Chris Link Posted April 23, 2019 Share Posted April 23, 2019 I can do either with our set up. A couple guys swear by stereo and others are why bother? What do you all think? Quote aka âmisterdregsâ Nord Electro 5D 73 Yamaha P105 Kurzweil PC3LE7 Motion Sound KP200S Schimmel 6-10LE QSC CP-12 Westone AM Pro 30 IEMs Rolls PM55P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobadohshe Posted April 23, 2019 Share Posted April 23, 2019 Stereo on good on ears is gorgeous Quote Kawai C-60 Grand Piano : Hammond A-100 : Hammond SK2 : Yamaha CP4 : Yamaha Montage 7 : Moog Sub 37 My latest album: Funky organ, huge horn section https://bobbycressey.bandcamp.com/album/cali-native Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J. Dan Posted April 23, 2019 Share Posted April 23, 2019 If you can do either, then it comes down to a personal preference. I did mono for several reasons: 1) Aux sends are mono, stereo would require using a pair which reduces mixes from 8 to 4 and we're a 6 pc. 2) Stereo wireless IEM's transmitter/receiver is more expensive plus I already own a mono system 3) Running stereo sources chews up more channels and we already barely have enough at 16 channels. We would have to expand to more channels. 4) We're running mono FOH anyway, as running stereo would again require more channels of amplification. Mostly comes down to cost and complexity. That said, if you're already in a position to run stereo without any additional cost, then why not? One big advantage besides just being able to hear your own parts in stereo is that you can do some panning to provide a little bit of separation in some of the other parts to clean things up a bit. When I do mixdown of our recorded practices, for instance, I always like panning the 2 guitars we have slightly opposite. Same with various backup vocals and any drums other than kick and snare. Lead vocal and Bass are center. If my IEM's were stereo, I would definitely do that in my monitor mix. Quote Dan Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Throbert Posted April 23, 2019 Share Posted April 23, 2019 When I do IEM I prefer an Enet monitor network be it dante or AVB for less channel/buss usage among other reasons. Quote Triton Extreme 76, Kawai ES3, GEM-RPX, HX3/Drawbar control, MSI Z97 MPower/4790K, Lynx Aurora 8/MADI/AES16e, OP-X PRO, Ptec, Komplete. Ashley MX-206. future MOTU M64 RME Digiface Dante for Mon./net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Link Posted April 23, 2019 Author Share Posted April 23, 2019 Thanks. The Rolls PM55P has a 1/4 mono/stereo input. Our Prosonus board has 1/4 outputs and enough for to use two, I think. I may give that a try. Quote aka âmisterdregsâ Nord Electro 5D 73 Yamaha P105 Kurzweil PC3LE7 Motion Sound KP200S Schimmel 6-10LE QSC CP-12 Westone AM Pro 30 IEMs Rolls PM55P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reezekeys Posted April 23, 2019 Share Posted April 23, 2019 Mono sound in a room still gets you some ambience. Mono in your in-ears means everything will sound "inside your head." If you're OK with that, great. Personally I couldn't deal with that for my own sound. I use the same Rolls you have, which lets me take a stereo feed from my keys rig so I hear myself in stereo. The rest of the band comes in from a monitor mix through the XLR input, so it's obviously not stereo but I can handle that. Just not for my own sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stokely Posted April 23, 2019 Share Posted April 23, 2019 Our PA (and every other PA I've used) is mono, so I want to monitor what goes to front of house. I wouldn't want to be fooled level-wise by some big stereo patch that sounded way different/different volume to the audience. So I only run mono keys. That said, when we had enough monitor sends on our old console I ran "stereo" by using two monitor feeds. All instruments were mono, but I could pan them apart, which allowed me to turn down EVEN MORE and still hear everything Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobPlaysKeys Posted April 23, 2019 Share Posted April 23, 2019 I like stereo because I like the ability to pan different elements in different ears so I'm not being hit full force with a mix. That being said, mono sometimes is just what you have to do sometimes so you aren't taking up so many channels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EscapeRocks