dobro
Well-known member
Where do you place multiple strings in a mix? I don't care if you're dealing with real strings or synth strings - where do you put them in the stereo field? Do you clump them all together or spread them out?
Outlaws
New member
Depends.
I usually like to have things like strings panned hard. I'll put cellos and violins hard left, then have something like a sax/trumpet/trumbone panned hard right. Maybe a flute somewhere off center a good bit.
I sometimes like to record things like strings twice though. Pan each take hard. The attack and decay of string instruments seems to work smoother than something like a guitar. (guitar has to be right on the money, where strings can damn near be out of time)
I usually like to have things like strings panned hard. I'll put cellos and violins hard left, then have something like a sax/trumpet/trumbone panned hard right. Maybe a flute somewhere off center a good bit.
I sometimes like to record things like strings twice though. Pan each take hard. The attack and decay of string instruments seems to work smoother than something like a guitar. (guitar has to be right on the money, where strings can damn near be out of time)
T
The Green Hornet
New member
Yo Dobro:
You can put strings anywhere your ears like them in a mix.
I just did a 9 minute version of Begin The Beguine for an old girlfriend who goes off on that song. I have strings humming lightly in the center during parts of the song. When I go soft or break on the keys, I put in the strings to add that nice magical quality of fluttering butterfly wings or something like that.
I use the DX7 and I have many string patches which, of course, can be tweaked several ways.
I have piped in strings left/right but not extreme. Depends on what you're after but I like to keep the strings "there" but not dominant.
Green Hornet
You can put strings anywhere your ears like them in a mix.
I just did a 9 minute version of Begin The Beguine for an old girlfriend who goes off on that song. I have strings humming lightly in the center during parts of the song. When I go soft or break on the keys, I put in the strings to add that nice magical quality of fluttering butterfly wings or something like that.
I use the DX7 and I have many string patches which, of course, can be tweaked several ways.
I have piped in strings left/right but not extreme. Depends on what you're after but I like to keep the strings "there" but not dominant.
Green Hornet
sonicpaint
New member
Where do you want them in the mix?
Where you want them in the mix is usually the question that I ask my self first. Once I know then I can apply the right volume and panning technique to suit what I'm after.
In your case it sounds like you have two tracks of strings and I'm assuming that they are different. If you'd like a nice full sound but still in the background I'd bring the volume just under that bass of the song before panning the two tracks. If the two tracks are mono the double each one but if they a stereo then leave them and try this panning configuration.
1. Take the strings that is more chord based and pan left side (one of the mono tracks to the left.
2. Take the right side (or other mono track) and pan it to the left also but only 25%.
Now take the second track that is different then the first and do the same as above but to the right side of the stereo spectrum.
This will give you a super wide stereo image for the keys that will fill the song like they were meant to.
This panning technique is used mostly for keeping the two tracks noticeably distinct in the mix but if you would like them to blend together more all you have to do is take both right and left(second mono) that are panned 25% and reverse them. Reversing them would mean that the first set of strings' left side at 25% would be panned to the right 25% and the right side at 25%(second mono) would be panned to the left 25%.
When I first heard this technique I was very surprised at how awesome it sounded. Good luck and enjoy those strings with this panning.
sonicpaint
Where you want them in the mix is usually the question that I ask my self first. Once I know then I can apply the right volume and panning technique to suit what I'm after.
In your case it sounds like you have two tracks of strings and I'm assuming that they are different. If you'd like a nice full sound but still in the background I'd bring the volume just under that bass of the song before panning the two tracks. If the two tracks are mono the double each one but if they a stereo then leave them and try this panning configuration.
1. Take the strings that is more chord based and pan left side (one of the mono tracks to the left.
2. Take the right side (or other mono track) and pan it to the left also but only 25%.
Now take the second track that is different then the first and do the same as above but to the right side of the stereo spectrum.
This will give you a super wide stereo image for the keys that will fill the song like they were meant to.
This panning technique is used mostly for keeping the two tracks noticeably distinct in the mix but if you would like them to blend together more all you have to do is take both right and left(second mono) that are panned 25% and reverse them. Reversing them would mean that the first set of strings' left side at 25% would be panned to the right 25% and the right side at 25%(second mono) would be panned to the left 25%.
When I first heard this technique I was very surprised at how awesome it sounded. Good luck and enjoy those strings with this panning.
sonicpaint
dobro
Well-known member
Thanks for the ideas - I'll try them out. My problem recently was this: when I panned everything center, the vocals started to disappear - too much overlap. But if I panned the strings either left or right, they sounded dumb - like having a group of string players stuck out on the right side of the stage, for instance. I'm looking for a way to spread the strings out without the vocals, guitars and strings getting lost in the overlapping frequencies.
Jblount
New member
Look at the way symphonies are layed out.
L ------------ C -------------- R
Voilins Voilas Cello Bass Dbl bass
L ------------ C -------------- R
Voilins Voilas Cello Bass Dbl bass
dobro
Well-known member
Yeah, if was just a whole orchestra I was mixing, I'd do it the way you suggested. But in this case I don't have double basses or cellos or even violas. Just four or five violins. And they're sort of competing with frequency range in relation to vocals and guitars.
I tried putting the strings in the center, but the vocals were getting washed out a bit, so I think I'll try splitting it into four minigroups and panning left and right like somebody suggested.
I tried putting the strings in the center, but the vocals were getting washed out a bit, so I think I'll try splitting it into four minigroups and panning left and right like somebody suggested.
sonicpaint
New member
Have your tried it yet?
Have you tried what I've suggested?
sonicpaint
Have you tried what I've suggested?
sonicpaint
D
ds21
New member
I find myself panning depending on freq. (i'm talking about keyboard, sampled strings) the higher the part the more I pan, if I'm feeling lazy I'll just record one track then copy it and pan,delay, chorus, reverb...just depends on the song.
regebro
Insane Genious!
Filter them out so they don't get stuck in your teeth?
Oh, no, wait, that's hairs....
Oh, no, wait, that's hairs....
