72 lines
2.7 KiB
HTML
72 lines
2.7 KiB
HTML
---
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layout: default
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title: Panning
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---
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<p>
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<em>Panning</em> is the process of distributing 1 or more signals
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across a series of outputs so that the listener will have the
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experience of them coming from a particular "space" within the
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overall listening field.
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</p>
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<p>
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It is used to create a sense of space and/or a sense of motion in an
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audio mix. You can spread out different signals acros the space, and
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make them move within the space over time.
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</p>
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<h3>Types of Panners</h3>
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<p>
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The way a panner works depends a great deal on how many signals it
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is going to process and how many outputs it will send them to. The
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simplest case is distributing a single signal to 2 outputs, which is
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the common case when using a "mono" track and a stereo speaker
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setup.
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</p>
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<p>
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But panning in Ardour could theoretically involve distributing any
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number of signals to any number of ouputs. In reality, Ardour does
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not have specific panners for each different situation. Currently,
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it has dedicated panners for the following situations:
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<ul>
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<li>1 signal distributed to 2 outputs (the "mono" panner)</li>
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<li>2 signals distributed to 2 outputs (the "stereo" panner)</li>
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<li>N signals distributed to N outputs (the "vbap" panner)</li>
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</ul>
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Even for each of these cases, there are many different ways to
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implement panning. Ardour currently offers just one solution to each
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of these situations, but in the future will offer more.
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</p>
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<h3>Panning is not Balance</h3>
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<p>
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If you are used to the "balance" control found on most home music
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playback devices, and on many DAWs and audio editors, you may have
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gained a particular idea of how "panning" should work. You turn the
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knob to the left, and the signal in the right speaker gradually
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vanishes as you do. You turn it back to the right, and the signal in
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the left speaker vanishes in the same way.
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</p>
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<p>
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This is <strong>not</strong> panning. It does not alter the placement either the
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left or right signal, but rather is just a different term for
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"independent gain control". What is actually happening is that as
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you move the balance control left of center, it reduces the volume
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of the right channel towards zero, but leaves the left signal at
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normal volume. When you move it back to right of center, it reduces
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the volume of the left channel toward zero, and leaves the right
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channel at normal volume. When the control is exactly in the middle,
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both channels are at normal volume.
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</p>
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<p>
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The panners in Ardour control the distribution of at least one
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signal across at least 2 outputs. Ardour does not (currently) come
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with a balance control. Many people would like to see one.
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</p>
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{% children %}
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