Panning For Gold: How Much Is Enough?

Panning is a critical aspect of music mixing, allowing for the creation of a stereo image and giving each instrument its own space in the stereo field. While there are no hard and fast rules, certain conventions and guidelines can help achieve a wide and full-sounding mix. For instance, lower-frequency sounds such as kicks, basses, and anything below 120Hz are typically kept in the centre of the mix, providing a solid backbone and grounding for the music. Lead vocals are also commonly panned centre to ensure they remain loud and prominent. To maintain balance, for every element panned one way, another element should be panned in the opposite direction. This technique can be especially effective for instruments occupying similar frequencies, such as two electric guitars playing simultaneously, helping to eliminate masking and create a clearer, more distinct sound.

Hard panning

Panning is the spread of a monaural signal in a stereo or multi-channel sound field. It is a critical technique for creating space and clarity in a mix, ensuring that instruments are not fighting for the same space. While there are no hard and fast rules for panning, here are some detailed guidelines and tips for hard panning:

However, hard panning multiple instruments left and right should generally be avoided. This can lead to a masked, muddy sound as many instruments compete for the same space. Instead, find a place inside those extremes. For every element panned one way, another element should be panned the other to maintain balance.

To avoid a lopsided mix, keep an equal amount of elements on each side. Check your pans on headphones to ensure that your mix is not disjointed or off-balance. Also, don't overdo any one panning location, as this can stress out the listener.

Panning is a creative process, so experiment and use your ears. If it sounds good, go with it!

Complementary panning

Panning is the spread of a monaural signal in a stereo or multi-channel sound field. It is a critical technique for creating a solid core and wider, fuller mixes of your music. While there are no hard and fast rules for panning, there are some guidelines and tips that can help you achieve a wide and full-sounding mix.

One important tip is to keep the lower-frequency sounds in the centre of your mix. This includes kicks, basses, and anything else below the 120Hz range. Lead vocals should also typically be panned centre, as they provide a solid grounding for the music and help to aid the rhythm. However, it is worth experimenting with panning duplicates of effected vocals to the left or right.

To create space in your mix, you can use complementary panning. This involves panning two instruments that occupy similar frequencies in opposite directions. For example, if you have an electric guitar and a saxophone playing at the same time, you can pan them 20% left and 20% right, respectively. This will help to create a more balanced feel and invite the listener into the sound. It is important not to hard pan in this situation, as it can create a confrontational effect.

Another technique to consider is hard panning. This involves panning instruments that have been double-tracked hard left and hard right. This can work well with heavy electric guitars, EDM synths, and saxophones. However, it is important to be cautious with hard panning, as it can create a stacked, cluttered, and muddy centre if overused.

Overall, the key to successful panning is to experiment and use your ears. If it sounds good, go with it! But remember to keep the lower-frequency sounds and lead vocals centred, and use complementary panning and hard panning techniques to create space and balance in your mix.

Panning conventions

Panning is the spread of a monaural signal in a stereo or multi-channel sound field. It is critical to the make-up of the stereo image and achieving a wide, full-sounding mix. While there are no absolute rules for panning, there are some conventions and guidelines that can help you create more meaningful and intentional mixes. Here are some key panning conventions to keep in mind:

• Centre Imaging: The centre of the stereo image is typically the busiest part of the mix. It is recommended to keep the kick, snare, bass, and vocals in the centre as they provide a solid foundation and help drive the rhythm. However, breaking these rules can also create interesting effects.
• Panning Conventions for Drums: Snare drums usually appear in the centre of the image, even though they are not physically centred on a drum kit. The same is true for bass drums and bass guitars. Placing these elements off-centre can be an eccentric choice that draws attention to them.
• Balancing the Mix: To maintain balance in the mix, it is advisable to pan instruments to different sides of the centre. For every element panned in one direction, another element should be panned in the opposite direction. This helps eliminate "masking" and ensures that instruments don't fight for the same frequency space.
• Hard Panning: Hard panning involves placing instruments at the extreme left or right of the stereo field. This technique can be effective for double-tracked instruments, creating a fuller-sounding mix. However, hard panning multiple instruments can lead to a muddy and cluttered sound.
• Complementary Panning: When two instruments occupy similar frequencies, complementary panning involves panning them slightly to opposite sides (e.g. 20% left and 20% right). This creates a more balanced and inviting sound for the listener.
• Frequency Considerations: When panning, it is important to consider the frequencies of the instruments. If two instruments are fighting for space in the same frequency range, panning them to opposite sides can help resolve this issue.
• Mono Compatibility: While panning creates a stereo image, it is important to ensure that your mix still works in mono. Many playback systems, especially in club settings, are mono or functionally mono due to how sound travels in large spaces.
• Headphone Checking: Checking your mix on headphones is crucial because it eliminates crosstalk (when sound from one speaker reaches the other ear). It provides a more accurate representation of how your panning choices will be perceived.