Posted April 23, 2019 Share Posted April 23, 2019 I run my ears stereo simply for the glory of the sound Quote David Gig Rig:Casio Privia PX-5S | Yamaha MODX+ 6 | MacBook Pro 14" M1| Mainstage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nadroj Posted April 23, 2019 Share Posted April 23, 2019 In a mono mix, if I was choiced with either wedges or in ears I'd always go with wedges. Mono in ear mixes destroy synth sounds, I've often found. A stereo in ear mix is unbeatable to me. Cc Quote Hammond SKX Mainstage 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reezekeys Posted April 23, 2019 Share Posted April 23, 2019 Our PA (and every other PA I've used) is mono, so I want to monitor what goes to front of house. I wouldn't want to be fooled level-wise by some big stereo patch that sounded way different/different volume to the audience. So I only run mono keys. I trust the FOH person to mix me appropriately. It's not my job to deal with what the audience hears (unless it's a small gig where it's only my rig doing sound for stage & room). Broken record time again: WHY do we spend all this money on great synths/DPs/other gear, bust our asses shlepping it to gigs, and knowingly make it SOUND LIKE SHIT to ourselves? As has been noted by others on this thread, most synth & DP sounds are terrible in mono - I'm not alone in this assessment. Again, if you are happy with the sound, then great! Enjoy. Not my tempo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drawback Posted April 23, 2019 Share Posted April 23, 2019 Agree ^^^ 100% I dont know how many times people have said you guys are great! You look like youre having so much fun up there. Most people hear with their eyes. If youre digging your sound, youre happy; if youre happy, theyre happy; if theyre happy, youre great. Quote ____________________________________ Rod Here for the gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted April 23, 2019 Share Posted April 23, 2019 I wanted to use Shure Mix Mode. Mix Mode creates a dual mono mix. Doesn't sound as lush but it is a very handy to have in some live situations. I think my mono sounds pretty good. Quote "It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne "A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!! So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Link Posted April 23, 2019 Author Share Posted April 23, 2019 Mono sound in a room still gets you some ambience. Mono in your in-ears means everything will sound "inside your head." If you're OK with that, great. Personally I couldn't deal with that for my own sound. I use the same Rolls you have, which lets me take a stereo feed from my keys rig so I hear myself in stereo. The rest of the band comes in from a monitor mix through the XLR input, so it's obviously not stereo but I can handle that. Just not for my own sound. The Westones I got have a passive ambient filter, so going in mono may not feel quite so much as being in a box. I may try it both ways. Quote aka âmisterdregsâ Nord Electro 5D 73 Yamaha P105 Kurzweil PC3LE7 Motion Sound KP200S Schimmel 6-10LE QSC CP-12 Westone AM Pro 30 IEMs Rolls PM55P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reezekeys Posted April 23, 2019 Share Posted April 23, 2019 I was considering those Westones but my tinnitus dictated that I block as much ouside sound as possible. And you can't "try before you buy" with in-ears, not that I'm aware of anyway. In a previous setup, I used a handheld recorder's (Tascam DR05) stereo mic as an ambience mic, with the recorder sitting on my laptop case which was on top of my bass amp. It was OK but the sound quality wasn't that great. I get a band mix in mono now, which I consider tolerable but not ideal. Protecting my hearing is job #1 so I've accepted the situation. The pricier Rolls (PM351) will let you add a second stereo mix to add to the stereo feed from a keys rig... but you'd need a monitor board or other way to get a stereo mix of the band. This is something the high-end Avioms and possibly a few other systems can do, but I find that the keyboard player is often at the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to getting the monitor mix they want. There's always a compromise somewhere I just try to insure it's not with my keyboard rig's sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stokely Posted April 23, 2019 Share Posted April 23, 