Tillie Doyle
Panning is a way of achieving balance in a mix, alongside frequency manipulation and dynamic control. Submixing involves sending multiple tracks to a single group track or channel. When panning a submix, you can move all of your tracks at once, allowing you to move entire crowds, racing cars, and other effects across the stereo or surround field. However, this approach may not be suitable for every situation, as you may want to move only specific elements, such as a guitar solo, through the surround channels while keeping other rhythm tracks stationary. In such cases, panning using individual track channels may be a better option.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Panning a submix | Move all tracks at once |
| Panning individual tracks | Move specific tracks |
| Mono compatibility | Important for club mixes and supermarket broadcasts |
| Kick, snare, bass, and vocals | Sit in the middle of a mix |
| Double-tracked instruments | Pan hard left and hard right |
| Tascam M-30 mixer | Lose sound when panning left on channels 2 and 4 |
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What You'll Learn
Panning a submix moves all tracks at once
Panning is a way of achieving balance in a mix, and our ears tend to focus on signals that are panned to the center, extreme left, or extreme right. For example, in a drum kit, the kick, snare, and hi-hat are usually kept in the center, while the toms can be panned hard left or hard right to create a stereo spread.
However, panning a submix may not always be desirable, as you may want to move only specific tracks within the group. In this case, you would need to pan using the individual track channels. Additionally, when working with mono compatibility, it is important to check your mix in mono as well, as some playback systems in certain settings, such as clubs, are functionally mono due to how sound travels in large packed spaces.
Overall, while panning a submix can be a useful tool for moving all tracks simultaneously, it is important to consider the specific needs of your mix and use panning techniques accordingly.
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Submixing multiple tracks to a single group track
Submixing is a technique that involves sending multiple tracks to a single "group" track or channel. This can be useful when you want to apply a single effect to a group of tracks, such as compression, or when you want to automate the movement of instruments or effects across the stereo or surround field.
To create a SubMix Track, you can follow these steps:
- Click the +Track button and select 'Add Submix Track', or go to Track > Add Track > SubMix Track in the main window menu.
- Alternatively, you can right-click in the Track List area and use the Insert Track menu.
- To add tracks to the SubMix, simply drag and drop the desired tracks onto the SubMix track. Make sure to grab the tracks in the track list, not the clips in the grid.
- Once the tracks are added as children to the SubMix track, you can move them up and down in the track list.
- Child tracks can be shown or hidden by clicking the +/- sign at the far left side of the SubMix Track.
When working with drums, for example, you can set the output of all your drum tracks to a bus. This will create a new Aux track with this bus as the input. By ensuring that the Aux is stereo, you can now sub-group all your drum tracks to this Aux track. From here, you can control the overall volume and process the entire kit together.
Submixing can also be useful when recording a live performance or when working with multi-tracked instruments like vocals, guitars, or keyboards. By creating submixes, you can streamline your workflow, automate multiple track levels with one fader, and process related tracks with a single effects chain. Additionally, submixes allow you to fine-tune and automate levels throughout the song using a minimum number of faders.
However, it's important to note that submixing may not work for every scenario. For example, if you submix all your guitars to one group bus but only want the guitar solo to travel through the surround channels, you may need to pan using the individual track channels.
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Mono compatibility is important for club mixes
It is important to understand the context in which your music will be played. Mono compatibility is important for club mixes because 99% of live shows are in mono. Music played in the background in stores or restaurants is also played in mono. Additionally, sub-speakers in clubs play mono signals, so it is important to have your sub-frequencies in mono.
If your music is intended for large festivals, you will want every element of your track to come through clearly in mono. This is because, in large and outdoor venues, the physics of sound means that music is mostly played back in mono. If you are standing on the left side of the stage and there are sounds mixed to the right, you won't hear it very well. As you walk from one side of the stereo field to the other, you will hear comb filtering to a point that is annoying.
However, one source suggests that mono is rarely used anymore, so it may not be worth the effort to ensure your mixes sound great in mono. Another source states that mono compatibility is only important if you are a full-time mixer/producer with clients that specifically require it.
To create a mix that is mono compatible, you can start by creating the skeleton of your mix in mono and then building outwards into stereo. This will force you to set your levels appropriately and utilize EQ to bring different elements together. You can then switch the track to mono and adjust stereo effects until they sound good. Then, switch back to stereo and listen to the effect in stereo.
Phase issues are the leading cause of poor mono compatibility in mixes, so it is critical to understand the concept of phase. Phase issues may occur when placing multiple mics at various distances from a single instrument.
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Panning is a way of achieving balance
When panning individual tracks or submixes, it is important to consider the mono compatibility of the mix, especially if the music is intended for club settings or supermarket broadcasts, where mono playback systems are commonly used. Additionally, checking the mix on headphones and car stereos can help ensure that the panning decisions make sense and provide a pleasant listening experience, even if the listener is not sitting in the centre position.
In a submix, multiple tracks are grouped together and processed as a single unit. This allows for the collective panning of all the tracks within the submix, which can be useful for creating movement and depth in the stereo field. For example, panning a submix of crowd noises or racing cars can give the impression of these elements travelling across the stereo field.
However, there may be times when you only want specific tracks within the submix to be affected by panning, such as a guitar solo that needs to travel through the surround channels while the rhythm tracks remain unaffected. In such cases, panning using individual track channels would be a more suitable approach.
Ultimately, the decision to pan individual tracks or their submix depends on the specific needs of the mix and the creative vision of the engineer. There are no hard and fast rules, but by understanding the principles of panning and its impact on balance, engineers can make informed decisions to create engaging and immersive listening experiences.
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Tascam M-30 mixer has a problem with submix panning
The Tascam M-30 mixer is a somewhat difficult device to grasp, especially for those who have used straightforward hardware/DAW mixers in the past. One of the main issues with the mixer is the submix panning. Several users have reported problems with the submix section, specifically with channels 2 and 4. When panning these channels to the left, all sound is lost.
One user suggested that the problem might be internal to the submix, and recommended checking the submix card that these channels are on. However, another user with the same issue found that the problem was not with the hardware but with the settings. They discovered that the busses needed to be assigned to the left or right, rather than being hardwired to the master left and right.
In another instance, a user reported a similar problem with the Tascam M-30 mixer, where the panning seemed to work in the unit itself, but the speakers played everything equally. The solution to this issue was to assign the busses to the left or right as desired.
It is important to note that the Tascam M-30 mixer was designed for the Japanese market, operating at 100VAC. Users outside Japan may need to wire a transformer to convert the voltage to the correct level, as attempting to operate the device at the wrong voltage could cause damage.
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Frequently asked questions
A submix is when numerous tracks are sent to a single "group" track or channel.
To create a submix track, click the +Track button and select Add Submix Track. You can also click Track>Add Track>SubMix Track in the main window menu or right-click in the Track List area and use the Insert Track menu.
Yes, a submix keeps panning. However, there are some issues with the Tascam M-30 mixer where users have reported losing all sound when panning left on channels 2 and 4 of the submix section.
To pan within a submix, ensure that all the individual tracks are being sent to a bus rather than the stereo out. This will allow you to pan the entire submix and move all your tracks at once.
