Updated - Movin to Sante Fe with Fruition - Mix 5

[Mixinthecloud]

just sending one guitar/channel to Santa fe doesn't make for a coherent mix ,humans have two ears and depth perception depends on the brain being able to triangulate signals ,if you pan things sooo wide that each (widely panned instrument) is effectively reaching the ears from one source you end up with a flat, one dimensional 'mix'

There is a technique called LCR which places things only in one of those positions and nothing in between. It has been a mainstay for years in the mixing universe and lots of depth perception can result from this technique. I did not use this fully in this mix as my guitars are panned 75% right and left. The rest of the illusion is created by reverb and early reflection panning.

Depth perception in a stereo field is generated by modifying the various ratios of direct/indirect sound, panning, level, eq, delay and reverb. With all those variables, there is a lot you can do and lot you can screw up. There is also mid-side processing, which is a relatively new tech (originally a microphone technique using an omni and a figure 8 mic) and was used in the mastering of my mixes for this song. Take away the panning (meaning mono) and the front to back depth should still be there. I try very hard to have my mono mixes translate my environment accurately. However, not all mixes are required to maintain any sense of reality so exaggerating the separation of instruments is often a goal of spatial treatments; enhancing the clarity of individual parts, which is easier to do in ballads and simple ensemble arrangements.

While a frequency following, dynamic eq can be part of the equation, it is by no means anything definitive of all of the possibilities of environment creation.

Thanks for your comments.