Drum panning? L to R or or R to L?

[guitaristic]

Yeah, people just don't do weird pannings because they assume it'll sound bad...but occasionally, a weird panning can be awesome, if for no other reason than that it's not like everything else!

 

[cobaltaudio]

It's an interesting question, and of course it's all down to personal taste. I personally always have drums panned from audience perspective and keys from musician's perspective. I find the top end's balance better like that, and I've kind of grown up with the expectation to hear it that way too. AND i'm a pianist.

You'll see a lot of engineers and producers have them the other way, especially common if they play (or played) drums themselves.

 

[jukeboxjoe]

I never thought about it... until I read this thread! Now I always pan them from a (right handed) drummer's perspective, because that's the way I naturally air play my drums! LOL

By the way, good point above about the "audience perspective" being more mono than panned (unless you're close and in front of the drummer). It doesn't really matter in the end, but I do get the extra "air drum" experience panning from behind the kit :-D

 

[RobbieL]

I pan the OH based on how it blends with the rest of the instruments in the mix although my personal preference is to have the hi-hat between 50-80L and crash about 75-95 R.