maybe it is!....
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Agree - the beauty of options is everyone can do whatever works and sounds good to them. To your point, if in a smaller club running amps on stage, the right half audience might only hear the Plexi and the left half audience might only hear the AC. Been to shows where all I could hear was the Plexi - didn't matter where I was standing, inside or outside or next block over.

My point being - Mixing and music and sonic reinforcement is more Art than Science. Plus, a great soundman/woman can really elevate your show if they are provided the right tools.
 
zionplayer said:
Agree - the beauty of options is everyone can do whatever works and sounds good to them. To your point, if in a smaller club running amps on stage, the right half audience might only hear the Plexi and the left half audience might only hear the AC. Been to shows where all I could hear was the Plexi - didn't matter where I was standing, inside or outside or next block over.

My point being - Mixing and music and sonic reinforcement is more Art than Science. Plus, a great soundman/woman can really elevate your show if they are provided the right tools.
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Sadly we don’t have a sound-person, which makes things tricky with levels. Many times I’ve been told people couldn’t hear me for a whole set 😭. The problem is we sound check fairly quietly because there are still people having dinner and such. It’s better now since I threw a polite tantrum over it but I still worry about how it’s sounding out front.
 
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