Stop Boring Panning: Try These 3 Pro Moves
Want to take your panning to the next level? 🎚️ Three inspiring panning techniques from FKJ, Marc Daniel Nelson, and Jack Antonoff that'll help you create more spacious, professional-sounding tracks. No complexity, just practical approaches that work.
Tape Notes Podcast
Adding depth to a stereo piano with a mono plate reverb
FKJ enhances the depth of a stereo piano by using a mono plate reverb to fill the center of the mix. By running the wide, stereo piano through a vintage EMT 140 Plate Reverb and panning the effect to the center, FKJ creates a blend that adds richness and focus to the track. This technique ensures the piano remains expansive while the reverb provides a distinct presence in the middle, balancing the stereo field and adding captivating depth to the mix.
Produce Like A Pro
Balance the stereo image with mono reverb
Marc Daniel Nelson shows how to achieve a balanced stereo image by applying a mono spring reverb, panned opposite to a guitar signal. The original guitar track is panned to the right, creating an imbalance in the stereo field. By strategically panning the reverb to the left, Nelson subtly fills out the mix, enhancing its spatial depth without the effect becoming overly prominent or detracting from the mix's overall balance. This approach is especially useful in mixes where a prominent instrument is panned to one side, and there's a need to maintain a cohesive and engaging stereo image. It also works well with other types of mono reverb, delays or modulation effects.
Tape Notes Podcast
Bold panning for a wider stereo image
Jack Antonoff, advocates for extreme panning to achieve a wide stereo image, challenging conventional norms. He demonstrates this by hard-panning string parts entirely to the left and right, creating a vast soundscape without relying on reverb or delay. Antonoff also experiments with unconventional panning of low-end elements, such as bass, which are typically centered. By placing one bass track mostly left and another mostly right, he achieves a unique width that defies traditional panning practices. He encourages panning instruments that are usually kept in the center, drawing inspiration from the Beatles' bold panning choices. Antonoff prefers recording multiple takes and panning them across the stereo field rather than only relying on effects to create width.