B) I'm having a hard time understanding how you do sound reinforcement for a room full of people (like at a wedding reception) and give every member of the audience a stereo experience. In most cases there is a large portion of the audience that is only "served" by one side of the PA. And this is especially true of the seated audience at a typical wedding reception where the stage is placed in the middle of the long wall, jutting out into the room. Is there something here I'm missing?
That is an argument that comes up a lot. Why mix in stereo when half the audience isn't even sitting in a spot where it matters? Because the other half is sitting in a spot where it matters, is my response. I have been to a few concerts and there is a definite difference between a stereo mix and a mono one. Yes a mono mix can sound clear and defined, open and dimensional, but not quite like a well mixed stereo show. The brain is smarter than that and can associate sounds to a space. So although the mix may be light on one side of a particular instrument, the brain ( and a smarter audience member ) should be able to get the idea that obviously the guitar is on the other side of the stage, so naturally is will be quieter.
I have been mixing more shows in mono lately by simply taking stereo away as an option. I simply put only one speaker up........