2019 Our PA (and every other PA I've used) is mono, so I want to monitor what goes to front of house. I wouldn't want to be fooled level-wise by some big stereo patch that sounded way different/different volume to the audience. So I only run mono keys. I trust the FOH person to mix me appropriately. It's not my job to deal with what the audience hears (unless it's a small gig where it's only my rig doing sound for stage & room). Broken record time again: WHY do we spend all this money on great synths/DPs/other gear, bust our asses shlepping it to gigs, and knowingly make it SOUND LIKE SHIT to ourselves? As has been noted by others on this thread, most synth & DP sounds are terrible in mono - I'm not alone in this assessment. Again, if you are happy with the sound, then great! Enjoy. Not my tempo. We don't often have a FOH guy, we are small-timers that have to handle it from stage. We do have a PA, and all run direct, so no stage sound...we have to be very careful with patches and consistency to keep things under control, and by all accounts we do. I'd prefer to hear things in stereo, and even more so would prefer that the audience could...but it's not to be. I don't hate the sounds I'm using in mono, it certainly helps that we tend to stick more to basics (piano, organ etc). Synths are what really fall apart in mono in my experience. As far as being happy...we may be part-timer non-pros, but it's our job to put on a good show. Mono isn't going to make me mr. droopy drawers in any case...getting in a fight with my spouse or having a car break down might, but I still try Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reezekeys Posted April 23, 2019 Share Posted April 23, 2019 Point taken, and I feel for you. I'm a little surprised to hear that every PA you've used is mono. I guess I lead a sheltered life because even the smaller bars I've played have stereo systems. I mean, it's almost harder to make a system mono today since all PA mixers I've seen have stereo outputs and powered speakers seem to be the norm. I just think that keyboard sounds like strings & pads, organs with Leslie, rhodes with stereo tremolo or chorusing... all that sounds really good in stereo imo... sorry you're missing out, but I understand & respect your opinion. I also know this has been beaten to death here too. If you're happy, that's the end of the story! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stokely Posted April 23, 2019 Share Posted April 23, 2019 Yeah, the biggest pain is having to check patches for mono compatibility....when I was considering going to software, this was actually kind of a big deal since I would have needed to go through all the plugins checking them...ugh. I certainly love stereo, doing home studio recordings it's hard to imagine doing without! The mono doesn't sound awful, it's just...less amazing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J. Dan Posted April 23, 2019 Share Posted April 23, 2019 Yeah that's the thing for me - patches CAN be set up (more often it comes down to the effects) to sound good in mono. I would prefer to have consistency than sound great some places and horrible other places. If I can sound slightly less than great but much better than horrible and have it be consistent everywhere I go, then that is key. And I don't want to have different wiring/DI/Monitor schemes depending on if the place is mono or stereo (or stereo but not enough channels to run stereo because the drums took up 12 channels). So for me it's about optimizing my system for simplicity and consistency anywhere I go. I often get compliments on my sounds, so I don't think it's suffering from mono. Quote Dan Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EscapeRocks Posted April 23, 2019 Share Posted April 23, 2019 Yeah, the biggest pain is having to check patches for mono compatibility....when I was considering going to software, this was actually kind of a big deal since I would have needed to go through all the plugins checking them...ugh. I certainly love stereo, doing home studio recordings it's hard to imagine doing without! The mono doesn't sound awful, it's just...less amazing In Mainstage, you can use the Gain plug in on the master output (concert level) to sum to MONO, and still send stereo to your ears. Quote David Gig Rig:Casio Privia PX-5S | Yamaha MODX+ 6 | MacBook Pro 