Emilie Meyer
Panning is a crucial aspect of creating a dynamic and immersive drum sound, be it for a live performance or a studio recording. It involves placing each drum element, such as the kick drum, snare, toms, and cymbals, at specific positions in the stereo image, ranging from hard left to hard right, or even in the back or front of the stereo field. The process of panning MIDI drums is similar to that of acoustic drums, and it can be done using various software tools and DAWs, such as Ableton, Logic, or Apple GarageBand. The choice between panning from the drummer's perspective or the audience's perspective also influences the overall sound and feel of the drum mix.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Panning methods | From the drummer's perspective or the listener's perspective |
| Kick drum positioning | Centre of the stereo image |
| Snare drum positioning | Centre, slightly off-centre, or hard left |
| Hi-hat positioning | Depends on the chosen perspective |
| Tom positioning | Middle tom at 10:00 or 2:00, high tom at 11:00 or 1:00 |
| Overhead positioning | Hard left and right (7:00 and 5:00) or less drastically left and right (8:00 and 4:00) |
| Stereo image | 3D stereo image instead of left-right-centre (2D) |
| Panning MIDI instruments | Copy the drum clip to two or four tracks, mute half the drum sounds in one clip, and pan each track to the desired degree |
| MIDI panning software | Logic, Apple software, Ableton |
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What You'll Learn
Panning from the drummer's perspective
Panning drums from the drummer's perspective involves placing the drums in the left or right channels of your stereo image, as per the drummer's positioning. For example, if you want to pan your hi-hat from the drummer's perspective, you can place it on the far left, as this is where a drummer would play it.
Many drummers prefer this style as it is more natural to them. It is also a good way to fill the stereo field and is beneficial when mixing a full track. It is also a great way to learn how to play a song, as the drummer will be able to hear the drums they are hitting in the position they would normally be in.
When panning from the drummer's perspective, it is important to match your kit's positioning. For example, if your floor tom is on the left, you would pan the middle tom to the same side at either 10:00 or 2:00. You would then pan the high tom by less than 20% on the other side, so either at 1:00 or 11:00.
The kick drum is always panned in the centre of the stereo field, as it is the most impactful element of the drums and should remain at the core of your beat. The snare drum can also be left in the centre, but some people like to place it slightly off-centre to help it stand out.
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Panning from the listener's perspective
When panning from the listener's perspective, it is important to consider the position of the drums in relation to the audience. For example, the floor tom may be placed at 9:00 or 3:00, with the middle tom on the opposite side at 10:00 or 2:00. The high tom can then be panned slightly less than 20% on the other side, at 11:00 or 1:00. The snare drum can be placed in the centre or on the opposite side to the high tom, at 1:00 or 11:00.
Overhead mics can be panned hard left and right to create a wide and open stereo image. This technique fills up the stereo field and gives a broader sound, which can be beneficial when working with a drum cover or a mix with a lot of MIDI instruments.
When panning from the listener's perspective, it is also important to consider the visual element. For example, if the audience sees the drummer filling from right to left, the panning should reflect this to avoid confusion and distraction. This is especially important when creating a video or playthrough, where the panning should always follow the visuals.
Ultimately, the choice between panning from the listener's or drummer's perspective comes down to personal preference and the specific requirements of the project. Some people argue that panning from the drummer's perspective feels more natural due to our left-to-right reading and viewing habits. However, others prefer the immersive quality of the listener's perspective, especially when working with drum covers or seeking to create a live show experience.
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Panning MIDI drums in Logic
Changing the Panning of Individual Drums
If you're using a MIDI drum kit in Logic, you might find that the individual drums and cymbals already have panning programmed into them. If you want to change the panning of a specific drum, such as the hi-hat, you can do the following:
- Change the plugin to Multi-Output instead of Stereo.
- Add mixer channels using the + button at the bottom of the channel strip until you have a separate channel for the drum you want to pan.
- Pan the drum to your desired position.
