Comments on: How to pan drum instruments? http://www.audiorecording.me/how-to-pan-drum-instruments.html Technical Guide in Computer Audio Recording Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:16:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Emerson Maningohttp://www.audiorecording.me/how-to-pan-drum-instruments.html/comment-page-5#comment-11237 Emerson Maningo Thu, 22 Dec 2011 08:12:27 +0000 http://localhost/wordpress/how-to-pan-drum-instruments/#comment-11237 Wow, you have explained it very clearly JediBret. You are absolutely correct. Although the panning settings above are a rough guide, I find them useful when mixing drum samples such as taken from a drum sequencer where there is no panning or stereo field information. But yes, you are correct that proper observance of phasing and putting microphones in the drums (overheads, etc) would make a strong difference in the final sound of the drums. I am planning to make a tutorial in the future about this topic. As of now, I am on the process of experimenting things to see what sounds good and bad then share what I've learned. But at least, you have contributed something valuable, I would also try your suggestions. Thank you for your time in dropping by. Cheers. Wow, you have explained it very clearly JediBret. You are absolutely correct. Although the panning settings above are a rough guide, I find them useful when mixing drum samples such as taken from a drum sequencer where there is no panning or stereo field information.

But yes, you are correct that proper observance of phasing and putting microphones in the drums (overheads, etc) would make a strong difference in the final sound of the drums. I am planning to make a tutorial in the future about this topic. As of now, I am on the process of experimenting things to see what sounds good and bad then share what I’ve learned. But at least, you have contributed something valuable, I would also try your suggestions.

Thank you for your time in dropping by. Cheers.

]]> By: JediBrethttp://www.audiorecording.me/how-to-pan-drum-instruments.html/comment-page-5#comment-11232 JediBret Thu, 22 Dec 2011 03:40:08 +0000 http://localhost/wordpress/how-to-pan-drum-instruments/#comment-11232 If you use overhead mics, none of these numbers will have any relationship to anything of value. They are good starting places and that is it. Hand claps are traditionally done by a group of people, and they are Not all standing where the hat is. Pan your drums any darn way you want to. Use your ears - that's why you have them. By simply setting things to these numbers, you will find (with some experienced listening) that it sounds different every time. All you have to do is move one mic one inch to totally screw up your balance. Drum recording is an art and a science. The more mics you use, the more trouble you are asking for. It is all about phase and distance relationships. The problems are exacerbated further when you start messing with EQ and compression. If you don't have phase issues nailed down before you start recording, you are in for hassles. For example, if the kick is out of phase with the snare mic and you pan the snare, you might make the kick disappear entirely, if the phase is perfectly matched, and you move the snare, you will move the kick, too. Now add in some overheads and viola, you have kick drum soup. Start with your overheads and kick, get the stereo field to sound natural and the kick properly phase aligned, so that it has the right punch. THEN add the other tracks in and place them according to the overheads, when it all sounds nice and full and Tight, you are ready to move on. If you use overhead mics, none of these numbers will have any relationship to anything of value. They are good starting places and that is it. Hand claps are traditionally done by a group of people, and they are Not all standing where the hat is. Pan your drums any darn way you want to. Use your ears – that’s why you have them. By simply setting things to these numbers, you will find (with some experienced listening) that it sounds different every time. All you have to do is move one mic one inch to totally screw up your balance.

Drum recording is an art and a science. The more mics you use, the more trouble you are asking for. It is all about phase and distance relationships. The problems are exacerbated further when you start messing with EQ and compression. If you don’t have phase issues nailed down before you start recording, you are in for hassles. For example, if the kick is out of phase with the snare mic and you pan the snare, you might make the kick disappear entirely, if the phase is perfectly matched, and you move the snare, you will move the kick, too. Now add in some overheads and viola, you have kick drum soup.

Start with your overheads and kick, get the stereo field to sound natural and the kick properly phase aligned, so that it has the right punch. THEN add the other tracks in and place them according to the overheads, when it all sounds nice and full and Tight, you are ready to move on.

]]> By: Emerson Maningohttp://www.audiorecording.me/how-to-pan-drum-instruments.html/comment-page-5#comment-1683 Emerson Maningo Thu, 21 Oct 2010 02:45:05 +0000 http://localhost/wordpress/how-to-pan-drum-instruments/#comment-1683 Hi Luca, Thanks for your inquiry, I have written a post about this here: http://www.audiorecording.me/drum-panning-techniques-and-calculations-mixing-adjustments.html , I hope this helps. Cheers. Hi Luca,
Thanks for your inquiry, I have written a post about this here: http://www.audiorecording.me/drum-panning-techniques-and-calculations-mixing-adjustments.html , I hope this helps.

Cheers.

]]> By: Lucahttp://www.audiorecording.me/how-to-pan-drum-instruments.html/comment-page-4#comment-1594 Luca Thu, 14 Oct 2010 15:47:55 +0000 http://localhost/wordpress/how-to-pan-drum-instruments/#comment-1594 I use GarageBand and the panning knobs only range from -64 to 64, not -100 to 100. In this case, do you know what the panning calculations would be. I use GarageBand and the panning knobs only range from
-64 to 64, not -100 to 100. In this case, do you know what the panning calculations would be.

]]> By: Emerson Maningohttp://www.audiorecording.me/how-to-pan-drum-instruments.html/comment-page-4#comment-1571 Emerson Maningo Wed, 13 Oct 2010 03:41:56 +0000 http://localhost/wordpress/how-to-pan-drum-instruments/#comment-1571 Hi Ed, Yes, as long as you are using the same drum configuration as discussed in this tutorial. This means, one kick drum (at the center), one snare, two toms,one floor tom, one crash cymbal on the left and one ride cymbal on the right, one pedal hi hat. Most heavy metal uses two kick drums known as double bass, so the panning for the kick drum can be approximated to still use the center. Some heavy metal drums uses a much more complex drum set, so I recommend so you will visualize each of those parts and assign a more realistic settings like the way how I arrive/compute with the panning units discussed in this tutorial. Good luck with your projects! Hi Ed,
Yes, as long as you are using the same drum configuration as discussed in this tutorial. This means, one kick drum (at the center), one snare, two toms,one floor tom, one crash cymbal on the left and one ride cymbal on the right, one pedal hi hat.
Most heavy metal uses two kick drums known as double bass, so the panning for the kick drum can be approximated to still use the center.
Some heavy metal drums uses a much more complex drum set, so I recommend so you will visualize each of those parts and assign a more realistic settings like the way how I arrive/compute with the panning units discussed in this tutorial.

Good luck with your projects!

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