Spatial positioning, often referred to as panning, is a crucial aspect of audio engineering that determines the placement of sound sources in a virtual soundstage. This article helps you understand how you can use panning to achieve the best results.
We recommend the video version of this article:~
YouTube: Get Started with Panning
Why Panning?
Panning, the act of distributing sound sources across the stereo field, plays a crucial role in enhancing the auditory experience. Imagine you're part of a vocal trio; rather than having all voices centered, distributing them spatially can create a more natural and immersive soundscape, enriching the overall listening experience.
Set Up Your Channels (Mono vs. Stereo)
Understanding how to configure your channels is essential for optimal spatial positioning. In JackTrip, it's crucial to differentiate between mono and stereo sound sources.
Stereo sources already contain spatial information across two channels, making them unsuitable for traditional panning. Instead, indicate stereo sources in your JackTrip input device settings to preserve their spatial integrity.
For mono sources, such as individual instruments or microphones, designate them as one or two mono sound sources to ensure they are treated as separate entities in the spatial mix.
Input Device Settings in JackTrip's Desktop App
Configuring Spatial Positioning in JackTrip
If you'd like, you can additionally add spatial positioning through Soundscapes, JackTrip's powerful audio processing engine [detailed Soundscapes article here].
To configure spatial positioning in JackTrip, begin by selecting an appropriate studio preset that complements your ensemble, such as "Small Choir." This preset enhances the audio by adding different links to the signal chain, including reverb, subtle compression, and a spatial pan link tailored for ensemble performances.
To see and edit the processing links of the presets, simply click on "Manage Soundscape" button (highlighted in red below) to edit the pan links yourself.
Sound tab in the Studio Menu with preset selection and Soundscapes access
Here, you'll find different panning modules, including Normal Pan, Circular Pan, and Spherical Pan. Each module offers unique spatial effects to suit various scenarios.
Please note that inserting one of these Pan modules in Soundscapes will pan the audio of all participants to unique different location. The different positions will be assigned automatically. Note that stereo inputs from every participant will be summed to mono and re-panned in the virtual space. Thus, there might be scenarios where you do not want to use a Panning link, but rather preserve the stereo field.
-
Normal Pan: Positions each musician in a simple stereo field, suitable for mono sound sources. This module is ideal when all participants send mono signals, as it ensures balanced spatial distribution without compromising stereo integrity.
-
Circular Pan: Positions each musician circularly in a binaural stereo field. Delivers spatial audio by leveraging time delays and Head-Related Transfer Functions (HRTFs) to mimic natural human sound perception. With Circular Pan, sound sources are positioned in a three-dimensional space circularly around the listener, offering a more immersive listening experience.
- Spherical Pan: Positions each musician in a fully spherically surrounding sphere in a binaural field. Delivers spatial audio by leveraging time delays and Head-Related Transfer Functions (HRTFs) to mimic natural human sound perception. With Circular Pan, sound sources are positioned in a three-dimensional space spherically around the listener, offering a more immersive listening experience.
Soundscapes' list of processing links on the input signal chain.
Experiment with different panning modules to find the optimal spatial configuration for your ensemble. Adjust the positioning angles to achieve the desired spatial separation while maintaining coherence and clarity in the audio mix.
Examples
As mentioned before, it makes most sense to pan mono sound sources, not stereo sources. Why? Because Stereo sounds are already spatial! Here are a few examples that we recommend you understand to make more informaed decisions about panning in JackTrip.
- Example 1
You have a stereo sound source, e.g. two overhead microphones for your drum set (one on the left, one on the right). It's already a spatial stereo sound that you capture, and you don't want to use a panning module! Thus, in JackTrip's Audio Input Device Settings, you would simply select 'Stereo', and all other musicians would hear your stereo sound perfectly.
Please note that other participants will probably have difficulties hearing you talk, as you don't have a separate voice microphone for communication. Your overheads might pick up your voice only very quietly. Thus, we recommend an external mixer, to which you can connect more than two microphones. You could mix it the way you want and would simply send the stereo sum to JackTrip. - Example 2
You have a mono sound source (e.g., your guitar connected to input 1 of your audio interface), and maybe even another mono sound source (e.g. your vocal microphone connected to input 2 of your audio interface).
You would thus select the two connected inputs of your audio interface in JackTrip's Audio Input Device Settings, and select 'Mix to Mono'. This way, your guitar and your voice will both appear in the middle.
Note: If you would select 'Stereo' with this setup, your guitar would be panned hard-left, and your vocals would be panned hard-right, since they would be wrongly interpreted as a joint stereo signal. - Example 3: Think of your setup to be exactly like the one in Example 2, but you're willing to spatially separate your two inputs (guitar and vocals) to different spatial positions.
Thus, you could choose a Soundscape preset with a pan link, or you add a pan link in Soundscapes yourself, which takes everyone's input channels (including your two inputs), and separately pans them to a new location in a virtual space.
Note: Since pan links overwrite stereo information (for everyone), we recommend that you use pan links with caution if other participants connected stereo signals.
Conclusion
We hope this article helped you understand spatial positioning in general and how to apply it in JackTrip.
We recommend you think in the following order:
- Are my inputs Mono or Stereo? (-> select that in the Audio Device Settings)
- Are other participant's inputs/instruments Mono or Stereo?
- Based on this knowledge, would it be beneficial to add a panning module?
Experiment with different panning techniques, and don't hesitate to reach out to our support team for assistance. Unlock the full potential of spatial audio with JackTrip!