Is A Live Concert Stereo Or Mono

Unamplified concerts I would suggest are multi-dimensional, essentially you have the sound of each seperate instrument mixing with all the other instruments. All this sound arrives at the listener with varrying intensities and timings. I don't hear anything close to stereo or mono at these concerts, this is 'real' sound. I hear only a poor facsimilie of this sort of soundstaging with stereo.

As for mono vs. stereo recordings. I generally prefer stereo except in earlier stereo mixing when sounds were often hard panned to either side. Therefore, a voice may come directly out of the left side speaker, drums out of right, ugh! Listen to late 60's, early 70's rock recordings, way too many do this crap, I prefer the mono releases on these, much more natural sounding.

How many ears do YOU have? If you have two...EVERYTHING you hear is in stereo. Your ears help your brain to place 'noise making' things in your spatial recognition.

Additionally, there are select ranges of frequencies that actually 'trick' the brain into thinking that things are in a different 'place'. For instance, a frequency right around 3000 Hz may sound as though it is coming from behind you, rather than from in front of you. This is the effect of the brain's interpretation of sound.

For me, I almost always prefer stereo recordings...that is except for the mentions Sns made...I hate it when a voice is coming right from a speaker...it drives me MAD!

Unamplified concerts I would suggest are multi-dimensional, essentially you have the sound of each seperate instrument mixing with all the other instruments. All this sound arrives at the listener with varrying intensities and timings. I don't hear anything close to stereo or mono at these concerts, this is 'real' sound. I hear only a poor facsimilie of this sort of soundstaging with stereo.

Agreed 1000%. Very well put!

How many ears do YOU have? If you have two...EVERYTHING you hear is in stereo. Your ears help your brain to place 'noise making' things in your spatial recognition.

In a sense, but with some major differences. Our two ears do a much better job of interpreting a complex mix of frequencies, harmonics, arrival times, arrival directions, phase relationships, etc., than two (or more) microphones can do. Even more so considering that what is picked up by those microphones is ultimately listened to through two speakers EACH of which can be heard by BOTH ears, and with all of the sound arriving from one or both of only two directions (apart from room reflections which more often than not will only introduce additional inaccuracy).

Regards,
-- Al