Mono compatibility

• Check your mix in mono: Listen to your mix in mono to identify any problems. This can be done by setting your master fader or interface to mono. Make sure that nothing is missing or sounds significantly different from the stereo version.
• Avoid extreme panning: Hard-panning (panning a track 100% to one side) can cause a dramatic loss of volume (up to 6dB) when played in mono. To avoid this, consider reducing the width of your stereo tracks by 15-20% or panning them closer to the centre (e.g., 85% or 90% instead of 100%).
• Mix in mono first: Some engineers suggest starting your mix in mono before adding panning and stereo effects. This ensures that your mix already sounds good in mono, and the stereo field will only enhance it.
• Keep important elements in mono: Keep key elements like the kick drum, lead synth, or vocal track in mono to retain their presence and focus in the stereo mix.
• Use M/S monitoring and processing: Solo the mid and side information of your tracks separately to identify any issues. For example, if the stereo content of your drum bus is dominating over its mono content, try boosting the mid and reducing the sides.
• Be cautious with stereo effects: While stereo widening effects can create a sense of width, they can also cause phase issues when summed to mono. Use these effects sparingly and always check how your mix translates to mono.
• Reference commercial tracks in mono: Listen to your favourite commercial tracks in mono to get a sense of how your mix should sound. A/B testing your mono mix with the mono versions of reference tracks can help identify areas of improvement.
• Handle stereo widening effects carefully: Effects that intentionally "decorrelate" the left and right channels to create width can sound hollow or thin in mono.
• Avoid negative correlation values: If your correlation meter tends towards a negative value, check for out-of-phase components. Try inverting the phase of one channel or using plugins to delay your track.
• Keep your low end mono: Bass signals in stereo are prone to phase cancellation issues. Keep your sub-bass mono since very low frequencies are non-directional.

Panning to evoke classic genres

Panning is a powerful tool in music production that can be used to evoke classic genres and create a sense of space and dimension in a mix. By adjusting the placement of instruments and sounds within the stereo field, engineers can create immersive and evocative musical experiences.

To evoke classic genres, one technique is to utilise auto-panning as a genre indicator. Specific panning techniques and automation mechanisms can instantly transport listeners to a particular genre or era. For example, using auto-panning on electronic hi-hats and glitch vocals can evoke classic 90s Electronica or Big Beat. On the other hand, putting some electric guitars in reverse and slowing down the panning speed can take you to psychedelic territory. Playing with balanced and unbalanced panning schemes can also create emotional journeys for listeners, with asymmetrical panning leading to a feeling of imbalance.

In addition to auto-panning, traditional panning techniques can also be used to recreate classic genres. For instance, hard panning two hard rock guitars doubling each other to the left and right channels is a conventional technique to achieve that classic hard-rock sound. Panning doubled instruments hard left and right can also help reduce phase cancellations and create a wider, more immersive soundscape.

Panning is not just limited to the left-right stereo field. Engineers can also pan front to back, creating a sense of depth and placing instruments further away or closer to the listener. This technique can be especially effective in evoking classic genres that relied on specific instrument placements and spatial arrangements.

When it comes to classic genres like jazz, ambience and panning play a crucial role in creating the illusion of a smoky jazz room. By carefully positioning the drums, bass, and piano with minimal microphones and stereo placement, engineers can evoke the classic jazz trio setup of the 1950s and 1960s.

For genres like metal, nu-metal, or grunge, transients and judicious use of filtering are essential. By choosing the right sounds and giving the low end to the bass and guitars, engineers can create the illusion of bottom end when the drums are locked in with the bass. This technique helps the drums cut through dense arrangements while retaining their punch and impact.

In conclusion, panning is a versatile tool that can be used to evoke classic genres in music production. By combining traditional panning techniques with creative use of auto-panning and spatial placement, engineers can transport listeners back in time and recreate the iconic sounds of yesteryear.

Frequently asked questions