Pan settings

[Epi Paul '00]

Hello,
I'm just starting out in the recording gig and I need some help.
What is panning about? Does it have to be done? I realize what
panning does but how does that apply to my recordings?

Thank you very much. Epi Paul '00

 

[Seanmorse79]

Ok. Assume you have a mono track, and you're wearing a set of headphones. Turning the pan knob to the left makes it fade to the left ear, and turning it to the right fades it into the right ear. As far as it's necessity in your recording, YES it's necessary ...even if you're using a 4-track. Try listening to your favorite CD in mono, and you'll see what it does. Positioning your tracks properly in the "Stereo Field" as it's called, gives your recordings life (obviously, there are a zillion other factors, but that is one of the most important).

If you're serious about learning, spend some time exploring this site. Trial and error is sometimes the best teacher, but it's also the most time-consuming one.

 

[charger]

Take a lesson from the Beatles:

drums on the left
bass on the right
vocals in the middle
lead guitar on the left
rhythm guitar in the middle
piano on the left
etc.
etc.

<YMMV>

 

[bizarre]

if you pan everything in the middle, it'll be hard to distinguise ( oh - one of them hard to spell words - did I get it right ? ) the single instrument as it drowns in the other instruments playing in the same frequency spectrum ... and they all do more or less
bizz

 

[vox]

You don't have to pan, it just means that your mixes will be mono. During the 80's the band the Outfield had a couple of big hits that were actually mono.

 

[Gidge]

the Outfield rocks.....

panning, like everyone stated, not only turns your mix from mon to stereo, it helps keeps instruments from stepping on each other....some common places to pan

Kick drum-center
Snare drum-from center to just a tad to the left
hi hat- a little further out left than the snare
toms- 10:00,2:00, 4:00 (this one varies by preference alot)
bass guitar-center
lead vocals-center
lead guitar-center
background vocals- stereo panned hard left and right
guitar- usually panned further out left or right, if there is 2 parts, hard left and right
acoustic guitar - opposite the hi-hat
keyboards - often stereo and spread out (10 -2, 10-4,hard left/right, also varies alot)