sorting the Pan Law setting(s)

[David Nahmani]

1 minute ago, cainnamusx said:

I was wondering with one he was referring to using.

He was referring to the -4.5 dB pan law in Pro Tools, since -4.5 dB and - 4.5 dB compensated did not exist in Logic Pro at the time he wrote his comment. In any case, both -4.5 dB and -4.5 dB compensated will give the same result albeit with a 4.5 dB gain difference. 

[cainnamusx]

1 minute ago, David Nahmani said:

He was referring to the -4.5 dB pan law in Pro Tools, since -4.5 dB and - 4.5 dB compensated did not exist in Logic Pro at the time he wrote his comment. In any case, both -4.5 dB and -4.5 dB compensated will give the same result albeit with a 4.5 dB gain difference. 

So I should be fine using just -4.5db in my projects 

 

[cainnamusx]

6 minutes ago, David Nahmani said:

He was referring to the -4.5 dB pan law in Pro Tools, since -4.5 dB and - 4.5 dB compensated did not exist in Logic Pro at the time he wrote his comment. In any case, both -4.5 dB and -4.5 dB compensated will give the same result albeit with a 4.5 dB gain difference. 

Also you guys mentioned something about stereo tracks not being able to be panned, so using the balance pan knob on a stereo track is preferred over the stereo balancer? 

[David Nahmani]

6 minutes ago, cainnamusx said:

So I should be fine using just -4.5db in my projects 

Yes, totally. Then again you'll be fine using any pan law. 

The idea is that these pan laws were made to compensate for the difference in perceived volume when you pan something. Play and audio or software instrument track, pan from center to left to center to right and listen for the differences in volume as your pan knob reaches left/right or when it's in the center. Try to do this with different pan laws and you'll hear the volume change in different ways as you pan the sound left or right. 

But with any pan law you decide to use, you should always pay attention to how the perception of loudness is affected by you panning something to a side, and readjust the volume fader to compensate if you feel the sound is now weaker or stronger. That's why you'll be fine with any pan law you choose: you may have to compensate more or less depending on the pan law you use, but as long as you're using your ears to readjust, in the end you'll be fine. 

5 minutes ago, cainnamusx said:

Also you guys mentioned something about stereo tracks not being able to be panned, so using the balance pan knob on a stereo track is preferred over the stereo balancer? 

There's no preferred setting, that's why you have these settings, so that you can make your own choice. You can now apply the pan law to stereo balancers. Keep in mind balancers and panners don't do the same thing though: the balancer adjusts only the levels of the Left and Right signals, while the panner actually pans each one of the Left and Right signas in the stereo field, meaning it can route some of the Left signal into the right speaker and vice versa, thus narrowing and panning the entire stereo image. 

[cainnamusx]

I noticed that a lot of people on use the balancers in logic but have never been sure why someone wouldn't use the stereo balancers on their track.

[David Nahmani]

7 minutes ago, cainnamusx said:

have never been sure why someone wouldn't use the stereo balancers on their track.

As opposed to using what?

[cainnamusx]

2 hours ago, David Nahmani said:

As opposed to using what?

The stereo balancer or stereo pan whatever it's called. It's the option in between balance and binaural pan option when you right click on the pan knob.

[David Nahmani]

1 hour ago, cainnamusx said:

The stereo balancer or stereo pan whatever it's called

That's what I'm trying to figure out: if you believe the Stereo Panner makes more sense, or if you believe the Stereo Balancer makes more sense. 

The Stereo Balancer is the old way Logic always worked so it stays the default choice for legacy compatibility reasons I suppose, whereas the Stereo Panner gives you a finer control over exactly how you're panning both the left and the right signal in the stereo field.