Panning a three piece rock band?

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RawDepth

RawDepth

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Band = Drums, Bass, and Guitar.

Should I pan the bass to one side and the guitar to the other? That still seems a little lop-sided.

Any better ideas to fill it in? (I know back in the 70's, some guys used to pan the drums to one side.)
 
In the end...it all comes down to how it sounds to you...
...but I would maybe do a 10:30 - 1:30 with the bass and guitar (adjust to taste).

If the drums were recorded with a stereo OH pair...that will certainly give the stereo image a nice wide fill, and the offset of the bass and guitar will not be odd sounding. If the drums are very narrow/mono-ish...then I don't think you'll be bale to separate the three too far apart with out holes.

Is there also a vocal?
 
RawDepth said:
Band = Drums, Bass, and Guitar.

Should I pan the bass to one side and the guitar to the other? That still seems a little lop-sided.

Any better ideas to fill it in? (I know back in the 70's, some guys used to pan the drums to one side.)
Click to expand...

I've played in and recorded many 3-piece rock bands. I think for me, the best results were always drums up the middle and the guitar and bass off to each side a little. Not all the way, maybe halfway. It seems like it would be lopsided, but it really isn't unless you're listening on headphones or earbuds, and even then it's not a big deal. Through speakers in a room, it's not noticeable. Then if you wanna get fancier and have the capability to do so, send the guitar to a reverb panned to the bass side and do the same with the bass panned to the guitar side. Kind of like the early Van Halen records. It helps to fill in.
 
If you want the Kick drum and bass to live in the same space
and create a pocket I would say put the kick and bass right
down the middle. Then stack your rhythm guitars and pan them wide
left an right. If you have Acoustic guitars do the same. Although,
you could pan the acoustic guitars not quite as wide as the electrics.

If you have guitar licks or different textural guitar parts then maybe
pan them left or right. Lead vocal straight up the middle. Stacked
backing vocals you can pan wide left and right as well. But it sounds
like you're doing a rock trio kind of thing so big stacked backing
vocals may not be a concern............
 
I'd probably double the guitar and pan.

But, I'll bet it'll sound cool with 130 1030 panning. 3 piece bands are the best.
 
miroslav said:
I would maybe do a 10:30 - 1:30 with the bass and guitar (adjust to taste).

If the drums were recorded with a stereo OH pair...that will certainly give the stereo image a nice wide fill, and the offset of the bass and guitar will not be odd sounding.
Click to expand...

Greg_L said:
I've played in and recorded many 3-piece rock bands. I think for me, the best results were always drums up the middle and the guitar and bass off to each side a little. Not all the way, maybe halfway. It seems like it would be lopsided, but it really isn't unless you're listening on headphones or earbuds, and even then it's not a big deal. Through speakers in a room, it's not noticeable.
Click to expand...
Sometimes, the two of you take my breath away with your similar outlooks on certain things.
I used to work with two friends that were socialists and one of them was very keen that the other came to work with us. And when he did, they got on famously, like a house on fire. But then they fell out and it was emnity all the way. 26 years on, it still is. But they were so similar in some of their outlooks. Woe betide you if you pointed it out to either of them, though !
Raw depth, forgive me for that sidetrack.
I'd put the bass up the middle, double track the guitar and experiment with the panning {depending on whether there are vocals and backing vocals} and have the drums 'centred' but not right in the centre. Well, that's where I'd start. I might not finish there though.
 
RawDepth said:
Band = Drums, Bass, and Guitar.

Should I pan the bass to one side and the guitar to the other? That still seems a little lop-sided.
Click to expand...

This would sound like "The Who Live At Leeds". I loved the fact that the bass was in one speaker and the guitar in the other. Unfortunately unless you want it to sound retro it does not really fit todays sound. I play in a 3 piece and on out CD I have bass centre, drums - Kick & snare centre with a bit of panning on the overheads and tom mics (not so much that the drummer has 20' arms), and with the guitar I always record with 2 or more mics (large condenser, ribbon, omni condenser) then mix and pan them to open up and fatten the guitar sound.

