How to cast Makke's theory on tracking practise

Written by flux

So Makke did a great article about what a stereo-image should be, but he hasn't said a single word about the ways of tracking it! We're going to fill Makke's miss now. After all we're co-editing music section now.

Well, let's get down to the topic.

So, stereo. In Impulse Tracker (that's the only one I'm going to talk about) we have the Xxx and S8x commands for panning (that's 8xx and Px in FT2 /Makke). Xxx is much more flexible, but still many people somehow prefer S8x. I guess mainly because it's used in many other trackers and people are just more used to it. Well, I prefer the Xxx one. So, we also have the S91 command for surround, Pxx for panning slide and Yxy for pabarello.

Using and combining those we have to make a right stereo image, just as Makke explained. It's not hard to place everything on its place, but I'd like to make some additions and tracker-fixes to Makke's article. There are some useful tricks for tracker, like using pseudo-surround. It looks like that:

   note|panning|effect| note|panning|effect
   |C-5..00......00   | C-5....64......O00

Another way to do it:

   |C-5...00.....00   | C-5....64......SD1

I usually use this for drums in songs where I want to show the beat and for bass in songs where beat is not the main part.

It's also useful to make background instruments, like strings or pads be 'smashed' on the stereo panorama. Like that:

   |C-5 ...16......   | E-5.....32........ | G-5.....48......

Or like that:

   |C-5  ...16.....   | E-5.....48........
   | G-5.....48...... | C-6..........S91

And it's always nice to use some not very big panning slides on the background instruments. Just set a panning envelope for the instrument.

Now about delay. Stereo delay is a very great thing. It adds the depth to the instrument you want to stand out. It looks like that:

   note|volume|effect

   | C-5...64.....S88 | ................ | ................ | ...............
   | ................ | ................ | ................ | ...............
   | ................ | C-5....32....S84 | ................ | ...............
   | ................ | ................ | ................ | ...............
   | ................ | ................ | C-5....16....S8C | ...............
   | ................ | ................ | ................ | ...............

And it's always nice to add a surrond echo line like that:

   | C-5...64.....S88 | ................ | ................ | ...............
   | ................ | ................ | ................ | ...............
   | ................ | C-5....32....S84 | ................ | ...............
   | ................ | ................ | ................ | ...............
   | ................ | ................ | C-5....16....S8C | ...............
   | ................ | ................ | ................ | ...............
   | ................ | ................ | ................ | C-5....24...S91

Ok. This way we have a nice standing out deep solo. Some panning slides or a light panabrello on echoes would be nice as well. Delay effect is actually one 'real' effect that can be done well in a tracker. And you can control it pretty well. If you want a deeper sound, just make echoes a bit louder. Or wider the panning bounds. You can vary the delay timing, make it 'not straight', like:

   | C-5...64.....S88 | ................ | ................ | ...............
   | ................ | ................ | ................ | ...............
   | ................ | C-5....24....S84 | ................ | ...............
   | ................ | ................ | ................ | ...............
   | ................ | ................ | ................ | ...............
   | ................ | ................ | ................ | ...............
   | ................ | ................ | C-5....32....S8C | ...............
   | ................ | ................ | ................ | ...............
   | ................ | ................ | ................ | ...............
   | ................ | ................ | ................ | ...............
   | ................ | ................ | ................ | C-5....16...S91
   | ................ | ................ | ................ | ...............

You can also put last delay tap octave higher than original tone. Works great for ambient and new age styles. And all the others as well.

Sure it all takes more channels than a plain mod, but believe me, it's not a channel waste.

You can also combine all those trick together, for example using pseudo-surround on main volume instrument and then adding the stereo delay to it.

And don't forget to use advantages of stereo - the stereo itself. Move your sounds from one channel to another, especially fx ones. Let background panning flow. The only base should stay stable in stereo panorama. No matter if base is bdrum and bass guitar or a cello with an orchestra snare, or a TB303 bassline and gabber bassdrum, or a muted guitar drive and bass - whatever.

Stereo is a really a great thing. And as Makke said already, you can do amazing things with it. And not only on real studio equipment. One of the things, you can control pretty well in tracker is panning. Use it!

A couple of things you should remember about tracking stereo:

1. Don't overdo! Too much panning slides, hard panning and surround sounds ugly.
2. Play with it! Change the panning, delay, whole image until YOU like it.
3. Listen to it! If YOU don't like panning you did, even if you followed all reccomendations of Makke and myself - change it! Don't stop changing it until you like it. Even if it's absolutely opposite to what we have told.
4. Listen to it (part2)! Listen to your panning not only in headphones, but also on a good and big stereo equipment before releasing the tune. And try to get yourself good headphones.
5. Listen to it once more.
6. And again listen. Let your friends/mother/cat listen to it and ask if something annoys them in the song.
7. Listen to it 1000 times and if something hurts your ear - fix it!
8. while (sounds!=good) { play_around_with(stereo); }

Uh. Hope your stereo will get better after reading Makke's article and mine.

Don't drink and drive. Keep the blue whales alive.

flux/t-rex