Tiffany Haney
Panning law, or panning rule, is a principle in recording and mixing that deals with the perceived sound level when panning a mono signal across the stereo field. When a mono input feeds a stereo bus, the panning law determines how the sound level is perceived as the audio sweeps from one side of the stereo field to the other. This is particularly relevant when using Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs), as different DAWs may have different default panning laws, leading to variations in the final output. The panning law also affects the process of mono summing, where a stereo source is summed to mono, resulting in changes to the apparent balance between instruments compared to the stereo version.
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What You'll Learn
The purpose of pan law
Panning law, or panning rule, is a principle in recording and mixing that ensures a constant perceived loudness as a signal is directed left or right with the pan pot. This is achieved by attenuating the level of both left and right output channels as the pan control is moved towards the centre. The amount by which the signal level is altered is referred to as the panning law.
The panning law determines the relationship between the sound's apparent image position and the pan knob control. This refers to the way the sound behaves when it is moved across the stereo field. The usual requirement is that it moves smoothly and linearly across the field.
There are two fundamental panning laws that relate to the way the material will be auditioned. The first law states that if you want the panned sound to be perceived as having a constant volume, regardless of the pan position, the centre attenuation needs to be 3dB. This is because the acoustic summation of two identical signals increases the perceived volume by 3dB. This law is ideal if your audience will only ever listen via stereo loudspeakers.
The second law states that if you want the panned sound to be perceived as having a constant level when summed to mono, the centre attenuation needs to be 6dB. This is because the electrical addition of two identical signals creates a new signal with an amplitude that is 6dB larger. This law is ideal if your audience is likely to hear a mono sum, such as when broadcast on radio or TV, or on a mobile phone or tablet.
To present a reasonable compromise between the two laws, most mixing consoles and DAWs employ a 4.5dB centre attenuation. This option provides a balance with only minor level variations as a source is panned across the soundstage, regardless of the listening format.
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Mono summing and DAWs
Panning laws govern the perceived sound level when panning a mono signal across the stereo field. When a mono input feeds a stereo bus, the panning law determines how you perceive the sound level as the audio sweeps from one side of the stereo field to the other. The panning law was integrated to introduce a 3dB level drop at the centre. This is because if there was a linear gain increase in one channel and a linear gain decrease in the other channel to change the stereo position, at the centre position the sum of the two channels sounded louder than if the signal was panned full left or full right. The 3 dB panning rule is a commonly applied compromise to comply with the mediocre acoustic summing capabilities of most control rooms.
The panning law within a DAW setup determines the relationship between the sound's apparent image position and the pan knob control. This refers to the way the sound behaves when it is moved across the stereo field. The usual requirement is that it moves smoothly and linearly across the field. The amount by which the signal level is altered is referred to as the 'panning law'. The actual panning law only becomes significant when a source is actively panned across the soundstage and you want your audience to perceive the source as remaining at a constant level as it moves around.
Different DAWs default to different panning laws. This is why duplicating a mix on different DAWs can yield different results, and lead to discussions about how one DAW sounds “punchier” or “wimpier” than another. When you pan something to the centre, the DAW reduces the level (or not, if no pan law is used) so that you don't have to turn everything down manually by 3dB every time you centre it. It doesn't add 3dB back when you fold it to mono. As soon as you hit your stereo mixbus, pan law is irrelevant.
If you want the panned sound to be perceived as having a constant level when summed to mono, the centre attenuation needs to be 6dB. Most modern analogue consoles work off a -4.5dB centre attenuation.
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Panning a mono signal across the stereo field
When panning a mono signal, the level of the signal on each channel is adjusted to create the desired effect. For example, if a mono signal is panned hard left, the right channel will be silenced, resulting in a mono output with only the left channel playing. If the same signal is panned to the centre, the same signal will be output identically on both the left and right channels. This can be achieved by attenuating the gain by 3dB or 6dB, depending on the pan law in use.
