Hi, I have a basic 16track ADAT home studio, and typically have recorded drums onto 4 tracks. Basically it's a stereo mix for the overheads and the bass and snare down the middle. My question though is when mixing do you guys tend to pan all the way right and left, or 9:00 and 3:00, or just keep your pan knobs centered for the drums as you've already picked up the placement of the drums when using the 2 overhead mics? I like the spread out sound of the drums when panning full right and left but recently I've noticed a lot of recordings where the guitars seem to be panned fully to each side and the drums are between them. What do you guys like /recommend!!? Thanks, ERIC
When mixing drum tracks how do you guys pan them?
- Thread starter ericbr
- Start date
mikemoritz
New member
I'm not a big fan of panning drums...I usually leave them semi-centered (no more than 11:00 or 1:00 either way). I do however like to pan guitars (if there are two). I usually do 9 and 3 on those. Keep the drums kind of centered.
The Green Hornet
New member
Yo ErichR than me:]
You can pan anyway you want to; then, listen to the take; if you don't like the way the drums pan, then, REPAN them and run the mix again.
I like to add drum splashes and "booms" here and there on a single track and, maybe, put one on the left and them one on the right for effect. It's a creative thing and if you play with panning, a little, you can come up with some neat stuff.
I don't have an ADAT; I'm using an MD8 but the pan knobs are there for twisting and tweaking.
Have fun,
Green Hornet
You can pan anyway you want to; then, listen to the take; if you don't like the way the drums pan, then, REPAN them and run the mix again.
I like to add drum splashes and "booms" here and there on a single track and, maybe, put one on the left and them one on the right for effect. It's a creative thing and if you play with panning, a little, you can come up with some neat stuff.
I don't have an ADAT; I'm using an MD8 but the pan knobs are there for twisting and tweaking.
Have fun,
Green Hornet
crosstudio
New member
what are panning for? live feel or full spectrum?
it kind of depends on what your panning purpose is. if you are panning to make the recording sound like it's coming toward you like it was recorded as a live band on stage, then you'd want to keep the drums panned between 11:00 - 1:00 because that's where the drummer is on stage. the dynamics of a drum roll would still be felt, but not extremely so.
sometimes, i'll go to the extreme on this idea, and actually pan the bass guitar to just left of the drum tracks and the piano or whatever key sound just right of the drum tracks with the lead vocalist right down the middle, and any strings (guitar included) panned outside the bass and key sounds.
it may not work well for rock but it works great for a live roots reggae sound. especially if you have the horn section panned to one side, and the back vocals panned to the other (not hard panned, but positional pan).
it kind of depends on what your panning purpose is. if you are panning to make the recording sound like it's coming toward you like it was recorded as a live band on stage, then you'd want to keep the drums panned between 11:00 - 1:00 because that's where the drummer is on stage. the dynamics of a drum roll would still be felt, but not extremely so.
sometimes, i'll go to the extreme on this idea, and actually pan the bass guitar to just left of the drum tracks and the piano or whatever key sound just right of the drum tracks with the lead vocalist right down the middle, and any strings (guitar included) panned outside the bass and key sounds.
it may not work well for rock but it works great for a live roots reggae sound. especially if you have the horn section panned to one side, and the back vocals panned to the other (not hard panned, but positional pan).