Drum Panning Psychology: Audience or Drummer's Perspective?

[Supercreep]

Hmmm... I think I don't care, maybe. Yup, as long as it's one way or the other I guess it makes no difference, unless there's things miked up on your kit that will enhance/interfere with the panning of other instruments (i.e. brash china hard panned right walking all over your acoustic guitar tracks. But then I'd reccomend losing the china.)

-que -si

 

[Blue Bear Sound]

I personally do my mix from the drummers perspective left to right.

Because of the fact you read from left to right things feel a little natural when you visualize them that way. The same technique is used in film. Youll see many more shots, especially long distant ones, with the actors or main object going from left to right. At least its desired to do it this way but probably not always possible.

So overall. I just feel when i hear it from left to right on the fills it just sounds more natural.

Would a Japanese person pan them from up to down?

Danny

To my ears, it sounds more natural with the drums spread from audience perspective!

There isn't any grand rule about it -- it's your choice.... but whatever you choose it is a good idea to stay consistent (ie, don't mix perspectives with toms panned drummer perspective and the rest of the kit audience perspective....) Not only does it sound strange, depending on the tom bleed, it can mess with the imaging!

 

[Dogman]

To my ears, it sounds more natural with the drums spread from audience perspective!

There isn't any grand rule about it -- it's your choice.... but whatever you choose it is a good idea to stay consistent (ie, don't mix perspectives with toms panned drummer perspective and the rest of the kit audience perspective....) Not only does it sound strange, depending on the tom bleed, it can mess with the imaging!

Not being a drummer, this is how I usually "view" the drums....As an audience member. But, I'll bet a lot of drums are mixed differently than this, and I wouldn't really know the difference. I'd say, as a listener, just getting a good drum sound matters most. Panning, for the average listener, is secondary, to having that really good sound.
Ed

 

[7string]

You would mix a band live in stereo to compensate for a screaming 4X12 on one side of the stage for example. That's about it though. Stoned or not.

Better to just turn the screaming 4x12 down, IMHO.

 

[photoresistor]

Better to just turn the screaming 4x12 down, IMHO.

good luck doing that without the guitar player having a fit..

 

[peopleperson]

I generally ask as nicely as I can.

 

[7string]

good luck doing that without the guitar player having a fit..

Which only proves that he has a lot to learn yet. Explain to him that he can't play that loud because it screws up the sound of the rest of the band. It's a TEAM effort, make him become one of the team. Crank him up in his monitor mix if he wants to hear it that loud.

 

[joethebaddog]

Clint
Wow! That's one for the "I never thought of that" file. But I WILL be thinking of it now ! I knew something sounded off on the drums of some of my recordings and that's it. I've been running the fills in the wrong directions. Thanks dude. I gotta go think about this.
joe

 

[Clintage]

Clint
Wow! That's one for the "I never thought of that" file. But I WILL be thinking of it now ! I knew something sounded off on the drums of some of my recordings and that's it. I've been running the fills in the wrong directions. Thanks dude. I gotta go think about this.
joe

No problem! Glad to be of service.

-Clintage

 

[PowRGnome]

international incident?

My drummer insists that I mix it from his perspective cause it's too distracting to him if I do it the other way. I've heard that it's typical in British recordings to do it from the drummer's perspective and in American recordings to do it from the audience's perspective but I've never gone through my collection and really listened for it. Anybody else heard this?

PowRGnome

 

[MadAudio]

My drummer insists that I mix it from his perspective cause it's too distracting to him if I do it the other way. I've heard that it's typical in British recordings to do it from the drummer's perspective and in American recordings to do it from the audience's perspective but I've never gone through my collection and really listened for it. Anybody else heard this?

PowRGnome

Yeah, I remember reading something about that a few years ago. Maybe if the Brits drove on the right side of the road, they'd mix differently?

 

[greezyc]

I try to pan the drums as little as possible, hardly ever hard left, right (with the exception of the OH's,).
Like others have pointed out, if you are watching a band live, you are never going to just hear the floor tom in your left ear only (unless your chin is resting on the kick drum).
It sounds un-natural and annoying when a tom just pops out way off in a left or right speaker.
That said, I tend to hint at the mix from the drummers perspective.

 

[Pughbert]

this may seem a little odd, but to me things seem to sound more natural going from left to right. Maybe this is dew to things like reading and writing working this way ?? i dunno. But when it comes to drums, left to right seems a lot more natural for me. Im not a drummer either, but i do have a raz from time to time!

 

[drummerdude666]

As a drummer myself, I HAVE to pan drums as if you're behind the kit. It just sounds wierd to me if its from the audience perspective as i never hear it like that.

I find all engineering drummers do the same as me.