Music Production
Find attenuation or boosts for centre, left, and right positions based on your chosen pan law.
Prevent unexpected volume jumps or dips when adjusting stereo panning.
Pan law is the relationship between panning position and the amplitude of left and right channels in a stereo mix. When you pan a mono signal from center to one side, pan law determines whether the overall loudness stays constant, increases, or decreases—a subtle but critical detail affecting mix coherence and perceived loudness. Different pan law standards (-3dB, -6dB, 0dB) create different power balance characteristics. Understanding pan law is essential for creating balanced stereo mixes where panned elements maintain consistent loudness, preventing the mix from becoming quieter as material spreads across the stereo field. Professional mixers and studios often follow specific pan law standards for consistency.
Pan law describes how amplitude scales across left and right channels as you move the pan knob. At center (0.0 pan), both channels output equally. Moving the pan knob to the right increases the right channel while decreasing the left. The pan law determines the rate of this change. Equal-power pan law (-3dB) maintains perceived loudness as you pan; equal-amplitude pan law (0dB) keeps the sum constant but loudness changes. Modern DAWs default to -3dB pan law, which most engineers prefer.
Left Level (dB) = −√(1 − pan) and Right Level (dB) = −√(pan) for equal-power (-3dB) pan law, where pan ranges from 0 (left) to 1 (right). Equal-amplitude (0dB) pan law uses: Left = 1 − pan and Right = pan. Conversion: -3dB ≈ 0.707 (square root of 0.5).
-3dB pan law (equal-power) maintains perceived loudness as you pan—the center position is slightly boosted to compensate. 0dB pan law (equal-amplitude) keeps the mathematical sum constant. Most engineers prefer -3dB because material at center matches panned material in loudness. The difference becomes apparent when monitoring closely.
Pan law primarily affects dry signal panning. Reverb returns (usually centered and not panned) aren't affected. However, when panning instrument sends/returns, pan law determines whether the effect stays proportionally balanced. Consider pan law when setting up complex effect routing and stem mixing.
Typically no—kick drum remains dead center for clarity and impact. Bass content should be centered to avoid phase issues in mono playback. Occasional subtle panning (5-10%) can add space, but aggressive kick panning destabilizes mixes. Reserve panning for mid/high-frequency instruments.
Create a test: pan a sine wave fully left, then fully right, then center. With -3dB pan law, center should sound the same loudness as the panned versions. If center is noticeably louder or quieter, your pan law may be misconfigured. Check your DAW's audio preferences or documentation.
