Stereo distortion?

[el_duberino]

HX Effects user here. Can anyone explain whether there's any reason to use a stereo distortion block, assuming there's no stereo blocks which come before it? I can imagine that if you have a stereo effects block, like the univibe, and you want an overdrive after it, you'd use a stereo block to maintain that separation. But if your dirt comes before any other stereo effects, is there any benefit? Does it sound different?

 

I've been experimenting with running two amps, and am just curious about the best ways to do different things. I've tried wet/dry (running a loop send out to the "dry" amp), and am now playing around with stereo, including messing with the Double Take effect. There's so many options! Having fun and getting good tones so far.

[phil_m]

You kind of answered your own question... The only reason to run a stereo distortion is if you have a stereo source before that block and you want to maintain stereo separation. Otherwise, just use a mono version.

[xmacvicar]

@phil_m I have two L3Ms that I run in stereo with my Helix over l6 link. To keep things stereo, does everything in my patch need to be a stereo block?

 

Now I do mono distortion before amp, and then everything after the amp in series or parallel is a stereo block (delays, reverb, etc)

[Kilrahi]

1 minute ago, xmacvicar said:

@phil_m I have two L3Ms that I run in stereo with my Helix over l6 link. To keep things stereo, does everything in my patch need to be a stereo block?

 

Now I do mono distortion before amp, and then everything after the amp in series or parallel is a stereo block (delays, reverb, etc)

 

No, and in fact, most people do it just as you do because it conserves DSP and the stereo signal gets nuked when it goes through a mono amp. 

 

As Phil said, only if you need your effects before the amp to remain stereo should you use a stereo distortion - then once you do you need to create a signal flow that will maintain that stereo separation (such as splitting into path A and path B with an amp in each path). 

 

If you stick a ping pong delay in stereo and follow it up with a mono flanger, and then again with a final stereo reverb your signal will end up being stereo BUT the stereo effect of the ping pong delay will be lost because the mono flanger summed it to mono.