Choosing a Panning Perspective
When panning drums, you can choose to pan from the listener's perspective (the crowd's perspective) or the drummer's perspective. Panning from the listener's perspective means imagining someone watching you play and panning your kit from their point of view, not yours. This method can be useful for drum covers as it matches the video and gives the listener the feeling of being there. Some audio engineers prefer this method as it can make the listening experience more like attending a live performance.
On the other hand, you can pan from the drummer's perspective, which means panning from left to right as the drummer sees it. This method can fill the stereo field better in a full track and is a matter of personal preference.
Specific Panning Techniques
- The kick drum should always be dead centre (12:00) of your stereo image.
- For snare drums, some engineers prefer to keep them centred, while others may pan them to the side.
- For toms, place the middle tom at 10:00 or 2:00 on one side, then pan the high tom by less than 20% on the other side (11:00 or 1:00).
- For overheads, you can pan them hard left and right (7:00 and 5:00) for a wider stereo image, or go less drastically left and right (8:00 and 4:00) for a less open sound.
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Panning drums in a stereo image
When panning drums, you have two main options. You can either pan from the drummer's perspective or the listener's perspective. The former involves placing the drums in the stereo image from left to right, as the drummer sees them. This is a preferred method when mixing a full track, as it fills the stereo field better. The latter method involves imagining the kit as if you are the audience, facing the drummer. This is a common approach for mixers, as it provides a more realistic experience for the listener, making them feel like they are in the room with the drummer.
When panning from the drummer's perspective, it is important to match the stereo image to the physical layout of your drum kit. For example, if your floor tom is on the left, it should also be on the left in the stereo image. The kick drum should always be in the centre (12:00) of the stereo image, with the snare drum either in the centre or slightly off-centre (between 11:00 and 1:00). This gives more variance between the kick and snare, allowing the snare to breathe without fighting for space with other instruments.
To create a wider stereo image, you can pan the overheads hard left and right (7:00 and 5:00). This gives you the widest possible spread, resulting in a fuller and broader sound. For a less open image, you can reduce the panning to 8:00 and 4:00. Additionally, you can experiment with panning drum fills and transitions to make them stand out. For example, automating the panning of a drum fill from left to right as it builds can create a sense of anticipation.
Panning is a creative process, and there are no hard and fast rules. It is important to experiment and find what works best for your particular drum kit and the sound you are trying to achieve.
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Panning individual drums
There are two main perspectives to consider when panning drums: the drummer's perspective and the audience's perspective. The drummer's perspective involves panning the elements of the drum kit as if you are the drummer sitting at the kit. For a right-handed drummer, this means the hi-hat will usually be on the left and the floor tom on the right. The audience perspective is the opposite, imagining the kit as if you are the audience sitting in front of it, with the hi-hat on the right and the floor tom on the left. Most mixers tend to use the audience perspective, but it is down to personal preference.
When panning individual drums, it is important to keep the most impactful elements at the core of the beat, such as the kick drum and snare. These should be left in the centre without any panning applied. Around this centre, you can pan the other drums and percussion samples. Hi-hats, cymbals, and tambourines, for example, can be panned a little to the right or left of centre.
One technique to create a spacious and impressive sound is to 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 can also be used to create new sounds by layering two different snare sounds, for example.
It is also important to note that everyone's kit is different, so it is crucial to pan your kit to match how your kit looks. For example, if you have a floor tom on the left, you might put the middle tom on the same side at 10:00, and then pan the high tom by less than 20% on the other side at 1:00.
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Frequently asked questions
Panning a drum means placing it in a particular position in the left or right channel of your stereo image.
There are two ways to pan drums: from the drummer's perspective, or from the audience's perspective.
The kick drum is always panned at the centre of the stereo field. Toms, cymbals, and other percussion instruments should be panned on either side of the stereo image, depending on the result you want to achieve.
To pan MIDI drums in a DAW, you can select the notes from a single sound and cut them. Then, create a new software instrument and paste the notes. You can now control the panning, volume, and other parameters of the new track.
To pan individual drums in a MIDI clip, copy the drum clip and paste it onto a different MIDI track. You can now mute the drum sounds you don't want in each track, allowing you to pan the drums in the clip to the left or right speaker.
