Your preferred method for panning your hooks?

  • Thread starter Thread starter DaGSpotSoldier
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DaGSpotSoldier

DaGSpotSoldier

11B US Army
Im sure you've all heard it, and done it. The hook comes in on a song, the vocals are far left and right. Leaving that "space in the middle" for the lead vocals/vocalist, to maybe add some adlibs, or other spice, while the hook is going. Which also, when it happens, allows listeners to differentiate the transition from Main/Lead verse and the hook, "Space-wise".

What is your preferred method for getting the Hook vocals spread apart, to sound wide, and create that space in the center(or whatever your goal is)?

1.) Do you cheat(if you call it cheating that is) and pan the vocal Hard LEFT (or anywhere in between) and simply copy the vocal to another track. And on the copied track, pan that one Hard RIGHT. Then add a short delay to one of these tracks, to create the "Stereo Spread" of the Hook.

Now this first method, as most of you know, when summed to mono, the short delay becomes more apparent. For those who even care about mono compatibility.

2.) Or do you preferr to record Multiple takes of the same "phrase", Lets say for example 4 takes, and pan 2 of these Hard RIGHT(or anywhere in between), and the other 2 Hard LEFT

Or, is there another method you prefer?

I find myself having to type things in parenthesis, because some things, if you don't clarify, some smartypants is gonna say something that "Captian Obvious" would say. Something like...
"Well you just have to do what sounds good." or
"Every song productions is going to be different."
Hey "Captain Obvious" spare us on this one.:monkey: :)
For instance, if I wouldn't have put in parenthesis, when typing Hard RIGHT, (or anywhere in between), somebody would come along and say, "You know, there is other space in the mix that you can pan, instead of just Hard RIGHT.
I know some of you feel me on this one. We've all been mugged and raped by "Captain Obvious". See, Im rambling again. Never mind that. Focus on the original reason for this thread.:bat:
 
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I don't pan anything hard left. It just puts in in one channel of audio, I spread it -45/45 at most. I'm not a fan of hard panning.

I may pan something left and send it through some reverb which I pan to the right..

Depends on the track, I don't record a lot of vocals.

Do what ever sounds good.
 
I usually pan no more than 85%. Unless for "headphone candy."
I too used panned reverbs.
I use Cubase SX3 for most tracking.

Sometimes I will send the vocals to a buss/group, and using the Group's/Buss's sends section, have 2 instances of the same reverb send/fx, and pan one left and one right(percent pan varies), real easy to do in Cubase SX3 using the "routing" function button located above the sends area. Gives a nice wide open sound.

But yeah, I sometimes pan something left, and pan the reverb to the right.

Which would work well on a Hook. Again, lets say 4 takes, 2 left and 2 right.
route the two left ones to a bus/group and then pan their reverb right(or further left than the 2 takes)
route the two right ones to a buss/group and then pan their reverb left.(or further right than the 2 takes)

So many possibilities. Possiblilities others may want to share.
 
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I agree with do what ever sounds good. You have to experiment cause it also depends on the songs your working with. What will work for one track may not work for the next. I ve done everything you have mentioned, just experiment man....
 
DaGSpotSoldier said:
I usually pan no more than 85%. Unless for "headphone candy."
I too used panned reverbs.
I use Cubase SX3 for most tracking.

Sometimes I will send the vocals to a buss/group, and using the "Group's/Buss's sends section, have 2 instances of the same reverb send/fx, and pan one left and one right(percent pan varies), real easy to do in Cubase SX3 using the "routing" function button located above the sends area.
Click to expand...

You ever tried using 2 different verbs on 1 track .. I tried it once with a snare, had one paned left the other verb right and the dry snare centre. Was crackin .. Be careful though could get really out of hand.
 
Or, after the reverb, insert a PSP 84, or some other effect that allows a delay, coupled with pan modulation, and some flanging. Send something to that,then pan that "Reverb Combo" creating a swirly, tripped out reverb.
 
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I sometimes do record 2 takes, hard panned left - right, and some dubs dead center, but it has to be executed properly.
By that I mean, the rapper has to duplicate an exact copy, same delivery, same everything, take a breath at the exact same spot etc.
or else it just sounds cluttered...
 
sometimes instead of doubling i'll slightly pitch shift either the left or the right and leave the other normal. It can make tracks really pop out of the speakers sometimes, particularly on pads. MDA detune VST works similar to this.
 
Darkstarr_ said:
I sometimes do record 2 takes, hard panned left - right, and some dubs dead center, but it has to be executed properly.
By that I mean, the rapper has to duplicate an exact copy, same delivery, same everything, take a breath at the exact same spot etc.
or else it just sounds cluttered...
Click to expand...

Cubase SX3 has "Cycle record mode".
Set your punch-in and out times, with about 1 or 2 seconds pre-roll, set your time selection indicator, and engage the loop button.
Hit record, and be prepared to do the exact same part however many times you want it overdubbed.
Great method for right on overdubs.

cubzproductions said:
i use the waves doubler and usually pan both ways and turn center voice down. sounds crazy
Click to expand...
Some use the Waves Supertap in this manner also.
 
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i stay away from hard panning 99.9% of the time (especially on vox) because i feel like sometimes the voice ends up seeming wider than the beat (especially if there is no hard panning in the beat), and this tend to make the beat sound "weaker" ...I too use pitch differences (2-5 cents) as well as use different takes, copying and panning to other side only increases volume, not space
 
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JSINGLEZ33 said:
copying and panning to other side only increases volume, not space
Click to expand...
True, but thats why there is a delay inserted onto on the copy.
If one is panned left, and one right, and you put a short delay on one, it allows you to hear the panning that has been done. You will now have a space in the center.
 
Here is another method, which provides a high level of mono compatibility, while still sounding good when summed to mono. Because the "copy to another track and add a delay" method, when summed to mono, the delay becomes evident, and doesn't sound nice.

You would need Melodyne Standalone, or the plugin.
I will show standalone method.
-Export vocal
-Import into Melodyne
Go into edit pitch mode
-Select all note blobs
-Go to the Edit Menu from the top- Edit Pitch- Add Random Offset To Pitch Center(this adds small Pitch and Timing changes to each note)
-Export Vocal
Reimport Vocal into Cubase or whatever
Pan Original Unprocessed Vocal 50-75% RIGHT
Pan Melodyne Processed Vocal 50-75% LEFT
As an insert on the Melodyne Processed Vocal-A Pitchshifter
I used UltraVoice(mono) by Steinberg
This plugin allows shifting the pitch, as well as the Formant
Basically pitch up or down 5-10 Cents

With Ultra voice I can pitch up 5 cents and bump up the formant to +39
Mix 100%-High Quality selected-Unlinked.

This causes the Copy, Which was processed by Melodyne, then pitch and formant shifted, to be heard when panned opposite of original.

When summed to mono, sounds way better than just a delay.
 
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