instrument localizing on the stereo spectrum

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

> 1. Do you tend to doubletrack everything

Not really.

> 2. If not, then how do you tend to spread single mono tracks around
> the stereo field and localize them well enough to tolerate them in
> cans/phones. Wigh delay, reverb, something else?

Don't trust the phones to judge where things are on
the soundstage. It's unnaturally wide and misleading.
Tolerate yes, reference no.
Some tips: Use the speakers and
picture in your mind the soundstage and just move
things around till they start to balance out.
Don't hard pan unless there's something on the
other side to counter it. Playback on alternate
speakers or systems to check. Use the mono button.
Stereo effects should be keep equal levels on both
sides to maintain the stereo aspect. There's no
absolute rules but it should make sense.
Try closing your eyes.

rd

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 00:45:26 -0800, David wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I was hoping some of you could share your tracking and panning
> techniques. What I have found is that it is so tempting to doubletrack
> everything so that it doesn't need to be localized on the stereo plane
> and then you're not stuck with one track which you don't where to
> place. This creates a messy mix which I am beginning to hear more of
> from top 40 artists.
>
> What I have tried doing is panning a rhythm guitar track hard left and
> adding a stereo delay to the track so as to spread it over to the
> other side and in the centre a bit. This leaves room for the vocal and
> room for a different inversion or instrument like piano on the right.
> I add stereo delay to this as well to push it to the left and centre.
> Overall I like this sound better than leaving the piano stereo and
> doubletracking the guitar. As long as they're playing at the same time
> to counteract eachother, especially in the chorus. What I find is that
> the reason why I use delay so much is it makes the hard panned
> isntruments work when listening in headphones. Hard panning sounds
> weird with no effect to blur it into the stereo field for the other
> ear to hear.
>
> Are there other methods of hard panning mono tracks and effecting them
> in a way that allows the other ear to hear them with headphones? Apart
> from reverb obviously? I want to know this because I might not be
> doing such a sustained song that needs so much delay, I might be going
> for a more dry sound.

Try taking a little high and low end off one side, but leaving the other
side not eq'd, and pan the track slightly towards the not eq'd side.
You need the stereo eq after the pan pot to do this.

I do this when mostly doubling guitars when I want to keep them both
pretty central and forward, but still not standing on each others feet. I
do the opposite pan/eq on each guitar and it works. It seems to mono ok
too.

Not really what you asked for, but it's worth investigating a combination
of panning+stereo eq sometimes rather than time based effects like
chorus, delay, reverb etc.


> I guess what I would like to know is,
>
> 1. Do you tend to doubletrack everything 2. If not, then how do you tend
> to spread single mono tracks around the stereo field and localize them
> well enough to tolerate them in cans/phones. Wigh delay, reverb,
> something else?

You don't have to double track exactly the same part, if that makes any
sense. Two complimentry parts on the same instrument, both quite simple
and can work better if you want to be able to pan them out. You can even
get the guitarist to play another 'delayed' part that won't clash with the
music in places like real delay does, if they are any good.

Just some ideas.

>
> Thanks in advance
> Dave.