MBantle wrote: ↑Tue Jan 22, 2019 1:20 pm
jdstamper wrote: ↑Tue Jan 22, 2019 12:50 pm
I think you have to use some common sense, like ... an orchestra would sound unnatural with LCR panning.
I'd really like to know how music supervisors or music editors feel about it, does LCR panning make the music distracting with elements hard left and hard right, or is it helpful because it opens up the center more?
I agree. I also don't think anyone would pan a drumset LCR style (or would they?). Imagine a Hihat panned hard left or right (depending on the school of thought) would sound a bit weird, unless you pan an almost equal reverb or delay to the other side. I think at the end of the day LCR is probably a tool like many others and needs to be used if it makes sense in the given circumstances...
The two instances that you have noted (orchestral and drum set) are both MULTI MIC situations.
For example the drum set:
the overheads are usually separated by some distance. Usually those are panned hard L+R.
The hi-hat is usually off to one side of the center point between the OHs. The snare and the kick are usually right in the center or as close as possible (note that the axis of the overheads might be twisted to maintain phase coherency).
The snare and kick close mics are panned center. The hi-hat is panned off to one side a little - so that when you listen to the OH drum image without hi-hat, you might hear it at 2 o'clock. Then when you bring in the hi-hat close mic, you pan it so it shows up in the same place in the stereo spectrum. This helps maintain phase and prevent ghostly hi-hat showing up on the other side of the stereo spectrum from where the close mic is panned.
Same thing with an orchestra:
Orchestra is usually recorded with a Decca tree. Its basically one beefy mic in the center, and some distance away, a L mic and a R mic. Google it. The L+R mics are panned to present a nice stereo image. Likely not hard L+R but depends I suppose. If you think of it - the three main mics are basically LCR.
Its more complicated than that because there might be additional distant room mics that are brought up subtly to give more of the room sound and less direct instrument.
If there are featured soloists, they might have spot mics on them where they sit in the orchestral setting. They are going to pan that mic appropriate so muted or playing it shows up in the same place in the orchestral soundstage.
the Main thing to capture with orchestra is the sound of the instruments in the room - that's what we consider an orchestral sound. That's what the Decca tree does well.