Howdy Pardners!

My local cable provider strips off the stereo signal (and hence pro-logic signals) from many channels, most notably local broadcast channels. Grrr! So I would like to ask all the Outlaw users out there how you treat mono signals? Do you modify the signal somehow to enhance your experience and make it more immersive? What is your preferred mode when using the 950 with a mono signal? Or do you take a more purist approach and keep everything anchored to the center channel?

I would appreciate hearing some different viewpoints and opinions on this subject as well as any tips or tricks on the whole area of soundfield synthesis (and I'm not refering to the cheesy "Stadium" or "Jazz Club" settings found on many receivers) from a mono signal.

Thanks gang!

[This message has been edited by tekdredger (edited November 05, 2003).]

I usually just leave it on mono during movies, if that was the original soundtrack. If its cable I would probably just dump it into stereo, but I have Directv so I'm never really in that situation.

[This message has been edited by Jed M (edited November 14, 2003).]

Yike! Cricket!

My cable company seems to leave the stereo signals intact, allowing Pro Logic II to treat me right, so I leave my 950's video3 (cable) input set to PLII (I've alternated between PLII-C and PLII-M, sometimes preferring the music mode to the cinema mode).

When I was transferring some old home movies (shot on VHS and S-VHS) to DVD recently, I found that PLII just didn't sound right with the mono signal. I switched the DVD recorder to stereo and let the left and right speakers share the load. I could have probably experimented with Stereo 5/7, but didn't see the point for home movies and don't really know what it would do.

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gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review

Thanks for the responses. I was beginning to think my original post was written in invisible ink.

Quite a few years back I used a processor by AudioSource, model SS3. It had a mode called Matrix (Never really liked that name because it's too reminiscent of the L-R Matrix that was the basis for the SQ and QS quadrophonic schemes in the 70's, and later evolved into Dolby Surround.) that synthesized stereo/surround from a mono signal. I believe it used a comb filter technique that actually worked quite well if used judiciously. It gave the sound a phasey spatial quality without all the reverb and echo like you get with the DSP modes found on so many receivers nowdays. I still have that old processor packed away (drives my wife nuts when I don't get rid of any of the old stuff)and I got the manual out the other day. I thought I might patch it into the 950 as an external processor. The lack of a tape loop/monitor on the Outlaw makes that a little trickier. I'm not currently using the zone 2 output so I could patch it through that way. Well, that's what I thought until I realized that the AudioSource sends the fronts straight through and the synthesized signal gets routed to the surrounds. It's amazing what you learn just by re-reading those user manuals. So the only way I can think of to employ the old beast would be with the 5.1 direct inputs. Trouble is they are occupied. Looks like I need another multi-channel input (or a switcher).

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Tekdredger