Ella Walter
Panning is an incredibly important tool in music production, and when used effectively, it can spatially enhance your music. Drum panning is a technique used to make drums sound huge and fill up an entire room. It is achieved by placing sounds across the stereo field, creating spatial depth and separation between instruments and vocals. In FL Studio, stereo separation can be adjusted directly on a mixer channel by moving the stereo separation knob. This knob offsets the left and right channels, creating the illusion of depth. Additionally, the Fruity Stereo Enhancer plugin can be used to make mono signals sound wider.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose of panning drums | To make the drums sound huge, wide, or massive |
| Panning techniques | Stereo separation, drum layering |
| Stereo separation | Used to give sounds width; moving the stereo separation knob from the center to the left or right makes the sound wider |
| Drum layering | Layering three equal drum sounds on top of each other and panning them to the far right, far left, and middle creates a spacious and impressive sound |
| Instruments to be panned | Hi hats, cymbals, tambourines, shakers, guitars |
| Instruments not to be panned | Snare, kick drums, sub bass |
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What You'll Learn
Keep the snare and kick drum at the centre of the sonic mix
When it comes to panning drums in FL Studio, there are a few key considerations and techniques to keep in mind. Firstly, it is generally recommended to keep the snare and kick drum at the centre of the sonic mix. This means not panning them left or right, as they form the backbone of the drum mix and provide a solid foundation for the rest of the elements.
The kick drum, being a low-end frequency, is typically kept at the dead centre of the mix. This is because panning low-end frequencies can result in a loss of tightness and body in the overall sound. By keeping the kick drum at the centre, you ensure that it remains solid and powerful, providing a stable base for the rest of the drum mix.
The snare drum, on the other hand, plays a crucial role in the song's groove and often requires additional attention during the mixing process. While it should also be kept at the centre of the mix, it is important to consider its sonic relationship with other elements in the mix. The snare drum is one of the most commanding sounds in modern mixes, but it can easily become sharp and distracting if not processed carefully.
To achieve a balanced and impactful drum mix, it is recommended to make the kick and snare drums the loudest elements. This ensures that they cut through the mix effectively and provide a strong foundation for the rest of the drums and instruments. Additionally, by keeping the kick and snare drums at the centre, you guarantee that they will be heard evenly across different listening environments, from clubs to cars to studio monitors.
While panning the snare and kick drums is not recommended, you can explore panning techniques with other drum elements such as hi-hats, toms, and percussion instruments. These elements can be tucked around the central kick and snare, creating a sense of width and depth in the mix. Stereo separation techniques can be applied to these elements to make them sound wider and more spacious without the need for doubling.
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Use stereo separation to make sounds wider
Stereo separation is a technique used to give sounds width. When things are in mono, they are panned right in the centre to make them feel rigid and solid. This is why low-end sounds are usually not panned as they would lose their tightness and body.
In FL Studio, if you have a stereo sound, you can change the separation amount directly on a mixer channel by moving the stereo separation knob. Moving the knob from the centre to the left or right will make the sound wider. This is because the left and right channels are being offset, creating the illusion of depth.
You can also make a mono signal sound wide by delaying either the left or right channel by a few milliseconds. FL Studio has a plug-in called "Fruity Stereo Enhancer" that can be used for this purpose.
It is important to note that stereo separation should be used in contrast with mono or close-to-mono sounds to maintain its effect. Additionally, the mix and panning should be balanced on both sides of the stereo spectrum to avoid having too much weight on one side.
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Use the Fruity Stereo Enhancer plugin to make mono signals sound wide
Panning drums in FL Studio can be done to make them sound massive. The consensus among drum experts is that the audience perspective is valuable for video-oriented recordings, while the drummer's perspective is preferable for audio-only recordings. Perspective switches are allowed, especially when the video being worked on has camera angle switches.
To create a super-wide stereo effect, you can use the Fruity Stereo Enhancer plugin to make mono signals sound wide. This is done by delaying either the left or right channel by a few milliseconds. This offsets the left and right channels, giving the illusion of depth.
In the FL Studio mixer, you can change the separation amount directly on a mixer channel by moving the stereo separation knob. Moving the knob to the left increases stereo width, while moving it to the right increases mono width.
