Which To Pan Wider, Acoustic or Electric?

[BigEZ]

Hi All,

Would you recommend panning the doubled acoustic guitar or the doubled electric guitar wider in the sound field? For example, the acoustic hard left and right with the electric at 50 percent each side or vice versa?

Thanks,

ROK

 

[miroslav]

Whatever fits the song.

But when I have used both doubled electric AND doubled acoustic...it always ended up with the acoustics hard L/R and the electrics more tighter, inside.
I find that the often "effervescent" quality of acoustics works better on the outer ends of the stereo image, with the "meatier" electrics closer in toward the center of the rhythm section.

 

[BigEZ]

That's what I thought. Thanks Miroslav, helpful as always.

 

[Chili]

Contrary to Miro, I haven't always ended up with acoustics on the outside. One or two of my songs that are mostly acoustic have electrics hard panned to supplement the acoustic tracks. In those cases, I keep the electrics low just to add fill.

It's easy enough to try it both ways. Just do what sounds good.

 

[miroslav]

Contrary to Miro, I haven't always ended up with acoustics on the outside. One or two of my songs that are mostly acoustic have electrics hard panned to supplement the acoustic tracks. In those cases, I keep the electrics low just to add fill.

It's easy enough to try it both ways. Just do what sounds good.

Right.
Most of mine were not "acoustic" songs...rather fuller productions and more electric in flavor, so the acoustics paned out hard added the extra width and sparkle to the mix, often layered on top of Hammond organ tracks, also hard panned. It was the right combination.

On a song where the acoustics were more the main element...they were panned more inside.

 

[BigEZ]

I believe with my tracks that acoustic is more the main element with distorted as a spice. I'll give both a try and see what I come up with. Thank you both.

 

[guitaristic]

Obviously I'd do whatever sounded best for the song, but I would actually try the electric panned hard left and right before the acoustics...

but that's just me

 

[miroslav]

...but that's just me

You're such a contrarian!

The real deal for me is that I don't think about shit like that until I'm ready to mix, and then, I will ABSOLUTELY try things both this way and that way.
Besides considering which to pan outside or inside...I'll even try the two similar tracks as L/R and then R/L...and it almost always sounds clearly better one way....so that's the way I go.
It's all about how everything sits in the mix...with everything else.

 

[rfahey86]

I usually pan acoustics very wide and move the overheads in a little otherwise the acoustic guitars sound kinda boxy IMO. Electrics are always wide, and if I'm quad tracking the other "filler" tracks are paned hard L and R, but lower in volume.