Orchestral panning

[annayarbrough]

The thing I've learned is that there is a difference between art and artisan. You don't necessarily need to be an artisan to create art, it's just that it is more likely, on more occasions.

Nail on the head there. Man if there's one thing I've learned in the last couple of years it's that I love the process of mastery.
Which of course poses a problem when you constantly want to throw out your work once you've reached that next level.

[Len911]

the other thing is that I don't consider myself an artist or an artisan,lol, maybe that's not funny, though maybe it's crazy, idk, but I remember thinking as I was traveling to my dr. appt., that for some reason I felt better than anytime in my life,
nothing to do with happiness or any other particular reason, though it did show up afterward in my blood pressure and labs, though I didn't have thyroid check, I found out last Nov I have Hashimoto's Disease.

[waveheavy]

The key is to maintain a balance of frequencies while keeping at least some to a traditional orchestra layout.

Traditional orchestra is Violins 1 & 2 on the left, Violas more in the middle, and then Cellos right and Basses to the right. But when mixing, it's also common to keep the basses closer to the center. Making frequency space while somewhat keeping to this layout is most common. For a light string section sound, it's common to omit the Bass section and just use the Cellos or Violas on the bottom. Otherwise, Cellos and Basses most often double the same bass line an octave apart with a traditional orchestra.

https://soundcloud.com/peter-cavallo/within


In the above recording, Peter has his piano mixed fairly wide. The high piano notes are clearly heard right of center, so it's the player audio position. Note the amount of reverb on the strings so they sit more in the back behind the piano. The only improvement I can think of is during the more full string parts the dynamics with the piano could have been a bit more, but notice how you can still hear the piano during the heavier string parts. It's about frequency positioning during the mix.


https://soundcloud.com/peter-cavallo/the-morning-after


With the above example, you can clearly hear Peter's piano mixed more to the right, allowing the Cello to fill the rest of the space. Sounds like Violas come in later in the center very dry (I would have preferred a bit more reverb to move them back a bit, but it still works). He went more for a chamber sound with this one.

So indeed, it depends on the sound you're going for on how you arrange and mix it.

[annayarbrough]

In the above recording, Peter has his piano mixed fairly wide. =

You know Peter? Small world! Yeah I've heard his most recent... great work

[waveheavy]

I've only conversed with him a little through SoundCloud. I'm nowhere near his level of musicianship.