Please help me set a 'stereo setup' straight - confused.

[xmacvicar]

So I have a Helix floor and I go digital out to a pair of L3m's that are linked - so the left is speaker "1" and the right is speaker "2".

 

I have these positioned perfectly left and right, facing towards me. Please note that I do not gig out live, and I my position from these speakers never changes.

 

When I make presets I have been using all 'stereo' blocks (even OD's). Is this even correct? I am looking to basically create my presets in a way that is the most feature rich; basically, if I ever do get out gigging that it will sound good and not be un optimized - given that most clubs would be mono sounds and I won't have to recreate every single preset for mono.

 

In my current setup, is this even true stereo? What should I be doing? Is it only true stereo if in the patch, I am using splits in the patches that pan to 100% L/R? Or do stereo blocks with digital linked L3M's automatically work stereo?

[VirtualGuitars]

Everything before the FX Loops will be processed in mono no matter if you choose mono or stereo effects blocks; however, everything after the FX Loops will be processes in stereo if you use stereo effects.  No sense wasting DSP processing power for no reason..  Only the time-based effects like Chorus and Delay would be noticeably different anyway.

[DarthHollis]

Unless you're going to run two amps or more pretty much everything before the amp(s) should be mono.  At some point in the chain, if you use a stereo effect you should be stereo after that.  Anything in mono will sum the two side down.  The other thing to remember is that you need something to give you a stereo sound, like a chorus, the double take, ping pong delay, reverb.  I found that using two different amps and/or cabs was not a significant difference in stereo.  You need something more.  The trick I used was a simple pitch shift, only on one side, set at about +/- 8 to 15 cents (to your own taste) AND a delay of about 30ms, mix at 100%.  The delay gives a doubling effect much like the double take or a Mimiq pedal.  I use the Mimiq pedal now and I prefer that until the double take in the Helix is improved, if ever.  Chorus, ping pong or stereo delay, and reverb are other nice ways to give you stereo separation.  Put those as the last thing in your chain.

 

If you have specific questions about a patch you are creating, the best thing you can do is load the patch to Custom Tone or at least give us a step by step - effect to effect breakdown of what you are doing.

[Meiannatee]

On 8/21/2018 at 11:53 PM, DarthHollis said:

Unless you're going to run two amps or more pretty much everything before the amp(s) should be mono.  At some point in the chain, if you use a stereo effect you should be stereo after that.  Anything in mono will sum the two side down.  The other thing to remember is that you need something to give you a stereo sound, like a chorus, the double take, ping pong delay, reverb.  I found that using two different amps and/or cabs was not a significant difference in stereo.  You need something more.  The trick I used was a simple pitch shift, only on one side, set at about +/- 8 to 15 cents (to your own taste) AND a delay of about 30ms, mix at 100%.  The delay gives a doubling effect much like the double take or a Mimiq pedal.  I use the Mimiq pedal now and I prefer that until the double take in the Helix is improved, if ever.  Chorus, ping pong or stereo delay, and reverb are other nice ways to give you stereo separation.  Put those as the last thing in your chain.

 

If you have specific questions about a patch you are creating, the best thing you can do is load the patch to Custom Tone or at least give us a step by step - effect to effect breakdown of what you are doing.

Yes all mono effects will sum to mono, so there's no point using stereo effects in front of them.

 

Amp and cab blocks are only available in mono (as with dirt boxes), and the only way to get stereo amps/cabs is using 2 on parallel paths. Therefore, unless doing the above, all stereo effects before amp/cab will be summed to mono.

 

I'm using single amp and dual cabs in stereo. The difference may be difficult to notice, but try this:

On the Merge block, map Path A pan to expression pedal. Min value = centre, max value = 100% left.

Do the same for Path B, min value = centre, max value = 100% right.

Turn off any heavy effects that may obscure the differences on the stereo amp/cab.

Now you can audition the various degrees of panning in real time, and the difference is noticeable.