panning

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Reggaesoldier

Reggaesoldier

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I know sound placement is key in the mix but I'm not exactly sure where. I've panned all my tracks depending on what it is to the left right or center based on nothing. I guess what im trying to ask is what some proper panning techniques are? What should go where, drums, vocals, guitars, etc. I appreciate any input.
 
Usually anything that has a alot of bass or is a lead is put in the center. The usual suspects are kick, bass, snare, lead vocals and guitar solos.

Everything else should be balanced so that the L or R is not a lot louder then the other. You can try to create the illusion of the band on a stage or in a room or just go wild. I find it helps me to put a mix together if I visualize the space the band is occupying. That way my reverb and panning choices will make sense to some degree.
 
TexRoadkill has some good suggestions. Some will say there are no rules, but there really are. Listen to professionally recorded/mixed cds and you will find most of them use the same basic panning techniques. So my first suggestion is to listen to some music you really like, or that is similar to the music you are tracking. Where did they place the kick, snare, rhythm guitar, lead guitar, vocals, background vocals, keys, etc. You will begin to see patterns and this will also help you to 'visualize' your mixes better. Some of the things that are very common are, kick, snare, bass, vocals center. Background vocals panned equally left and right. Rhythm guitar panned many times hard panned. And a ton of variations of instrument panning with various effects. But there are definite patterns that will give you a great startign point.

One thing TexRoadkill said that is key is to keep your mix balanced. There shouldn't be a whole lot going on on one side and not the other, so if you pan your rhythm guitar right, consider panning that piano or horn part left. If the guitar is the only thing playing, double it and pan them away from each other but try using a delay on one side to give them a sense of seperation. Always keeping the left/right relationship in mind.

I have without doubt learned more from listening to what others have done than by reading articles on the subject.

Have a blast and good luck.
 
Try panning the drum kit as if you are standing in front of it, with the kick being center. Not a hardfast rule, but pretty common. Also, try panning, say a rhythm guitar left 30% and panning the guitars reverb 30% right.
 
Depends on the song.

I'm only an amateur, but I've been gaining advice from people here and elsewhere. The only thing I'd add is that it's important the role the instrument is playing in the particular song.

For example, if one of the guitars is rhythm and constant throughout the song, then there's no harm in hard panning it and balancing it with a copy of the the same part hard panned the other way, or another guitar part panned the other way.

However, if that guitar plays a little tune at some point and that tune is important to the song, then it would not be a great idea to only have it coming out of one channel IMO. That's because if somone is listening in a car, with the speaker nearest to them loudest, then it might sound odd if the guitar part was over on the furthest speaker from them (maybe it would be too low in the mix and not cut through).

If you want extreme examples of how NOT to pan properly listen to some of The beatles early stereo LPs - you get vocals on one side and music on the other!!!

Remeber, not everyone listens to music sat perfectly positioned between two stereo speakers on a hifi system.
 
This is great!

Wow, I really appreciate all the input it helps a lot! Right now I'm using a drum machine, the Boss Dr-670 so I can't really pan individual drums or cybals. Or can I? I have noticed that the pad on the machine is sensitive on either side and in the center. So if there is a particular sample assigned to a pad on the left, that sound will be more prominent on the left. Same goes for the right side and pads in the center, put the sound in the center. So should I leave the drums centered? Thanx again!
 
Hello, all.
Been lurking here for a number of weeks and I appreciate the wealth of knowledge represented, and the willingness of all to share.

Just one thought on doubling or delaying instruments and panning hard left and hard right- Give it the mono test. Make sure you like how it sounds in mono, because delaying and doubling can often cause phase shifting "swishiness" when summed to mono.
Chuck
 
Re: Depends on the song.

glynb said:
For example, if one of the guitars is rhythm and constant throughout the song, then there's no harm in hard panning it and balancing it with a copy of the the same part hard panned the other way
Click to expand...

Two identical copies panned to the side is the same as having one track panned in the middle.
 
Re: This is great!

Reggaesoldier said:
Wow, I really appreciate all the input it helps a lot! Right now I'm using a drum machine, the Boss Dr-670 so I can't really pan individual drums or cybals. Or can I?
Click to expand...


Yes, you can. I don't have my 670 anymore, I think the pan adjustment is in utility, maybe, check the manual.
 
SWEET! Thanks grinder. I guess I got too carried away making beats to finish the book:)
 
Re: Re: Depends on the song.

TexRoadkill said:
Two identical copies panned to the side is the same as having one track panned in the middle.
Click to expand...

Sorry Tex, I don't think I made myself clear, I meant double track the guitar part (play it twice) and pan left and right, NOT copy the same part and hard pan.

Yes if you copy the same part and pan it it's pointless, you're just wasting a track!

Playing the part twice (two takes) and hard panning L&R is excelent technique IMO, it really fattens up the sound and I do it all the time, even on acoustic.
 
Re: Re: Depends on the song.

TexRoadkill said:
Two identical copies panned to the side is the same as having one track panned in the middle.
Click to expand...
Well this thread certainly turned ugly with that huge flame.


















































Kidding, kidding...get a job, Tex. :D
 
A better way of dealing with the rhythm guitars on each side is to either play an actual different guitar, or a part elsewhere on the neck, or to reEQ one of the tracks so it sounds distinct from the other.

The idea is that no single part will be masked by the rest, and sometimes that takes some creativity to combine clarity with naturalness.

I try to pan so it sounds like a live performance: drums panned a little L+R (with the kick & snare in the middle), vocals & bass in the middle, and then distribute the other parts L + R. My current project is a Christmas CD with lots of massed vocal harmonies so each track of vox gets panned further and further out from the center. A solo voice goes near the center, a harmony voice (singular) goes toward the side, opposite the solo.
 
everyone has made some exellent points! I do alot of recording and i've always been a fan of panning guitars hard. Listen to any AC/DC record and you'll see what I mean. It's also a good idea to differ the tones a little. Like Malcolm and Angus Young usually play simmilar parts but Malcolm plays a Gretsch guitar and has a cleaner, brighter tone than Angus does. That's what I like to do. For a simple rock tune, one rhythm guitar with the gain turned way down 10-15% and sometimes use a different guitar or amp and the other at your normal setting. Then The solo is overdubbed and panned center. It all depends on the song though. I've recorded accustic guitars and either had a 6 string on one side and a 12 on the other, or I have recorded to 6 strings parts but used a capo on one of them and panned them hard L and R.
Just try to balance everything out so everything is heard. If you want one guitar solo in one side and another solo in the other, make sure the level is a bit louder so it'll cut through the mix. The mono test is always a safe bet.
 
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