Why stereo? (Was Re: I know, I'll start a war! )

[ArsOcarina@aol.com]

Hello there,

In a message dated 6/30/02 11:29:04 PM, wedgehed@yahoo.com writes:

>Maybe I'm just stuck in dumb-guitar-player mode, but
>here's a question I've been wanting to ask for years.
>What are you looping when you are stereo looping?
>I understand wanting 2 or more EDPs or a Repeater
>to do multitrack loops, but what are you guys/gals
>doing that requires the loop, as created, to be
>stereo?

I'm just a dumb guitar player too so I guess I can answer 
this with some authority. If I were ONLY using a guitar
and an amp in a mono setup a single EDP would suffice
somewhere either in a mono FX loop or simply patched 
between the two somehow . . . I suppose.

But, since many of my other effects contain all sorts 
of stereo information, I also have a stereo amplification 
set up too. And, since I've already gone to that 
trouble, it seems sensible to me to try to preserve 
this aspect in the loops as well.

It might work in live situation to have a looper that sums
right and left inputs to mono (like my JamMan did when
I had one). In that old setup my effected "original" guitar 
sound was still awash in stereo delays 'n' stuff and the 
loop (when it came around) was summed mono. Often in 
clubs the PA is blasted out in mono as well and nobody 
hears all those neat panning FX, ping-pong delays and
stereo filters unless there right at the stage anyway.

But, for myself, I really thought I was missing something by 
not hearing all of the panning FX (from my Lexicon Vortex
especially) repeat in the loop -- it all seemed kind of "flat" 
sounding as it looped around. I play with an EXTREMELY 
processed sound and stereo is pretty essential to make 
it work at all (IMOHO). 

Add to that that there is often a little Roland g-synth added 
to my guitar sound that has it's own stereo characteristics
and its own FX chain (including another Vortex). To me only 
using one EDP did not seem an option as long as I have 2
working ears.

In many ways I often fantasize that I had yet another pair. 
I own enough power amps and have speaker cabs enough to
operate in quad . . . and there's a switch on my 12-channel
stereo mixer that will actually split it into two independent
6-channel stereo mixers. I dunno, it could be kinda cool . . .

Or maybe I'm just another crazy victim of G.A.S. (gear
acquisition syndrome). Heh, heh. heh. Sometimes, when
I listen to what Andre is doing with just a guitar, an amp
and a single EDP. I get a nasty jones in the other direction.
What he's doing is pretty doggone amazin'. I can hardly wait
till the Santa Cruz concert in 2 weeks at the Cayuga Vault. 
It'll be the first time I seen him play in 5 or 6 years.

Best,

Ted