Stereo in live situations?

[pitoga]

Greetings to all.
I have a very simple question to make. In live situations do you usually pan the instruments? Why am I asking this, because if you DO pan isn't the for example left crowd just listening what would be panned to the left (assuming they're pretty near to the stage?) In classes I was ones told to not pan in live situations because of this, but I really don't remember if it was any reliable source who told me that. So I'm asking you.

Thanks

 

[HeadCrusher]

Some people pan, some don't. There is no right/wrong in audio.

 

[fade_2_black]

I pan but not 100% L or R. Pan stuff subtly to make space in the mix, but don't pan so hard that people wont hear everything.

 

[Tachy]

I usually not pan hard like in a studio enviroment...just a little.

 

[John_C]

pan for space in the mix. OHs still need panning, guitars will just sound like ass if they're panned centre, but ofc 100% is gonna cause problems (although this is what most big metal shows i've been to have done). 75-80% is probably a good compromise so everything is still audible no matter where you are in the venue

 

[Trevoire520]

In small venues if I'm doing any panning it's normally panning the guitars a little to the opposite side that they're on to compensate for the backline, so that the crowd can hear both guitarists no mattter which side of the stage they are.

 

[ahjteam]

If you don't drive all the stuff mono, you can have the PA louder with the same headroom.

 

[if6was9]

I usually pan a little, maybe 20% guitars, toms and occasionally backing vocals if it's a band that do multi layered harmonies. It just gives that little bit of extra space, especially for the lead vocal down the centre.
I've noticed at some big gigs though where stuff is hard panned. It's silly, recently saw Deep Purple and was on the bass side of the stage, guitars were almost inaudible, they were hard panned leaving a fair chunk of the crowd riffless

 

[Tachy]

In small venues if I'm doing any panning it's normally panning the guitars a little to the opposite side that they're on to compensate for the backline, so that the crowd can hear both guitarists no mattter which side of the stage they are.

yes! this works!

 

[SimonTaddio_Qc]

I pan the keyboard and the guitar, if there's 2, that's pretty much that

 

[arv_foh]

I do 80/20, 20/80 on guitars. Hard left and right on overheads, and hard left and right on any stereo direct source such as a DJ or keyboard, and I do toms like 20/80, center, 80/20, just to get a little bit of stereo spread but not so much that the audience on the one side of the room can't hear it at all

 

[ChrisTanakaCanwell]

I like to hard pan drummer's perspective on the toms. Usually no one notices :/

 

[Melb_shredder]

i tend to go around 50% pan on guitars, if keys are stereo out, then i do pretty hard pan about 80% and OH are hard panned and toms are audience perspective just for visual sake
(Btw, I'm not a live enginerr, though I do dabble )