The pan law determines the relationship between the sound's apparent image position and the pan knob control, ensuring that the sound moves smoothly and linearly across the stereo field. When a mono signal is panned to the centre, the pan law introduces a 3dB level drop to prevent a 6dB rise that would occur when the left and right channels are summed in a mono situation. This is done to maintain mono compatibility and avoid problems with peak level metering.
It is important to note that not all digital audio workstations (DAWs) are set equally to pan law, and the specific pan law used can affect the resulting mix. Some DAWs may compensate for the exact setting of each pan control before summing to mono, while others may not. Additionally, the pan law only becomes significant when actively panning a source across the soundstage, and it may not affect hard-panned sources.
When mixing in mono, it is recommended to use both speakers instead of just one to avoid a lopsided mix. By frequently checking the mix in mono, users can also ensure that their stereo effects are not lost or cancelled out when summed to mono.
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The effect of pan law on the perceived sound level
Panning laws govern the perceived sound level when panning a mono signal across the stereo field. When a mono input feeds a stereo bus, the panning law determines how you perceive the sound level as the audio sweeps from one side of the stereo field to the other. The panning law was integrated to introduce a 3dB level drop at the centre. This is because, without panning laws, panning the sound to the centre would sound louder than having it panned to one side or the other.
The perceived effect is much the same, but the absolute levels differ, which can be significant in some situations. The amount by which the signal level is altered is referred to as the "panning law". The panning law only becomes significant when a source is actively panned across the soundstage and you want your audience to perceive the source as remaining at a constant level as it moves around.
The panning law determines the relationship between the sound's apparent image position and the pan knob control. This refers to the way the sound behaves when it is moved across the stereo field. The usual requirement is that it moves smoothly and linearly across the field.
When you pan something to the centre, the DAW reduces the level (or not, if no pan law is used) so that you don't have to turn everything down manually by 3dB every time you centre it. It doesn't add 3dB back when you fold it to mono.
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Differences in pan laws
Panning laws are a tool for managing our perception of volume as we pan audio tracks. They are a recording and mixing principle that states that any signal of equal amplitude and phase played in both channels of a stereo system will increase in loudness up to 6.02 dBSPL, provided there is a perfect response in the loudspeaker system and perfect acoustics in the room. The panning law determines the relationship between the sound's apparent image position and the pan knob control, referring to how the sound behaves when it is moved across the stereo field.
There are a few different approaches to panning laws, with the most common being the 3 dB panning rule, which is used to comply with the mediocre acoustic summing capabilities of most control rooms. This rule states that the signal is at full level when the pan position is centered and becomes progressively louder as the pan is directed left or right. However, some consoles, like those manufactured by SSL, employ a 4.5 dB panning rule, as it is believed that their expensive consoles would normally be used in rooms with better acoustic summing capabilities.
Another approach is to have a 6 dB pan law, which ensures that there isn't a big perceived level change when listening to the final mono track compared to the original stereo mix. This is because, when a signal is panned centrally, the same signal is output identically on both the left and right channels. If this signal is then summed in mono, the centre gain will result in a 6 dB rise, so attenuating by this amount became standard in the broadcast industry to ensure mono compatibility.
The actual panning law only becomes significant when a source is actively panned across the soundstage, and the user wants the audience to perceive the source as remaining at a constant level as it moves around. It is also important to note that different DAWs have different default settings for pan laws, so it is important to find out what the software's panning preferences are and adjust accordingly.
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Frequently asked questions
Pan law, or panning rule, is a recording and mixing principle that states that any signal of equal amplitude and phase that is played in both channels of a stereo system will increase in loudness up to 6.02 dBSPL. The panning law determines the relationship between the sound’s apparent image position and the pan knob control.
Mono summing is the process of taking a stereo mix and creating a mono version. This can be done by taking the left and right channels and combining them into a single channel.
Yes, pan law can affect mono summing. When a signal is panned centrally, the same signal will be output identically on both the left and right channels. If you sum the left and right channels in a mono situation, the centre gain would result in a rise in amplitude.