However now I think about it, I really love "The Who Live At Leeds" maybe on the CD I am recording at the moment we may do a Live at Leeds mix LOL.

Cheers
Alan.
 
Thanks everyone.

I don't have the luxury of double tracking anything. You see, this was a live recording. I got one feed from each instrument. I did put up two overheads along with close drum mics, so I can work with the drums, but I only have a single guitar track.

There are vocals...usually one guy at a time from the bass and guitar players.

The next time I record a three piece, I may put two different mics on the guitar amp just to have more flexibility. I do like Greg's idea about panning the reverb to the opposite side. I'll experiment.

Thanks again.
 
RawDepth said:
Thanks everyone.

I don't have the luxury of double tracking anything. You see, this was a live recording. I got one feed from each instrument. I did put up two overheads along with close drum mics, so I can work with the drums, but I only have a single guitar track.

There are vocals...usually one guy at a time from the bass and guitar players.

The next time I record a three piece, I may put two different mics on the guitar amp just to have more flexibility. I do like Greg's idea about panning the reverb to the opposite side. I'll experiment.

Thanks again.
Click to expand...

Ahhhhh, I guess I wasn't paying attention. I didn't realize it was a live
recording. Not my forte..............
 
RawDepth said:
I don't have the luxury of double tracking anything. You see, this was a live recording. I got one feed from each instrument. I only have a single guitar track.
Click to expand...
Maybe you could double the guitar, add some delay and........
















:laughings:
 
I had a silly idea...
Check out the freq range of the guitar which you've pan to one side. Put a pass filter on the bass that allows the guitar equiv freqs through & pan it opp the guitar. Put a copy of the bass with a low pass filter set at the same point os the bottom end of the other bass track in the middle with the bass drum.
OR if you've a cross over use taht & send the two diff chucks as described.
Would that work? To my mind it would possibly give a more balanced stereo image. To my ears? I don't know, haven't done it. Generally I just add a 2nd gtr & pan it opp the 1st.
 
Just do what Greg suggested in like the first post of this thread. Pan the band the same way Johnny Winter does in the link I posted. I find bass or drums too much to one side gets irritating. It's kind of cool for about the first 15 seconds of an early 60's tune, but it never sounds "right".
 
From my experience, it will sound lop sided if you move the bass of center more than being panned 5 to either side. I would suggested panning the guitar mostly to one side, doubling the track, delaying it about 30 ms, then panning that track equally to the other side. This will give you a nice wide and full guitar sound, without stepping on the bass or vocals.
 
shelm83 said:
from my experience, it will sound lop sided if you move the bass of center more than being panned 5 to either side. I would suggested panning the guitar mostly to one side, doubling the track, delaying it about 30 ms, then panning that track equally to the other side. This will give you a nice wide and full guitar sound, without stepping on the bass or vocals.
Click to expand...

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
x
:)
 
shelm83 said:
From my experience, it will sound lop sided if you move the bass of center more than being panned 5 to either side. I would suggested panning the guitar mostly to one side, doubling the track, delaying it about 30 ms, then panning that track equally to the other side. This will give you a nice wide and full guitar sound, without stepping on the bass or vocals.
Click to expand...

I've heard about this technique... can you explain it in more detail for me?












:)
 
All 3 piece rock bands are unequivocably crappy.... especially the one you're recording... !!!!!


Oh, sorry, that's not what you meant, is it? :) :laughings:

Continue...
 
shelm83 said:
From my experience, it will sound lop sided if you move the bass of center more than being panned 5 to either side. I would suggested panning the guitar mostly to one side, doubling the track, delaying it about 30 ms, then panning that track equally to the other side. This will give you a nice wide and full guitar sound, without stepping on the bass or vocals.
Click to expand...

:facepalm:
 
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