14" M1| Mainstage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Throbert Posted April 24, 2019 Share Posted April 24, 2019 Looking at an Ashley MX-206 for my mix, an ambient and FOH monitor feed if I have no other option. Looking at a Tascam AE-4D for Dante and a MOTU 8D for AVB. Using one of either dante or AVB I would only feed the MX-206 my mix and the ambient. Quote Triton Extreme 76, Kawai ES3, GEM-RPX, HX3/Drawbar control, MSI Z97 MPower/4790K, Lynx Aurora 8/MADI/AES16e, OP-X PRO, Ptec, Komplete. Ashley MX-206. future MOTU M64 RME Digiface Dante for Mon./net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric Posted April 24, 2019 Share Posted April 24, 2019 Stereo all the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RudyS Posted April 24, 2019 Share Posted April 24, 2019 I always have my sounds in stereo. I can get the rest of the band in both mono or stereo, depending on what is available. I prefer stereo, because it gives more room in the mix. Quote Rudy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aellison62 Posted April 24, 2019 Share Posted April 24, 2019 Stereo Quote Kurzweil Forte 7, Mojo 61, Yamaha P-125, Kronos X61, Nautilus 73 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cabo Posted April 24, 2019 Share Posted April 24, 2019 Try them both and see which you prefer. There's no comparison for me -- stereo piano makes a huge difference to how I hear myself and play. Quote Yamaha Montage M6, Nord Stage 4 - 88, Hammond SK-Pro 73, Yamaha YC-73, Mainstage, Yamaha U1 Upright Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keyman27 Posted April 24, 2019 Share Posted April 24, 2019 Whether you choose mono or stereo, make sure you have BOTH monitors in your ears. Don't do the 'take one out to get more ambience' thing. That leads to turning up the monitor too loud and can contribute to hearing loss / tinnitus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathanael_I Posted April 24, 2019 Share Posted April 24, 2019 I run my ears stereo simply for the glory of the sound Yup. I want it to sound like a record in my ears, and when we get it right.... it does! Happy ears. I wouldn't know where to find a mono patch, and would likely delete it so I couldn't find it again! I definitely pan the band out in my IEM mix so that things have a "space" and aren't all piled in the center. It helps in hearing what others are doing. Kick, snare, bass, lead vocal center. other things panned. Keys in stereo - always. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Losendoskeys Posted April 25, 2019 Share Posted April 25, 2019 As already said stereo - when we have passages with acoustic guitars I have them panned hard left or right so I can hear them better if I'm playing an organ/Mellotron sound Quote Yamaha CP70B;Roland XP30/AXSynth/Fantom/FA76/XR;Hammond XK3C SK2; Korg Kronos 73;ProSoloist Rack+; ARP ProSoloist; Mellotron M4000D; GEM Promega2; Hohner Pianet N, Roland V-Grand,Voyager XL, RMI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Link Posted April 27, 2019 Author Share Posted April 27, 2019 First gig with the IEMs. It went pretty well. It will take some adjusting to get the mix down. The Westones have a -12 dB filter and I quickly found I didnt need any bass or drums in my mix. I do mostly back up vocals and I felt that it helped me stay in tune being able to more clearly hear the lead singer and myself. And as advertised, the ambient filters prevent the sense of isolation that seems to be a complaint for some. I popped one ear piece out during a song to get a sense of how much protection I was getting. The 12 dB drop is plenty, but I was able to hear conversations. I sit stage right in front and tend to be the one who gets requests, questions, etc. from people. Quote aka âmisterdregsâ Nord Electro 5D 73 Yamaha P105 Kurzweil PC3LE7 Motion Sound KP200S Schimmel 6-10LE QSC CP-12 Westone AM Pro 30 IEMs Rolls PM55P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barryjam Posted April 27, 2019 Share Posted April 27, 2019 Stereo. We use two short gun mics aimed at audience L&R. Guys with vented IEMs or non-vented can dial in amount of audience. Vocal and OH mics pick up enough stage wash. Quote Barry Home: Steinway L, Montage 8 Gigs: Yamaha CP88, Crumar Mojo 61, A&H SQ5 mixer, ME1 IEM, MiPro 909 IEMs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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