Should you pan low-frequency instruments?
A reader asks whether it is allowable to pan low frequency instruments. If not, what would the possible penalty be?
Follow RecordProducer.com on Twitter...
A question received from an RP reader...
Is it allowed to pan low frequency instruments? It is extremely useful doing that with guitars, vocals and cymbals, but what if I had low-frequency? How can I distinguish the similar low frequency sounds? The mix is a mess!
For release on old-fashioned vinyl, the answer is no. Low frequency sounds should be panned dead center. The reason for this is that differences between the channels cause the groove to become shallow. This is a particular problem in the low frequency end of the spectrum and it is possible for the groove to become so shallow that it almost disappears and the stylus has no path to follow. If you do pan low frequency instruments left or right, then the cutting engineer will probably simply sum the bass into mono. Although vinyl is very much a minority sport these days, the idea that bass should be panned center persists.
For any digital format, technically you can pan wherever you like. The only restriction is that if you like your bass to be loud, then panning it to one side will result in a 6 dB loss in the potential maximum level that could have been achieved if it were reproduced by both the left and right speakers.
Gaining clarity in the bass end of a recording is another matter.
Rule number one is to to cut the bass below around 100 Hz for any instrument or sound source that has not been specifically included in the mix for its bass content. Anything else is just mush, and should be filtered out.
In many cases, that will be enough to provide clarity in the bass. However if you wish to combine several bass instruments, you need to carefully EQ them so that each has its own little space in the frequency spectrum.
For example you could EQ up a kick drum around 80 Hz, then cut the bass guitar slightly in this region while boosting it in the 150 Hz to 200 Hz zone. These are not hard and fast figures, just instances. It would be up to you to experiment.
One problem is that most monitor speakers have a resonance in the low end that confuses the bass. Other than using electrostatic loudspeakers, there is little you can do about this. The best solution is to have two or three different pairs of monitors. Each will have their own faults, but with a little effort you should be able to come up with a balanced mix that will sound good on them all.
Publication date Monday July 27, 2009
(You can unsubscribe quickly and easily.)
Discussion on this article's topic...
Monday February 08, 2010
UPDATE - Posting of comments has been disabled. RecordProducer.com has been targeted by a botnet posting spam comments. The facility to post comments will return when this problem has been resolved.
We welcome your addition to the discussion on the topic of this article. If you feel that the article is inaccurate in any way, please let us know by e-mail at . We read all messages sent to this address but we cannot promise a reply.
 |
Do you suffer from dull, lifeless sound? Do you wish you could have just that little extra sparkle? With the right preparation, you can! Read more... |
 |
You've tried all the usual microphones and are tired of their sound? Why not try something that is really over the edge... Read more... |
 |
Everyone knows that you should compress the snare and kick drum. But why should you do it, and how should you do it? Read more... |
 |
Some things about Apple's iPad are great. Some things are, er, missing. But how useful is it in the studio right now? Read more... |
 |
Do you still use DAT? CD recorders? Outboard effects units? Come on and admit it - you're a dinosaur! Read more... |
 |
We're organising a mass protest against the Larrikin Music vs. Men At Work court decision. Join now and the kookaburra may not have the last laugh. Read more... |
 |
Do music business lawyers always know what they are doing? Or could they ask you to sign a contract that would not stand up in court? Read more... |
 |
Glyn Johns is one of the UK’s most respected producers and engineers and has successfully made his mark on the recording of drums, which is arguably the most difficult task in all sound engineering. Read more... |
 |
All live sound mixing consoles have pan controls. But there are very good reasons not to use them. Not if you respect your audience, that is. Read more... |
 |
Your college tutors don't work in the real world, so how can they possibly assess you by real-world criteria? Read more... |
 |
Are there a hundred different ways to record the snare drum? The answer is 'Yes!', and you need to understand them all... Read more... |
 |
An RP reader asks whether he can record on his workstation and then export tracks to his computer for editing and mixing. Why would he want to do that...? Read more... |
 |
For performance, the soloists stand in front of the choir. But for recording, perhaps they should stand behind. Here's why... Read more... |
 |
What will happen if you use an uncleared sample on your recording? Can you sample legally if your use is only private? Is it safe to use samples you find on the Internet? Read more... |
 |
Why do we still plug our microphones into old-fashioned mic preamplifiers when we could be plugging them in directly via USB? Read more... |
 |
The world-famous Abbey Road studio complex has been in the news lately. But not here. We'd rather record there than spread more tittle-tattle. Read more... |
 |
Everyone should build a loudspeaker at least once in their life. But for this would-be loudspeaker builder, their first attempt was something of a disaster... Read more... |
 |
When super-accurate capacitor microphones are available, why do we cling to the past and still often use dynamic mics? Shouldn't we be moving on? Read more... |
 |
The range of great home recording equipment available these days is truly superb. But occasionally we all buy something that just wasn't worth the money. What's your experience? Read more... |
 |
Early mixing consoles had quadrant faders instead of the linear faders of today. Do they just look pleasantly retro, or do they have advantages we have now lost? Read more... |
