Originally Posted By: Hugh2
Thanks thats very useful Matt .
So ive noticed this recently as I was listening to some songs using Ozone (mp3) and when I used the side option I obviously could hear only the far sides of the song but the lead vocals were still clear whereas a song I mix the vocals are almost none existant on the sides.My question Do producers delibrately pan a lead track far right and another far left as well as in the centre?
Hugh

Hugh, my apologies for missing this post. I'll reply two and a half years late, but here we go.

One of Ozone's tricks (and I say that with admiration - I'm a fan) is to widen the stereo image.

Lead vocals are almost always in the middle, i.e. not panned left or right. It makes this the strongest sound in the mix. Another reason, sort-of lost now, is that people used to make Music-Minus-One tracks by inverting the phase of one channel, canceling out anything in dead center. It worked, but generally also took out the bass and often the drums too, since they are often in the center of the mix.

When you say far left AND far right AS WELL AS center, that may be some engineer's technique for thickening a vocal; I don't know. I'm not familiar with that. It does pretty much negate the value of panning. I don't do vocals - I'm an instrumentalist - but those who do ofen use multiple tracks of a vocal; I just don't know if they like to pan them differently. I would think some panning variation might work, but perhaps not the extremes you mentioned. It's a good question, though. Anyone here an experienced vocal producer who can answer this?


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