Width, Depth and Height in a Mix

• Think of a Mix in 3 Dimensions

Width

• Width is Determined by the Sounds Placed in Various from Left to Right

• a Mix can Sound Wider if Major of the Instrument are Centered while 1 or 2 Instruments are Put to Stereo

• you can Use Panning or Stereo Effects to Achieve the Results

• of Course Automation on Effects can Make the Signal Change Over Time, e.g. Increase Wet Level to Push Signal Back or Viceversa 

Panning for Width Test 1

• Test this by Putting Everything to the Middle but then Pan 2 Instruments Hard Left and Hard Right

• i.e. Make Mono Drums, Center the Bass, Put Instruments / Vocal to the Middle and then Pan 2 Chose Extra Instruments Hard Left and Hard Right

• Notice that the Effect is More Dramatic of the Chosen Instruments are Different, i.e. 2 Similar Guitar Takes Spread Hard Left / Right will Not Make the Mix Sound as Wide as 1 Guitar and 1 Piano Spread Hard Left / Right

Panning for Width Test 2

• When 2 New Sounds Coming In (Transitions in Pairs), Pan Them Hard Left/Right 

• or Do Some Phase Trickery to Really Widen Up the Song

Reverb for Width Test

• Dry Up Everything in the Mix, i.e. Disable Send FX and / or Try to Disable Any FX or Printed Hall

• but Chose 1 or 2 Elements and Add a Dedicated Stereo Reverb to Make the Whole Mix Sound Wider

Depth

• Depth is Determined of How Much Transient Energy You Let Through and the Amount of Compression

• i.e. the More Transients You Let Through the Closer the Signal is, Viceversa the More you Compress the Transients the More the Signal is Pushed Back

• Scoop Out the Midrange to Push a Signal Back in the Mix (i.e. pull a Sound Away from You)

• Use Delay / Reverb to Put Sound More to the Back

• Increase Brightness on the EQ or Delay / Reverb will Bring the Signal Closer Again

• if You Record via Room Mics You Could Place a Stereo Mic Back in the Room to Capture More Room Sound and thus Push the Signal Further Away

Height

• Quasi the Bass at the Bottom and the Treble on Top Forms the Height

• i.e. when you Filter Out the Treble Information you Put a Sound More to the Bottom

• Viceversa Take Away Low Frequencies Brings s Sound More to the Middle of the Height

• Remember that you can Do this on All 3 Channels, i.e. Create Sense of Height in the Left, Center and Right Channel which Gives you 6 Different Options to Place a Sound

• What you can also Do is to Change the Height by Changing the Octave (or Inversion), e.g. Place the Bass an Octave Higher on the Chorus vs the Bridge

• Different Height can also be Achieved by Using a Darker and a Brighter HiHat or Ex-Change Them to Change Height During the Song