It's important to note that low-end sounds, such as sub-bass and kicks, are usually kept in the centre of the mix. This is because panning low-end sounds can reduce the tightness and body of the mix.
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Use the layering technique to create new sounds
When creating music in FL Studio, layering is a powerful technique to create new and improved sounds. This technique involves combining multiple layers of the same or different instruments, each with unique processing and panning, to achieve a thicker and richer tone.
One popular approach is to layer drums by using a trigger plugin to add a layer of drum samples or trigger drum machines. For instance, you can make multiple copies of your snare drum track and process each copy differently. This could include creating one dry copy, one heavily compressed copy, and another distorted copy. By doing so, you can achieve thicker and heavier drums without significantly compromising the dynamics. Additionally, you can experiment with different types of drums and drum machines to create unique and complex rhythms.
Another technique is to layer different guitars or amps with varied settings to produce a thicker and richer sound. For example, you can layer electric and acoustic guitars or use different amp settings to create a more diverse and fuller tone. Similarly, bass players often layer an electric bass guitar with a synth bass to enhance the sub-lows, resulting in a deeper and more impactful sound.
Layering is not limited to guitars and drums; you can layer any instrument or sound to create unique combinations. For instance, in the Beatles' song "A Day in the Life," they layered multiple pianos to extend the sustain time, resulting in a massive-sounding chord. This demonstrates how layering can be used creatively to manipulate the characteristics of an instrument, such as increasing sustain or adding new tonal qualities.
It's important to note that when layering, you should pay attention to panning to create a sense of space and depth in your mix. Panning refers to the distribution of sounds across the stereo field, from left to right. By panning the layers differently, you can create a wider and more immersive soundscape. Additionally, you can use stereo separation to make sounds wider and give them a sense of size. This can be adjusted using the stereo separation knob in FL Studio. However, be cautious not to overuse stereo separation, as its effect is most pronounced when contrasted with mono or near-mono sounds.
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Use the clock face technique for panning drums
The clock face technique is a simple and effective way to pan drums in FL Studio. This technique is based on the image of a clock face, with the 12-hour markings corresponding to different panning directions.
To start, always keep your snare and kick drum at the centre of the sonic mix—middle, zero-level. Do not pan these left or right as they form the centreline. Now, imagine a clock face lying flat in front of you. The 12 o'clock position is at the top, indicating 0 on the panning knob, so no panning is applied. The 3 o'clock position is on the right, indicating 100% right on the panning knob, while 9 o'clock is on the left, indicating 100% left. The positions in between, like 10 and 2 o'clock, represent 66% left or right, while 11 and 1 o'clock are 33% left or right. These numbers are just rough estimates, and you don't need to be too specific. In fact, it's recommended to not go all the way to 100% in either direction, with 90% usually being sufficient.
Using this technique, you can pan the other drums and percussion samples around the centreline. For example, you might pan hi-hats, cymbals, tambourines, and shakers a little to the right and/or left of centre. This will create a spacious and impressive sound, giving your drums a huge and expansive feel.
Additionally, you can experiment with stereo-izing, where sounds appear a few milliseconds later in one ear than the other, creating a wide stereo effect. FL Studio offers plugins like the "Fruity Stereo Enhancer" and the "Stereo Shaper" to achieve this.
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Frequently asked questions
Panning drums in FL Studio is a useful tool to spatially enhance your music productions and create a stereo image with good soundstage. It can help to fill up the room with sound and give it a surround-sound feel.
It is recommended to keep the snare and kick drums at the centre of the sonic mix and not panned to either side. Around this centre, you can pan the other drums and percussion samples. For example, hi-hats, cymbals, tambourines and shakers are usually panned a little to the right and/or left of centre.
Layering is a technique where you layer three equal drum sounds on top of each other and pan one to the far right, one to the far left, and leave one in the middle. This creates a spacious and impressive sound. This technique can be used for clap and snare sounds, as well as for non-percussive instruments like pad synths or strings.
Stereo separation is used to give sounds width. In FL Studio, if you have a stereo sound, you can change the separation amount directly on a mixer channel by moving the stereo separation knob.
