Prophet 6 stereo/mono

[Mark]

Dear DSI lovers,

I’ve my beloved prophet 6 and I now have Strymon BigSky reverb.

What’s your though regarding running the P6 in stereo or mono.
I’ve tried many options and I have to say that P6 in stereo sound huge and the bigsky processing the prophet in mono in/out doesn’t sound like stereo.
Is it better recording in mono?

How would you go with it?

[IAA Music]

I currently connect my P6 in stereo, but will likely move to mono because I need the inputs in my interface for something else. I’ll just add FX in my DAW. I’ve tried a few tests and I’ll be fine with this. If it’s good enough for the P5 it’s good enough for the P6!

[hoodoo_ray]

Dear DSI lovers,

I’ve my beloved prophet 6 and I now have Strymon BigSky reverb.

What’s your though regarding running the P6 in stereo or mono.
I’ve tried many options and I have to say that P6 in stereo sound huge and the bigsky processing the prophet in mono in/out doesn’t sound like stereo.
Is it better recording in mono?

How would you go with it?

What do you mean that it doesn't sound like stereo? Is it because the Big Sky is mixing the inputs and then resending to stereo after processing?

In fact I just saw something on Strymon's website:

Stereo Input => Stereo Output

For Stereo input and Stereo output on our small 2 footswitch pedals (except blueSky and Ola), you must first open up the pedal to move the internal jumper over the LEFT 2 pins to set the pedal for TRS Stereo input.  Please see the following FAQ for further information on this setup:
How to Set My 2 Button Strymon Pedal for Stereo Input
Once the pedal is set for TRS Stereo input, make sure to use a TRS Stereo cable into the INPUT and connect a mono TS instrument cable to both the LEFT and RIGHT OUTPUTS of the pedal.
For blueSky and Ola, connect a mono TS instrument cable into the LEFT and RIGHT INPUTS along with both LEFT and RIGHT OUTPUTS for stereo input and output.  The internal jumper on these pedals does not need to be adjusted to work in stereo and should be left in its default position (connecting the left 2 pins when viewed from below).

For the TimeLine, BigSky, and Mobius, connect a mono TS instrument cable into the LEFT and RIGHT INPUTS along with both LEFT and RIGHT OUTPUTS for stereo input and output.  On the TimeLine and Mobius ONLY, make sure that the switch on the back of the pedal is set to STEREO IN/OUT.

So it seems like it should work just by using an unbalanced standard TS cable from the stereo outs of the P6 to the stereo inputs of the Blue Sky. Is this what you are doing?


EDIT - I just re-read your post and I think I misread - you are talking specifically about recording. If so, then there is no clear answer to this, it really depends what you are trying to achieve! Stereo effects on synths can sound amazing, especially in isolation. But sometimes less is more, if you want the particular sound you are recording on a particular track to sit in a mix at a specific point then sometimes mono works better. Just like the previous poster said there are many, many examples of great tunes and synths recorded in mono over the years. There is no 'right' or 'wrong' answer here in my experience - I would recommend experimenting with both, and I think you'll find that for certain tunes you'll decide to go one way or another!

[Sacred Synthesis]

It depends on the music you make.  If you're combining various instruments at once, then a mixture of stereo and mono settings would be the most effective.  But if you're using only one or two synthesizers, then I would highly recommend stereo.

Considering the often immense sounds we design on polyphonic synthesizers, it is quite unnatural to then squeeze their overall sound into a little box called a speaker using a mono signal.  It's like listening to a symphony on a pocket radio.  Sounds come with their own acoustic environments, which include various effects, the most important one being space.  This is true even for melody instruments.  Stereo is a minimalistic imitation of this all-important effect, but it's certainly better than no spatial effect at all.  With larger types of sounds - strings, brass, organ, choir, or ethereal pads - it just makes musical sense to use the orchestra and pipe organ as models for emulation.  These ensembles/instruments occupy a large amount of physical space - a stage or a wall - and as a result, specific tones are heard at different locations across this space.  This contributes to their enviable depth and richness.  Again, it just makes good sense, in designing sounds that are reminiscent of such ensembles/instruments, to strive for a similar depth and richness by somewhat imitating the spatial effect through stereo.

In my own synthesizer patches, I maintain a constant stereo field, with very few exceptions.  I consider a string, brass, organ, choir, or ethereal pad in mono to sound terribly artificial and electronic.

[Paul Dither]

I would suggest setting up the most flexible routing. Create a template in your DAW in which you've set up a sent & return track for the BigSky and keep your Prophet-6 always hooked up to both outputs. Most DAWs feature a simple utility plug-in that allows you to sum the signal to mono if so desired. That's at least what I do so that I don't have to rewire things all the time.

The question of whether to record in mono or stereo is really a matter of preferences and sound characteristics. I always ask myself what's necessary for a particular job. If I record a simple bass or lead, for example, I'd go for mono. If I wanna record a complex or evolving pad with lots of movement involved, then I'd go for stereo. That's also for a strategic reason, as more stereo tracks can be harder to mix than a mix of both mono and stereo tracks. Depending on how many tracks you record, you can quickly end up with a too crowded mix in case you always go for a big stereo image. On top of that, you have many more options to multitrack single sounds. If you, for example, want a really thick pad, you might wanna record the same sound twice in mono (and maybe with a little tuning offset) and then hardpan both tracks to the left and the right.

[idspispopd]

The P6's stereo image is one of its biggest advantages over the P5.  In my opinion, the sound of the P6 is much more natural and useful in stereo, and this is probably because it was designed to be in stereo from the beginning.  Even for bass patches, I'd rather use a stereo imager in my DAW to narrow down the bass frequencies than switch to mono.  I don't really think the P6 sounds worth its price tag in mono...but in stereo it really does; it still blows my mind to this day, even on patches that don't have any stereo width specifically applied to them.

[Manbird]

The P6's stereo image is one of its biggest advantages over the P5.  In my opinion, the sound of the P6 is much more natural and useful in stereo, and this is probably because it was designed to be in stereo from the beginning.  Even for bass patches, I'd rather use a stereo imager in my DAW to narrow down the bass frequencies than switch to mono.  I don't really think the P6 sounds worth its price tag in mono...but in stereo it really does; it still blows my mind to this day, even on patches that don't have any stereo width specifically applied to them.

I went through a period of using the P6 in mono mode, and running the synth through an old Ibanez stereo chorus. Admittedly, I was trying for as much P5 vibe as I could get. The 6 sounded great though the st. chorus, no question. But I've gone back to running it in stereo, and it certainly sounds gorgeous. I'm keen to try your imager trick on bass patches...