Panning Drums

[jsayers169]

Can any one help me on this subject please as i want my drums to be heard through my bands new demo and i have no idea how to pan them properly i have tried keeping the kick and snare in the center and the toms as follow's, Floor tom: Left 30, Low Tom: Left 15, Hi Tom: Right 15.

But it is just not comping through the mix enough i have tried eq'n and compressing but nothing seems to work and i really want my kick and snare to be heard.

It's driving me mad

If anyone can help with some advice i would be most greatful.

Cheers Jason.

 

[AStacy2]

It depends on how you set up your overheads. I pan audience perspective. Look at the mics standing in front of the kit and pan them how you see them. For me it would be like this:

OH L 100%L
OH R 100%R
Ride 25-50%L
HH 25-50%R
Kick C
Snare C
Floor Tom 50% L
Middle Tom C
Hi Tom 50% R


This is assuming the ride is closest to the left overhead mic and the hi-hat is closest to the right overhead mic. Also assuming the floor tom is closest to the left overhead and the hi tom is closest the right overhead and the middle tom is between them.


Maybe take a look at how the rest of your mix is panned too. Hard pan guitars 100% L&R and leave bass and vocals center to give everything room. Also, you might want to try searching because there's literally hundreds of techniques if you really want the kick/snare to be heard.

 

[smy1]

Hex is making a good point without actually naming the reason for this approach: phase coherency.

If you pan your drums in a way that is too different from the overhead mics, you are bound to run into phase issues, which will diminish your drum's impact. You don't have to be spot on and I personally think that extreme similarity is actually less effective than just getting it "close" ...

Obviously: if you go for a very mechanical sound with OHs mainly representing cymbals, then it's gonna be less of a problem, if you go for a very "organic" sound with OHs being a big part of the drumsound, you're gonna have more of a problem.

Along with Hex's approach try this:

raise the OH faders first, both panned hard L/R, then bring in the kick and try to match the panning of the kick close-mic to the panning you hear in the OHs by panning it totally opposite and then moving it in until the sound gets fat and punchy. Make sure to not have the kick channel too loud, just loud enough so you can hear it.

Do this with all the other instruments, too, and you should be on your way to punchy drumtracks.

 

[jsayers169]

Cheers guy's very helpfull i shall try them out.

 

[jsayers169]

It depends on how you set up your overheads. I pan audience perspective. Look at the mics standing in front of the kit and pan them how you see them. For me it would be like this:

OH L 100%L
OH R 100%R
Ride 25-50%L
HH 25-50%R
Kick C
Snare C
Floor Tom 50% L
Middle Tom C
Hi Tom 50% R


This is assuming the ride is closest to the left overhead mic and the hi-hat is closest to the right overhead mic. Also assuming the floor tom is closest to the left overhead and the hi tom is closest the right overhead and the middle tom is between them.


Maybe take a look at how the rest of your mix is panned too. Hard pan guitars 100% L&R and leave bass and vocals center to give everything room. Also, you might want to try searching because there's literally hundreds of techniques if you really want the kick/snare to be heard.

What would you recomend to do if i had a kit like this.

Kick
Hi Tom
Mid Tom
Low Tom
Floor Tom
Snare

How would i pan that one out?

 

[AStacy2]

I'd probably tell the drummer to use 3 toms. BUT, if s/he was insistent...I'd probably do something like:

OH L 100%L
OH R 100%R
Ride 25-50%L
HH 25-50%R
Floor Tom 50%L
Low Tom 25%L
Middle Tom 25%R
Hi Tom 50%R


Sometimes you can pan a little further out to 60%/30% respectively on toms too, depending on the overheads set up. This is assuming that the floor tom is closest to the left overhead, the low tom is the second closest to the left overhead, the hi tom is closest and the right overhead and the middle tom is second closest to the right overhead. And, also the ride being closest to the left overhead and the HH being closest to the right overhead.


Make sure you try what SMY1 said too though instead of just putting in the numbers someone is giving you. I'm just trying to get you started on the right track, every song is different, so is everyones taste and drum set up.