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Joined: May 2000
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PG Music Staff
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PG Music Staff
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 15,976 |
I was wondering if anyone had experience or opinions regarding panning of a classical string quartet.
For example, if you have 4 mono tracks, of separately recorded cello, viola, violin1, violin2 . And you want to make a single stereo recording from that, how would you pan them for best effect?
We need a "one size fits all" solution, not a bunch of different options.
We're leaning towards the cello and viola close to center, with the violins on either side...
violin1 25%L
cello 15%L
viola 15%R
violin2 25%R
Have Fun!
Peter Gannon
PG Music Inc.
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Hi Dr. Gannon, I found this on the Internet:
"Some common sitting arrangement of quartets:
1st violin - 2nd violin - cello - viola
1st violin - 2nd violin - viola - cello
1st violin - viola - cello - 2nd violin
1st violin - cello - viola - 2nd violin
Depends on the preference of the players how they want to sit."
So apparently you always place the 1st violin on the far left then just tell the other three where to sit! Thus your placement is fine.
Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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Dr. Gannon,
I'm sure you or some of your staff have access to
Dim pro. The HD Strings add-on Pak should have some good
balances. I have noticed also using them that
different octaves are played via their design.
Might ear-ball it.
They probably have some kind of pan settings also.
Within the IK Miroslav Philharmonic guides they do
have some orchestral position guides based on their
creations. Octaves/notes played are also active in their
Ensembles.
Couple more needles to find...
Good luck.... on our behalf.
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Hi Peter.
From my experience, there was only a brief period when it was fashionable to mike each instrument in the quartet separately, in order get enough separation to adjust the panning. It was generally considered more appropriate to record the ensemble from a suitable distance using a crossed stereo pair of microphones. This of course, necessitates having a room with suitable acoustics, which isn't as important with close miking, but it does mean that the positioning of the instruments isn't quite as crucial.
Whilst the the purists insisted on a crossed stereo pair, the popular music fraternity would sometimes use a spaced pair of mics to enhance the stereo effect, with the distance between the mics controlling the amount of effect. For a pronounced effect PZM boundary mics would be placed on the side walls of the room.
Hope that you find at least some of this useful.
ROG.
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Thanks for the replies.
To be clear, we aren't looking for how to seat players to record them. They are already recorded, we just want to know how to pan them, as they are already recorded separately.
Have Fun!
Peter Gannon
PG Music Inc.
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I would go very easy on the panning. If you listen live to a string quartet in a theatre, there isn't really much spatial difference for each player.
What you get in a well designed theatre is glorious mix of direct and reverberated signal.
I think this is why most classical music, whether full orchestra, or even chamber music or quartets, are not done with individual mic'ing, but rather stereo miking of the quartet itself, with any manner of the multi-mic stereo techniques being used.
I understand that's not how you did your recordings, but most well-done classical recordings capture all kinds of the room and that is part of the hair-raising experience of classical live recordings.
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I would go very easy on the panning. If you listen live to a string quartet in a theatre, there isn't really much spatial difference for each player. I've gotta go with Scott. One of the best live listening experiences you can have is a string quartet, and if it's mic'ed, it'll almost always be with one mic. So there's virtually no separation. If you're lucky enough to get a small room concert without a mic, then you'll have a percentage of perceived "panning" similar to those listed by Peter in the first post. So the question for Peter is, "are you going for a small room acoustic sound or a medium room sound and larger?"
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I was wondering if anyone had experience or opinions regarding panning of a classical string quartet.
For example, if you have 4 mono tracks, of separately recorded cello, viola, violin1, violin2 . And you want to make a single stereo recording from that, how would you pan them for best effect?
We need a "one size fits all" solution, not a bunch of different options.
We're leaning towards the cello and viola close to center, with the violins on either side...
violin1 25%L
cello 15%L
viola 15%R
violin2 25%R
BIAB 2015 new feature alert? 
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I look at this differently than what appears to be the perspective of most...
I understand the idea of "room recording" of a quartet and the idea of concert hall reverberation... but I would not use them (the quartet) to create quartet concert pieces (I suppose some would)... I would use them in the context of a song/lyric, typically a Country or Pop ballad and the suggested tight panning crowds the vocal. The only thing I put at 15% is a tight, duet harmony (vocal) or a featured solo instrument.
I often create my own version of the quartet using the individual tracks (often using a background fiddle as one or both of the violins) to get more control over the tracks and their panning... which brings up an aside - if the individual tracks will always be provided in addition to the quartet as they were with the first one that would be great!
My panning generally ends up more like:
violin1 40-45%R (I like that one on the right)
cello 45-55%L (and the cello on the left)
viola 30%R
violin2 30%L
floyd
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Cool thread. Thanks guys.... Looking forward to 2015!
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I agree with Floyd that MOST BIAB enthusiasts would use strings as part of a song with vocals that need center stage. In that context, the strings would need to be a bit more peripheral.
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