Panning LAW!!??

  • Thread starter Thread starter Roker1
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Roker1

Roker1

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hey guys..how do the panning laws differ from each other...What's 0db, -3db, -6db panning law??!! A bit confused there...Something is crossing my mind about what it could be, but it's probably far from it, so I'll just keep quiet and let you try and explain it to me:)

thanks
 
It's a setting that allows you to compensate for the fact that as you pan a track from left to right (or R to L), as it passes through the center position, the level will appear to increase, which is undesirable.

Setting the panning law value will drop the level accordingly so as to minimize the difference.

The reason for the different values has to do with mono compatibility -- in mono, the compensation value will be different.

Interestingly, the most effective value -4.5 (which is the mid-point between -3 and -6) is usually the best compromise between the panning law effect in stereo and mono-compatibility, but never seems to be a selectable option!
 
:D of course...thank you bear...when you take it to the side, it stands out more so you wanna compensate for that...beautiful..I'm not gonna say that i thought so, coz you'll saY THAT I'm full of it..:D :D

Thanks guys
 
Roker1 said:
when you take it to the side, it stands out more so you wanna compensate for that
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No, panning L/R tends to LESSEN the level... when you pan to center, the volume appears louder (since there is equal signal strength to both channels)....
 
Blue Bear Sound said:
No, panning L/R tends to LESSEN the level... when you pan to center, the volume appears louder (since there is equal signal strength to both channels)....
Click to expand...

This is only true in a solo situation Blue Bear. Try this:

Set a pair of guitar to center in a average rock mix to the volume that they sound just dandy at with other instruments.

Then, pan those puppies hard left and right without changing the volume. They WILL appear to be much louder in the mix. I am sure a pro like you knows why.

Creepy
 
Then, pan those puppies hard left and right without changing the volume. They WILL appear to be much louder in the mix. I am sure a pro like you knows why.
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Thats exactly what I meant when I said this:
when you take it to the side, it stands out more so you wanna compensate for that
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Good point Creepy
 
That's probably why they make it variable... That panning law thingy... It depends on the situation as it seems.
 
Bruce, I thought I read somewhere several years ago that the Mackie consoles make up for this with a constant level pan pot.

Is that true or was I reading about some other console?
 
No that's true..... more or less -- just built-in panning law implementation...

The issue is more obvious on s/w or digital mixers, where it's usually a preference that can be set.....
 
i usually set my pan law to -3, but i've been using 0 as of late, and my mixes sounds much better...

logic's pan law is set to 0 i think, under sx and nuendo its -3, but when i moved it to 0...sx sounds even better than it did
 
Roker1 said:
hey guys..how do the panning laws differ from each other...What's 0db, -3db, -6db panning law??!! A bit confused there...Something is crossing my mind about what it could be, but it's probably far from it, so I'll just keep quiet and let you try and explain it to me:)

thanks
Click to expand...

Laws...we don't need no stinking laws!

The only law Im aware of is listening with your ears and then making a determination of which direction to move something. I believe the term is called "mixing", yeah I think thats it..mixing. It gets really funky when you have to do complex mixing moves where it takes 2 or more people to pull it off. Pre automation days were actually kinda fun. Anyhooo, back to the board.

SoMm
 
As I recall this panning figuers goes long back in time, I think film mixing mostly used -6, just to keep SPL equal for multi speaker systems in cinemas. Not blowing the heads of the audience in the midsection when panning.

-3 where "always" used for music, you have to remember that a lot of radio & tv were mono not too long ago....
A stereo mix for album were often used as mono, or close to mono for radio singels.

So... of you never expect your mixes to be heard in mono....mix as you like.
There is no law...
It could be a problem in a PA situation if you should mix for several feeds, mono and stereo.... so it's good to understand how it works
 
Excellent Rambo, I was suffering from tunnel vision and knee jerk reaction to the LAW word. While Not concerned with mono since I my mixes start that way, I totally forgot about reinforcment and surround folks needing special care to vectoring. 5.1 guys already know this.

SoMm
 
Pre automation days were actually kinda fun. Anyhooo, back to the board.
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Waddaya mean pre-automation days?? I'm still living in the pre-automation days and I DON'T have enough hands.

But...I am having fun!:D
 
hey SOM.. I think heads who "invented" that panning law were a bit more knowledgable and experienced than you are..and you're not even a mixerman, you're just a son of one...:D :D
peace bro
 
rambo said:


-3 where "always" used for music, you have to remember that a lot of radio & tv were mono not too long ago....
A stereo mix for album were often used as mono, or close to mono for radio singels.
Click to expand...
not true, Cubase vst32 was -6... most programs are -3 or 0
 
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