Some questions about effects

[Skyline609]

Yesterday, while listening very carefully to the Dave Matthews Band studio recordings, I noticed alot that the effects (mainly reverb) on hard-panned instruments had a very cool style.
For example, the main sax parts were always hard right, however, the reverb placed on that track was able to be heard in the left ear as well. Same goes for the violin, which was hard left, but the reverb was present in the right ear.
It seems like whenever i make recordings, the reverb i use only follows the panning, so i can only get the source audio and the effect in one ear. How can i get effects in stereo but still keep the main track one on side???

Also, that led me into further thinking, can you pan effects? For example, maybe you dont want reverb or a delay through the whole audio field, maybe you would just like it 3/4 of the way left or something. How could you go about doing this.

 

[Buck62]

Skyline: Try this...
Copy the original track to another track, pan it out the opposite way of the source, bring the volume down on the copied track, and add reverb.
Also, you might want to try putting a slight delay on the copied track (.002 to .007 sec) to give it a bit more spaciousness.
Experiment!
That's what makes this stuff so much fun.

 

[Track Rat]

You've just discovered what makes stereo "stereo"

 

[Razor]

I hope this doesn't get me laughed at. I'm sure it is an old trick but I have found it to be a fascinating and useful perspective on effects and panning.
Take speaker connections, preferably a back set of speakers, on a stereo (left side pos and neg, right side pos and neg) and connect them in series. That is the pos for both sides go from stereo to the speakers and the negs for each speaker connected. The simplist way is to pull the negs out of each side at the amp and connect them, creating a big loop.
What you get in those speakers is the difference between the sides of the stereo field. A signal that is dead center will not appear. As the same signal moves towards ether side it gains volume until at full hard pan it is at full volume.
This concept was conceived for creating the illusion of space in small listening environments (the car). It creates a ghost third channel that is usually reverb heavy.
Traditionally vox, kick, bass are centered, these are downplayed in these back speakers. Other instruments start to migate away from center, backgrounds are further still and effects are usually hard pannned.
Listen to a recording you know and love and you will hear it from a new perspective. It is interesting to hear how panning can be used as a dynamic element in a mix.

How does this relate to this thread? Since effects are often hard panned stereo, they are accentuated in this back mix. The relationship between level and stereo imaging is such a powereful tool.
Anyway I have found this to be a great little window into the inner-workings of my favorite mixes and producers. It is remarkable how differently panning is used by different people.
Then again this is really just a poor-man's quad and we're all looking at the freighttrain of 5:1 coming our way anyway.....peace

 

[Shailat]

You must be using the reverb with out sending the wet signal to a different track

It would be better if you kept the dry signal on one track and a %100 wet return from the reverb unit to a different track. This way you'll have more control on panning and open your options. For example eq your return wet signal, and you will have a impact to your blend.
In short keep the wet and dry seperate.

Delay will also help you widen the stereo image.
Use a delay up to 35ms panned to one side (again using a delay return to a different track)
and the source to the other. Then adjust the blend between the two.