Hello All
I have noticed in quite a few posts people mentioning about which is better for live playing, Mono, Stereo or Surround, so I thought I would add a few details for everyone to ponder over. (This overview does not relate to instrument sound quality)
In the early days, the only way you could listen to music was by going to a live performance.
An invention then came out that allowed sound to be recorded, and allowed anybody with a suitable playback unit, to hear the music anywhere at any time, however as it was only Mono all the sounds came from one position, which was great in its day, but as the Human Being can hear sound from all around them, it was still pretty limited.
A 2 channel system was then developed which they called Stereo, which allowed the sounds to be spread out in front of the person, as if he was listening to the band, orchestra etc, directly in front of him. So good was it, that if you moved towards the left speaker you heard more of the band, orchestra etc from the left with less from the right, (And vice versa) which is exactly what happens when you walk to the left or right of a real concert venue.
To most people this was all that was needed, but it still only allowed the person to here sounds from in front of him, not from all around.
Surround sound was then developed which added more independent channels, so allowing speakers to be placed all around the person, thus allowing a more realistic impression of the real world, (Above and below is still missing) as with stereo if you stood closer to one speaker you heard more from this then from the others, exactly the same as if you were walking around a real concert hall.
Taking into account the above, if you wish to try and convince your audience that they are listening to a real band, orchestra etc, then the player needs a sound system that can replicate the spread of sound that the person hears normally.
In reality, only fixed venues can normally offer this, however due to the acoustics of the various venues, in most cases a good approximation can be achieved by just using stereo, (Most people expect the sound to come from in front of them) which for OMB is absolutely brilliant, as it requires the player to carry less equipment around, and also have a speedier setup.
I am sure many people with have comments on the above, and look forward to your replies.
Enjoy.

Bill