(01-07-2021, 04:51 AM)Nayrb Wrote:(01-07-2021, 03:11 AM)Mattias Westlund Wrote: Right now, only on strings and brass (i.e. on every section channel). I've tried it on woodwinds, but considering the moderate panning required there, I can't hear a difference between the plugin and Reaper's standard stereo panner. I have not tried it on percussion or anything else yet. To avoid unnecessary clutter, I'm sort of listening for problematic instruments rather than putting it on every channel in the mix, just because.
Pretty much my approach as well. My percussion is just so huge sometimes that I thought I'd try it out along with some side EQ. So far I'm liking the results. I agree, a stereo pan for winds and things nearer the center is probably all you need.
I've come across a new, related issue: All my VO life, I've often encountered certain notes of certain sample libraries that seemed to just veer off in one direction or another, making positioning difficult. I've since discovered that, for whatever reason, it's because there is literally more volume in one channel or another in the sample itself. Like, the right channel is louder than the left, for instance. I can see this visually under the hood in Kontakt. It's a surprisingly common issue in my older libraries (like, anything recorded pre-2010).
For the longest time, I just assumed it had to do with some aural/proximity phenomenon, but the wave editor indicates that it is actually just something up with the sample itself--It's very annoying! My approach going forward will be to pan each offending sample (or "zone," as they're called in Kontakt) individually and cautiously in an effort to mitigate some of the issues that it can introduce into a mix. It's the only thing I can think to do at the moment
Do you notice this panning issue with woodwinds in particular?
I ask because woodwinds are inconsistent emitters; as the holes are opened, the sound is emitted in different directions and quantities, meaning the instrument will shift to the left and right channel in volume. This is particularly problematic in small, reflective spaces where interference patterns and standing waves within the audible range can easily form, causing one mic to be at a point of constructive or destructive interference, or when the mics are placed very close so that certain holes are much closer than others.
There is also of course the natural movement of musicians. Almost all musicians move somewhat while playing, especially in the course of a many-hour sampling session. I often rely on a visual sightline (e.g. 'this mic should line up with this floor tile' or 'these two mic stands should be in line'), but there are several times I have failed, or misaligned mics in the case of multi-day sessions (worst I can think of is one of the upright basses in VSCO 2).
One of the likely reasons older sample libraries are more subject to this issue is that they are often closer mic'd than newer libraries. If the mics are 6 feet (1.8m) away from the source, then they will pick up much less of the motion than if they were 2 feet (0.6 m), as the angle of the motion is less the further you move from the source. If a stereo mic array is very very close to the source it will be subject to major position shifts if the player so much as leans back/forward in their chair.
This is still a problem if the recording is mono too, just instead of having inconsistent panning, you can end up with inconsistent volume even when a note was played at the correct intensity.
Sample library developer, composer, and amateur organologist at Versilian Studios.
