This staging technique places rhythm guitar tracks fully to the extreme left and right sides of the stereo field. By spreading distinct acoustic or electric guitar performances to the outer boundaries, the center of the mix remains unobstructed. This separation yields a wide stereo image while reserving clear space for central elements like lead vocals, bass, and drums.
How the songs in the archive use it
Sweater Weather uses clean, interlocking guitars panned hard left and right to leave the center open for vocals and sub-bass, and Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me) frames its mono core with wide-panned electric and acoustic tracks. In Have a drink on me, cleaner dynamic playing on the left interlocks with saturated tracks on the right, while Rise layers rhythm guitars on the extremes to build a dense wall of sound.
How to do it in Logic Pro
Positions separate takes of rhythm guitar parts hard to the far left and far right edges of the stereo field. Use this technique to create an expansive, wide stereo spread while keeping the center open for bass and lead vocals.
Record two separate, tight takes of the same rhythm guitar part onto two dedicated audio tracks.
Set the Pan control on the first rhythm guitar channel strip to full left (-63).
Set the Pan control on the second rhythm guitar channel strip to full right (+63).
Route both audio tracks to a stereo summing Track Stack to control their overall group volume together.
A general method with Logic Pro's own plug-ins. Control names are checked against Apple's manual; the values are starting points, so adjust them by ear.
Songs that use it (4)
What each track sheet's analysis found, with the sheet's own score. Analysis, not verified credits.
Sweater Weather by The NeighbourhoodHard-Panned Arpeggio Geometry: Interlocking clean single-coil guitars hard-panned left and right carve a clear spectral hollow for centered dry vocals and sub-bass.Sheet score 8/10 · Source given: Mixdown spatial evaluation · Open the full track sheet
Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me) by TrainStereo Width Expansion: Wide-panned acoustic and electric guitars framing a strong, locked mono core (Kick, Snare, Bass, Lead Vocal, Piano).Sheet score 8/10 · Source given: Mix Acoustic Analysis · Open the full track sheet
Have a drink on me by AC/DCFeatures the classic "AC/DC weave": Malcolm Young's slightly cleaner, highly dynamic rhythm guitar on the left, interacting rhythmically with Angus Young's more saturated rhythm/lead tracks on the right.Open the full track sheet
Want these sounds in your own mixes? Every song above has a full track sheet with its signal chains and a step-by-step recreation for your DAW. Open Track DiveAll techniques