6 min read
Stereo mixing for beginner editors: LoRo, panning, and simple balance
LoRo, panning, and stereo width are not just for music producers. Here is how beginner editors can make clean, balanced stereo mixes for video.
Most video deliverables are still stereo. YouTube, Vimeo, social media, and many broadcast specs accept stereo as the default. The problem is that beginner editors often treat stereo as two copies of the same mono signal. A real stereo mix gives each element a place in the left-right field.
What LoRo means for video
LoRo stands for Left Only / Right Only. It is a way to create a stereo mix from a surround source by panning some elements fully left and others fully right. For video work, the more useful version is simply a clean stereo mix where dialogues are centered, music spreads across the field, and effects sit in specific positions.
Panning rules of thumb
- Dialogue and voice-over: center, always.
- Music: full stereo width, left and right balanced.
- Sound effects: place where the action happens on screen.
- Ambience: wide stereo to fill the sides.
Keep mono compatibility in mind
Many viewers will watch your video on a phone with one speaker. If you pan an effect hard left and the phone only plays the right channel, the effect disappears. Always check your mix in mono after panning. Important sounds should stay close to the center or be present on both channels.
Use a simple LoRo downmix for surround sources
If you receive a 5.1 surround mix and need to deliver stereo, use a LoRo downmix. The left output gets the front left, center, and left surround. The right output gets the front right, center, and right surround. Center dialogue ends up in both channels, which is exactly what you want for stereo compatibility.