In rap and hip-hop music production these days, sequencing is still very important. Panning, though, is fast becoming a skill to really treasure, as it is one way to easily make 20-30 drum samples and sounds fit in a track without crowding the room so to speak.
In the mixing process, the technique of panning is second in line after adjusting volume. While it may seem hard at the start to some, it seems quite the easy deal to others. It all depends on how you like to work. In any case, it becomes much easier with time and experience.
The process and study behind panning is quite simple to explain and even to grasp for beginners. It basically works by distributing sound across the left and right speakers. If this was done evenly, it would be called volume mixing, but you are taking volume away from the left speaker and leaving the right intact or making it louder, and therefore changing the perceived location of that sound in the stereo phase. Especially useful with obscure drum samples and such, it's a favorite of mixers.
When panning drum samples, there are a few things to keep in mind. For instance, you should not pan the kick and drum samples beyond a percentile or two, and I will explain why very soon. An example panning board would see the snare and kick in the center while supporting drums like the hi-hat and cowbell would be panned to the left or right, and the amount would depend on each project.
Why would we not want to pan the snare and kick drum samples beyond a few percentage points? Well, the reason is all about centre frequencies. What do I mean? Have you ever been in a club where they play popular music, like rock, RnB and hip hop? Yes, I'm sure we all have. Now those clubs have a weird speaker set up. Hardly ever are there stereo speakers all around the place in pairs. To achieve some good energy, the managers often put the left speakers on one side and the right on the other side. What this achieves is a sweeping effect across the floor. If you panned the snare hard-left and the right hard-right, one half of the club would only hear the snare through their speakers and faintly hear the kick on the other side. This is not really good for a good feeling among all dancers and patrons.
The frequency at which a drum sample plays can also be a big factor in determining which samples you should pan left or right. If a cymbal only plays once every four bars, why would you put it right in the center when you can pan it left, for instance? Put the hi-hat closer to the center. This is known as proportional panning, but the opposite effect can also be good, it all really depends on the situation. Play around with it and see what appeals to you.
In the mixing process, the technique of panning is second in line after adjusting volume. While it may seem hard at the start to some, it seems quite the easy deal to others. It all depends on how you like to work. In any case, it becomes much easier with time and experience.
The process and study behind panning is quite simple to explain and even to grasp for beginners. It basically works by distributing sound across the left and right speakers. If this was done evenly, it would be called volume mixing, but you are taking volume away from the left speaker and leaving the right intact or making it louder, and therefore changing the perceived location of that sound in the stereo phase. Especially useful with obscure drum samples and such, it's a favorite of mixers.
When panning drum samples, there are a few things to keep in mind. For instance, you should not pan the kick and drum samples beyond a percentile or two, and I will explain why very soon. An example panning board would see the snare and kick in the center while supporting drums like the hi-hat and cowbell would be panned to the left or right, and the amount would depend on each project.
Why would we not want to pan the snare and kick drum samples beyond a few percentage points? Well, the reason is all about centre frequencies. What do I mean? Have you ever been in a club where they play popular music, like rock, RnB and hip hop? Yes, I'm sure we all have. Now those clubs have a weird speaker set up. Hardly ever are there stereo speakers all around the place in pairs. To achieve some good energy, the managers often put the left speakers on one side and the right on the other side. What this achieves is a sweeping effect across the floor. If you panned the snare hard-left and the right hard-right, one half of the club would only hear the snare through their speakers and faintly hear the kick on the other side. This is not really good for a good feeling among all dancers and patrons.
The frequency at which a drum sample plays can also be a big factor in determining which samples you should pan left or right. If a cymbal only plays once every four bars, why would you put it right in the center when you can pan it left, for instance? Put the hi-hat closer to the center. This is known as proportional panning, but the opposite effect can also be good, it all really depends on the situation. Play around with it and see what appeals to you.
About the Author:
Want to find out more about drum samples? Then visit http://www.mydrumsamples.com/ for all your needs.
No comments:
Post a Comment