Tips and advice stereo vs mono

    I’ve always been a mono guy. Back in the day I would have mic up a cab which went to front of house with no panning etc. With the kemper live I’ve it set up via output to mono for the same sort of idea.


    so I’ve been thinking about going stereo out of kemper to foh for a nice spread with verbs and delays etc but I’m looking advice. Would it be cool for all my rhythm guitar tones live to put a stereo widener in slot x and turn off the widener for solos.. so solos are more present in the live mix?

    as I say I’m

    Looking to try new things here and really get full use from kemper.


    thanks in advance ?

    Going from mono to stereo is like going from stereo to 5.1 surround sound. More channels = more life. Ping-pong delays and effects put you in a totally different world. I practice exclusively in stereo now. My next plan is to use a Leslie with surround sound. Whooooooaaaaaah! Yesssssssssss!

    Larry Mar @ Lonegun Studios. Neither one famous yet.

    Like 2

    I think it depends.....


    Wide isn't always better. why? Well in a band context you are trying to find your "space" and cleaner and tighter tends ( over simplification I know) to cut better.


    I'm a bit anti stereo for live, especially in a 2 guitar band where the possibility of clashes is higher. Our otehr guitarist tried it with his Helix....sounded amazing on its own, band came in...gone. The stereo "benefit" just disappeared.


    I used to run a stereo rig many years ago ( ADA pre amp with quadraverb effects into 2 1x12's ether side of the stage). I swtiched to a Laney GH100L with no effects ( not even reverb), bang....in your face, cut to the chase sound.


    That may not be the case for a single guitar band if you are playing more "ethereal"/effect laden music, where you purposefully want depth.


    Just my view :)

    Adding onto all the valid points from V8guitar here's one more: Careful with stereo in live gigs. Many venues do not operate their PAs in stereo. For reason as they typically want to eliminate negative effects for parts of the crowd not standing in the perfect position (middle) in front of the PA. So if you get there and you don't know about it your ping-pong delay will quickly (and best case) become a ping-ping-delay 8o


    By the way I love the stereo effects coming from the Kemper. And I am in a trio with just me on guitar. So here and there a broad, ambient sound is really a very cool thing. Live in most cases the audience will not really be able to catch that.

    Ok all this feedback is class. I play in a wedding covers band and I’m the only guitarist.


    Il copy and paste my current mono rig, make a few tweaks with stereo wet fx etc and compare. That’s the beauty about the kemper.. ease of use and editing.


    Buzzing to get out gigging again.

    I typically run mono to FOH. But, I get a personal "stereo" monitor via using a Line6 Powercab 212+. I run stereo out from my Kemper Stage to the Powercab, then run a mono send from the Powercab to FOH. I set my stereo spread setting on the Powercab to full (200%) to get a nice "wide" stereo effect for my onstage monitoring. Works great and I can independently control my onstage volume without affecting FOH. I don't yet use IEM's but, am considering them...which may end up negating the need for a live onstage monitor like the Powercab.

    I just got the TC Electronic Mimic Doubler for playing stereo. When rehearsing with IEM it sounds great. Nevertheless, due to Corona I did not yet have a chance to play it live. So I don't know the opinion of the buttonman and how he wil put it in the mix.


    Tried a little gig with my acoustic guitar with Kemper and Mimic. That sounded very okay in my ears.

    Quote from Tomulator

    I typically run mono to FOH. But, I get a personal "stereo" monitor via using a Line6 Powercab 212+. I run stereo out from my Kemper Stage to the Powercab, then run a mono send from the Powercab to FOH. I set my stereo spread setting on the Powercab to full (200%) to get a nice "wide" stereo effect for my onstage monitoring. Works great and I can independently control my onstage volume without affecting FOH. I don't yet use IEM's but, am considering them...which may end up negating the need for a live onstage monitor like the Powercab.

    Silly question...why have stereo just for you? I would prefer to hear what the audience hears to avoid the " I sound great don't I? Erm not what we heard..."

    I run in stereo as I use IEMs and find a mono mix incredibly uninspiring. However, FOH is whatever the sound man chooses.


    If I'm playing as a party band, the purpose is to please the customer therefore playing the right songs well, creating a good ambience and being the right volume is everything.


    If I'm playing in my originals band, keeping it tight, energetic and clear is everything.


    Stereo guitar just isn't a factor for me.


    I don't find that stereo guitar effects serve anything but my own needs, certainly not to 90% of the listeners. I've even moved away from extensive use of stereo guitar tracking in recordings (i used to double track most guitars and use stereo delays more than mono). Sure, it sounds amazing on headphones but I think it often detracts in less than ideal listening positions. Not that i don't use it, just a lot less. My mixes sound less exciting on headphones now but I think they sound way punchier and clearer.

    If it were the other way 'round and you sounded great out-front and crap on-stage, it may affect your playing detrimentally. Swings and roundabouts I guess, but if performance is king...


    Also, his decision was simply a stereo / mono one, not tonal, and more often than not a mono signal out-front is desirable for live anyway, so if stereo on-stage helps him perform better, I reckon it's a good decision, Guy.

    Quote from V8guitar

    Silly question...why have stereo just for you? I would prefer to hear what the audience hears to avoid the " I sound great don't I? Erm not what we heard..."

    Just for my listening enjoyment. No other reason. It adds ambience to the overall stage sound...Can't really hear true FOH sound anyway. IEM's sound different than FOH arrays, or wedge monitors.