Producer’s Guide

Get your head around stereo width principles

Since the advent of dual speaker setups, producers and mix engineers have consistently pushed the boundaries of stereo manipulation. From the classic Beatles mixes featuring unsettlingly-wide hard-panning, through to modern electronic tracks that employ reverbed basses and insane auto-panning parts, stereo mixing techniques are possibly the most essential – and often misunderstood – aspects of a well-crafted mixdown.

But without the exact combination of width, stereo interest and mono compatibility, you can easily end up with a track that’s either too narrow or too wide. Striking that perfect balance is tough, and can take even the most seasoned studio pros years to get right.

Over the next few pages, then, we’re going to dive further into the world of stereo width. We’ll show you a handful of tricks for widening and panning sounds like a pro, as well as some general approaches that can instantly be applied to your latest mix.