Mixing : Panpots and Stereo Placement

When mixing, you use panpots (balance knobs) to place each sound and effect left to right between the speakers. A panpot is actually two volume controls in one. When you pan to the left the signal going to the right is turned down. When you pan to the right, the volume of the signal going to the left is turned down.

Panning in a mix is mapped out visually as a function of left to right. Panning a sound to one side or the other also seems to make the instrument a bit more distant in the mix. If the sound if panned to the center, it will seem to be a bit closer, a little more about front.

If you think of the space between the speakers as a pallet on which to place instruments left to right, the main objective might be to place each sound in a different place so you can hear each sound more clearly. However, certain styles of music have developed their own traditions for the particular placement of each instrument left to right im the stereo field. Normally, the placement of a sound is static; it stays in the same places throughout the mix. However, the movement of a pant during a mix creates an specially dramatic dynamic.

You can read more about the most important things you need to know about mixing, and how to setup the compressors properly depending on the task you want to realize in Dave Gibson's book "The Art of Mixing 2nd Edition" A visual guide to recording engineer and production.