Most stereo recordings have the drums going from right to left, like it would sound if you were watching the performance from the crowd. Does anyone else switch speakers so you can hear it as if you were behind the drum kit?
Being a drummer I like to mix the way I hear the drums when I play them. I'm right-handed, so that means the high hat on the left and the floor time on the right.
I have an edrum kit (a nice DIY one, don't hate) and the drum module has left and right outputs, and the ability to set the pan for each of the 'pads': toms, cymbals, kick, etc.. I have it set up so that the position of the pad in what I hear (in headphones) sounds like where it would be in front of me. So the ride is panned almost hard right for example. The snare is in the center.
Doesnt matter.
But depends on the recording style.
If drum mic has bleed from other instruments.
And phase and position on instrument mics.
However the stereo position on the bleed
should match drum pan.
Likewise I toggle phase on drum mics to see what doesnt cancel.
The instrument bleed on drum track could be out of phase.
So when mixed the instrument drum track bleed will cancel
or cause response dips, and I just pan and switch phase
till everything matches.
For the most part being a drummer, bass player and keyboard player.
When on mixing duties I tend to make the mix the way I hear it.
Sitting behind the kit. Not audience.
any drummer i have met on mixing duty does the same thing.
it is easier to reconstruct the mix according to what your familiar with.
And where everything was in the room. Not have to think backwards
for the sake of tradition.
Far as live sound and room sound, I often get criticized for not doing
more " stereo panning" on the mains mix. In larger clubs when...empty,
big stereo mix doesnt always work. Sounds blurry non direct.
When the club really fills up with more bodies, I can start to widen the mix
otherwise the mains are close to mono. And if a more elaborate board,
tend to use less delays empty, add more delay and fun with full room.
But depends on the recording style.
If drum mic has bleed from other instruments.
And phase and position on instrument mics.
However the stereo position on the bleed
should match drum pan.
Likewise I toggle phase on drum mics to see what doesnt cancel.
The instrument bleed on drum track could be out of phase.
So when mixed the instrument drum track bleed will cancel
or cause response dips, and I just pan and switch phase
till everything matches.
For the most part being a drummer, bass player and keyboard player.
When on mixing duties I tend to make the mix the way I hear it.
Sitting behind the kit. Not audience.
any drummer i have met on mixing duty does the same thing.
it is easier to reconstruct the mix according to what your familiar with.
And where everything was in the room. Not have to think backwards
for the sake of tradition.
Far as live sound and room sound, I often get criticized for not doing
more " stereo panning" on the mains mix. In larger clubs when...empty,
big stereo mix doesnt always work. Sounds blurry non direct.
When the club really fills up with more bodies, I can start to widen the mix
otherwise the mains are close to mono. And if a more elaborate board,
tend to use less delays empty, add more delay and fun with full room.
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