A Hands-On Guide to the n8/n12
Owner’s Manual
30
English
Panning and balancing
“Pan” is derived from “panorama” and is related to the
concept of a “stereo image.”
Panning creates the illusion of stereo space by changing
the relative levels of each track’s signal sent to the left and
right speakers. If a signal is sent to only the left speaker,
the sound will seem to come from the far left side of the
stereo sound field. Thus we feel as though the instrument is
being played on the left side. If a signal is sent at equal
levels to both left and right speakers, our ears will tell us
that the sound is located in the center of the stage. Not only
does the way you pan your individual channels determine
where the instruments seem to appear in the stereo sound
field, but it is also vital to give each instrument its own
“space” so that it does not conflict with other instruments.

■Panning a monaural track

Pan a monaural input channel signal by turning the [PAN]
control. Rotating the control clockwise raises the ratio of
signal sent to the R bus. Rotating the control counter-
clockwise raises the ratio of signal sent to the L bus.

■Adjusting the stereo track

balance

Adjust the left and right volume balance of stereo
channels. The odd channel signal will be sent to the L
bus, and the even channel signal to the R bus.
Mixing into stereo
Now it is time to “mix.” Adjust the volume balance
between the input channels and mix all channels into
the stereo bus.
The mixed signals will be output from the ST OUT jacks
and monitored through the Control Room section.
1.
Lower all channel faders all the way down.
It is usually a good idea to start with all channel
faders off. It is also possible to start with all faders at
their nominal settings, but it is too easy to lose
perspective (balance) with this approach.
Start with all faders down, then bring them up one by
one to fill out the mix with each instrument. In this
way, you can easily create a well-balanced mix.
2.
Make sure that the [ST] switch for the input
channels you plan to mix is turned on.
3.
Set the STEREO fader to the 0 position, and make
sure that the STEREO [ON] switch is on.
4.
Raise the input channel faders one by one.
Bring the fader of the most important channel up to
“0” (0 dB), then add the other instruments so that
you can build the mix around that part. This is a key
to a well-balanced mix.
5.
Adjust the STEREO fader while keeping your
eyes on the MASTER LEVEL meter to avoid
overloading the input signals.
The output level of the stereo mix varies depending
on the input channel mix balance. To create a mix
with a wide dynamic range, bring up the STEREO
fader as high as possible without illuminating the
OVER LED of the MASTER LEVEL meter.
After you finish shaping the tone of each instrument, set
the stereo image for each channel and balance the
overall sound. Sometimes you may want to deliberately
pan sounds close together, or even right on top of each
other to emphasize their relationship. There are no hard-
and-fast rules. A good tip is to pan low-range instruments
and any parts that are very important to the song to the
center; meanwhile, pan other instruments left and right
as symmetrically as possible. Normally (but this is not a
rule) lead vocal, solo instruments, bass, bass drum, and
snare drums will be panned to the center.
When you are using the n8/n12 as a live SR mixer, if
you pan the signals or set the stereo balance hard
left or hard right, the mix may not sound well-
balanced to an audience sitting close to the left or
right speakers. Use pan and balance with caution
because mixes will sound different in live SR
environments and recording environments.
STEREO BUS L
STEREO BUS R
INPUT CHANNEL(MONO)
PAN
INPUT A
INPUT B
STEREO BUS L
STEREO BUS R
INPUT CHANNEL(STEREO)
BALANCE
R
L
NOTE