Overview of the Logic Pro Surround Panner

You use the Surround Panner in Logic Pro to place track output signals at specific speaker positions. You can use the Surround Panner directly in a channel strip, but it is better to open it in a separate window.

You can open multiple Surround Panner windows simultaneously and save them in screensets. If the Link button in the header of the Surround Panner window is enabled (Single mode), the window shows the surround mode and current settings for the selected channel strip.

The Surround Panner has three operation modes (mono, stereo, and surround), depending on the channel strip input format. It provides different parameters when used in mono-to-surround and stereo-to-surround channels. When used on surround-to-surround channels, the Surround Panner acts as a surround balancer control. See Surround Panner parameters in Logic Pro.

The Surround Panner is also used on bed tracks when mixing in spatial audio. Object tracks use the 3D Object Panner to position and move their signals in three-dimensional space.

Figure. Stereo to Surround Panner window.

Open the Surround Panner window

In Logic Pro, double-click the Surround Panner control of a channel strip.
The Surround Panner window provides a magnified view of the channel strip’s Surround Panner, and contains additional parameters.

Use the Surround Panner on mono input channel strips

If the channel strip input format is set to mono, the window acts as a mono-to-surround panner.

The graphical surround field in mono-to-surround mode controls the surround routing of the input signal to speaker outputs. The level sliders and fields below the surround field provide independent control of the Center and LFE channel levels. The separation controls allow you to precisely control the separation between channels.

In Logic Pro, do any of the following:
- Drag the puck in the graphical surround field to change the diversity and angle.
  - Circular movement changes the angle.
  - The distance from the center of the surround field changes the diversity.
- Press and hold the Command key while moving the puck to restrict changes to the diversity value.
- Press and hold the Command and Control keys while moving the puck to restrict changes to the angle value.

Use the Surround Panner on stereo input channel strips

If the channel strip input format is set to stereo, the window acts as a stereo-to-surround panner.

The graphical surround field in stereo-to-surround mode has three pan pucks: a puck for the left (L) signal, a puck for the right (R) signal, and a third puck (a dot), which controls both the L and R pucks as a group. It also offers a Spread field in the upper-right corner, which controls the stereo width of the signal.

In Logic Pro, do any of the following:

Drag the L or R puck in the graphical surround field to move the other pucks in a symmetrical fashion.
Drag the dot puck to move both the L and R pucks, while maintaining a given spread.
- Circular movement changes the angle.
- The distance from the center of the surround field changes the diversity.
Press and hold the Command key while moving the pucks to restrict changes to the diversity value.
Press and hold the Command and Control keys while moving the pucks to restrict changes to the angle value.

The circular bars around the graphical surround field indicate which speakers will carry the respective signal source; the closer to the center a puck is moved, the wider its corresponding bar gets (the greater its diversity, in other words).

Use the Surround Balancer on surround input channel strips

If the channel strip input format is set to surround, the Surround Panner acts as a surround balancer control.

Source channels are passed on to their respective output channels (speaker positions) without any cross-panning or mixing. The pan control is represented by a single puck (a dot), which affects the multichannel source signal as a whole.

In surround balancer mode, the Separation parameters are not available and the Diversity parameter is replaced by Amount.

Drag the puck to change the relative volume balance of the source signal.
- Circular movement changes the angle.
- The distance from the center of the surround field changes the amount.
Press and hold the Command key while moving the puck to restrict changes to the amount value.
Press and hold the Command and Control keys while moving the puck to restrict changes to the angle value.

Download the guides:

Logic Pro User Guide: Apple Books | PDF

Logic Pro Instruments: Apple Books | PDF

Logic Pro Effects: Apple Books | PDF

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