I just got a PCM 91 and was wondering how to get the most out of the unit's
stereo imaging capabilities. Should I pan the aux send to the unit to match
a mono instrument's pan position in the mix?
Or are the left and right inputs to a stereo reverb useful only for stereo
instruments like keyboards?

Any other tips on how to make the most out of a reverb's stereo imaging
capabilities would be welcome.

Thanks for your help,

Al Garcia

"Al Garcia"

I just got a PCM 91 and was wondering how to get the most out of the unit's
stereo imaging capabilities. Should I pan the aux send to the unit to match
a mono instrument's pan position in the mix?

With a classical ensemble or small acoustic group, where you want to
enhance the room reverb you might try to do that, or on your spot mics to blend
them into your main stereo pair of mics. Spot mics would be carefully panned
to match the main stereo pair and reverb too.

Or are the left and right inputs to a stereo reverb useful only for stereo
instruments like keyboards?

Any other tips on how to make the most out of a reverb's stereo imaging
capabilities would be welcome

Most people doing Rock/Pop/R&B would probably just use the PCM91 "split"
so they have 2 mono in/stereo out reverbs, if it's your best reverb probably
it's probably applied to something that is on the center of your stereo image
anyway. Stereo reverb can get pretty messy if not used with caution.

But a nice effect can be to use a stereo width control of some kind (like
a stereo plugin or a Neve VR line channel width control) to expand the stereo
field of your 'verb, so you can put ambience "outside" the speakers.
(Positionally you have center, mid-center speaker, at the speaker, and outside
the speakers positions to put things in a mix, reverb is the most practical
thing to put outside the speakers although I have put echoes out there on
occasion, even as far as wrapping around behind the listening position when you
expand the width far enough.)

Will Miho
NY Music & TV Audio Guy
Off the Morning Show! & sleepin' In... / Fox News
"The large print giveth and the small print taketh away..." Tom Waits

I just got a PCM 91 and was wondering how to get the most out of the unit's
stereo imaging capabilities. Should I pan the aux send to the unit to match
a mono instrument's pan position in the mix?
Or are the left and right inputs to a stereo reverb useful only for stereo
instruments like keyboards?

Any other tips on how to make the most out of a reverb's stereo imaging
capabilities would be welcome.

Thanks for your help,

Al Garcia


You're going to find out that the PCM 41 doesn't operate that way.

The left input signal is sent to a processor and the outout from rthe processor
is sent to both left and right channels.

Likewise, the right signal goes to a processor and the processor outputs
another, but unrelated stereo signal.

In other words, the unit isn't dual mono. and will not operate as dual mono.
the left and right input signals each produce a reverb that is stereo through
the same outputs.

If you don't believe me, just send one signal to the left input and listen to
both outputs. Then put the same signal into th right input and compare the
sounds from the reverb only. They aren't the same.

Richard H. Kuschel
"I canna change the law of physics."-----Scotty