Hard panning

[peopleperson]

Love it or hate it?

 

[JazzMang]

Love it on electrics and toms. Pretty much hate it on most everything else... kills the realistic stereo imaging in some circumstances.

 

[The Engineer]

Depends on if it's being used properly. I personally love hard panning, unless used incorrectly.

 

[Carter]

Love it and hate it. I really only use it on drums mainly and some on guitar.

 

[noodles2k5]

Sucks to anyone who has a blown speaker.

 

[Blue Bear Sound]

It's not a question of loving it or hating it, it's doing whatever's right for the song and the production context.... people seem to think it's the the engineer telling the song where to go, when really the song itself tells the engineer where it wants to go..........

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Bear's right in that it totally depends on the nature of the song. Sometimes hard panning is begged for.

But for my style and experience, hard panning, like EQ and ginger, is something to be used sparingly. I find myself usually saving the far edges of the soundstage for FX, mostly light reverbs and delays. I tend to keep the dry instruments inside 75%-80% pan on either side.

G.

 

[wesley tanner]

sometimes okay on acoustics in spaced pair or XY, i used to use it a ton on distorto guitars, but not so much anymore, and I still use it when i can on drummer's who know how to balance a kit.

 

[nkjanssen]

Love it when it sounds good. Hate it when it doesn't.

 

[scrubs]

gives me a stiffy

 

[skipwave]

gives me a stiffy

sounds like you do a lot of hard panning

 

[scottboyher]

Should we add a little distortion or not?
Should we use the sm57 or something else?



Is this a Walters question?

 

[Jburn34]

It's not a question of loving it or hating it, it's doing whatever's right for the song and the production context.... people seem to think it's the the engineer telling the song where to go, when really the song itself tells the engineer where it wants to go..........

Good advice there. You should definitely listen to hear what needs to be panned and what doesn't.