Panning

Panning is the spread of a monaural signal in a stereo or multi-channel sound field - it is critical to the make up of the stereo image.

Centering Key Elements

The center of the sound field is usually the busiest part of a mix. Keep these elements in the center for a solid foundation:

• Kick
• Snare
• Bass
• Vocals

Positioning Other Instruments

For other instruments, pan left or right of the center:

• Avoid Hard Panning: Extreme left/right panning can create clutter.
• Balance the Stereo Field: Try to position sounds within subtle stereo zones.

Balancing the Mix

To maintain balance:

• Counterbalance Panning: For each element panned one way, pan another in the opposite direction.
• Reduce Masking: Give each instrument space to prevent sounds from overlapping.

Example of Effective Panning

When two electric guitars play at once, they often compete for space. Try this:

dfg df
• Guitar 1: Pan left by 40%
• Guitar 2: Pan right by 40%

This simple adjustment can help free up room in the mix.

Experimentation is Key

There are no absolute rules for panning. Experiment and trust your ears—if it sounds good, go with it!

Suggested Panning Positions

The table below suggests some commonly used positions. A clock face is used as the comparable analogy to panning, with 7 and 5 on the clock being hard left and hard right. Pan the instruments anywhere between these positions.

Instrument	Position	Comment
Kick		Bass heavy instruments, such as the kick, should be kept near the centre as to not disrupt the balance of the track
Snare		The snare reinforces the rhythm of a track and therefore should be set around the centre
Toms		One tom to the left and the other to the right helps balance up the mix. Toms are best used on fills only. Beware if Toms are set too wide they can be very distracting and over-powering in the mix
Hi-Hat		Hi Hats can be panned flexibly as they emit high frequencies and do not disrupt the balance too much
Overheads		Overheads are best panned fairly wide but should never be too loud as to distract the listener
Bass Guitar		Bass heavy instruments, such as the bass guitar, should be kept near the centre as to not disrupt the balance of the track
Rhythm Guitar		If the rhythm guitar has been double track pan the two tracks hard left and hard right
Acoustic Guitar		If the acoustic guitar has been double tracked or recorded in stereo pan the two tracks hard left and hard right
Piano	Stereo Mono	For a stereo recording of the piano, pan the two tracks left and right. If recorded in mono try panning just off centre.
Strings		Wide pads and strings help to really open up a track
Vocals		Vocals should generally be kept dead centre, although there are many stereo techniques which should not be overlooked