Scott,

I think that the salesman who told you not to use stereo in a live performance is not correct. Think about it, if a live band with 4 or 5 players were playing, the guy sitting closest to the bass amp would hear more bass. The person sitting on the side by the lead guitar would hear more lead guitar. It is the same way using stereo with an arranger. The people in the back of the room hear the mix in a blended way both with a live band or arranger. They hear the seperation up close.

We had a huge outdoor concert last week by the Beach Boys. The space that needed to be covered outside with 16,000 people was vast. Everything was mixed down and amplified in mono. If you were listening to the Beach Boys inside a small 200 person club you would hear the natural seperation of the instruments and maybe even the vocals. I would use stereo.

Tom