Rule of thumb.

If the instrument is mono..... Sax, guitar, bass, flute, vocal, etc... record it in mono.

Using stereo accomplishes nothing, and uses twice the hard drive space.

Once you put that track into a DAW, you can pan it anywhere from center to hard left or right.

If you are recording something such as an acoustic guitar, in mono and want it to sound wider, like stereo, simply record the track 2 different times, making each one as close to the other as possible. In other words play it exactly the same but record it 2x. Now, pan one track 50% or more left and the other the equal distance right. Waaa Laaa... instant space in the mix.

You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
Add nothing that adds nothing to the music.
You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.

The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.