Guitar lead mixing/panning

  • Thread starter Thread starter Around
  • Start date Start date
Do it so it sounds right to you. There are no rules. I'll typically pan a lead part 5-10% to one side or the other
 
if the lead guitar is playing at the same time as the vocal you want to pan it so they are not right on top of each other and keeps the listeners ear interested in both parts. Typically I pan left with solo guitar
 
Without hearing it, I'd say to pan it to one side around 40% or so. If I heard the mix, I might change my mind.

If it plays by itself in certain sections, I might move it to the center for those sections. I hear this kind of stuff done on commercial mixes every once in a while.
 
In that situation, sometimes I double the solo line and pan them opposite each other, just to keep it out of the middle while still keeping the mix balanced.

This kind of depends on how dense the mix is. If it is dense enough that having a solo line panned 10-20% to one side doesn't make the mix lob-sided, then you can just do that.
 
Try doubling it ( by playing the part again) and do hard left-right
Works for me, as long as its not a solo
 
Raz Klinghoffer said:
Try doubling it ( by playing the part again) and do hard left-right
Works for me, as long as its not a solo
Click to expand...

This is what I typically do for supplemental lead guitars. hard pans. rhythm guitars around 40% each side. vocals, bass, snare, kick center.
 
andrushkiwt said:
This is what I typically do for supplemental lead guitars. hard pans. rhythm guitars around 40% each side. vocals, bass, snare, kick center.
Click to expand...
I kind of do the opposite, I hard pan the rhythms and and pan the lead part 30-40%. But it all depends on the rest of the mix.
 
Thanks for the feedback!

I also pan rhythm guitars hard left and right. But when it comes to melodic "leads/riffs" like the one played in the sample I linked in the first post, I'd like to know if they also can be panned hard right/left? Feels like people say that "Riffs/leads" with a melody hook should be near the center, but if that is done then it feels a bit like the sides are empty (if you don't want any rhythms).

Just would like to know what you guys think!

Well fairview talks about the same stuff I noticed.
 
Around said:
Thanks for the feedback!

I also pan rhythm guitars hard left and right. But when it comes to melodic "leads/riffs" like the one played in the sample I linked in the first post, I'd like to know if they also can be panned hard right/left? Feels like people say that "Riffs/leads" with a melody hook should be near the center, but if that is done then it feels a bit like the sides are empty (if you don't want any rhythms).
Click to expand...
Of course you can. In the example in the OP, that lead line is the rhythm guitar and needs to take up some space. Doubling and panning is a good solution for this.
 
Since I am a fan of LCR mixing I always pan it center and use proper EQ to distinguish the frequencies and then some effects (delays/reverb etc)
 
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