So I am working on a new CD. And as it turns out it's a lot more work than I had anticipated. But much I have learned, to use the grammatical phrasing of Yoda. Going through the process of recording has changed the way I listen to music.

Take the album Revolver as an example. I have always heard it as a great album. Probably a defining moment in rock history. What is surprising is what I hear now going on in the music that I missed before. Ipods are, in part, responsible for this. Listening to music through some kind of ear phone allows the listener to hear things not readily apparent on a stereo. At least not on my stereo. 

Panning in recording, I recently learned, is what makes stereo, stereo. When you hear the sounds coming out of one speaker more than the other either your stereo is screwed up or the music has been panned. This could also mean a reviewer has registered his or her displeasure. But in this case it just means the music is coming out of one speaker more than the other. For folks who have experience with recording this should not be any news. To me it is a revelation. 

Back to Revolver. Throughout the album panning is used heavily to create the sound of the album. In Taxman most of the music is panned to one side while the vocals to the other. In Eleanor Rigby Paul's voice is panned one way during the verse and then switches during the chorus and is doubled. In any case give a listen and try to pay attention to where the sound is coming from.  If you listen you will hear this technique applied throughout the album.

These guys had pretty rudimentary equipment to work with by modern standards. Digital recording had not been invented yet. They did however have George Martin. And themselves of course. And they used very simple techniques to create incredible music. There is a lesson there.