Just wanted to share a super simple Ableton Live effects rack. Despite its simplicity, this is the rack I use the most (in fact it’s my default rack preset). It’s a stereo pan. Download it.

You see, Ableton Live strangely omits stereo panning while other DAWs such as Logic Pro and Pro Tools sensibly include it.

That thing that looks like a pan pot on the channel strip? Yeah that’s a balance control. It doesn’t actually let you manipulate a stereo signal, it just makes the left or right channel quieter. Stereo panning is different; it allows you to pan the left and right channel independently to any part of the stereo image.

I use this effects rack to tightly control the stereo image of my tracks and busses. And I never use Live’s balance control unless it’s on a mono track.

Installing the Stereo Pan effects rack

1. Download Stereo Pan.
2. Unzip the adg file.
3. Drag the adg file on to an effects chain and Ableton will place the rack for you.

Example usage

1. Instead of setting the balance control to 10 o’clock, try panning the left channel to 8 o’clock and the right channel to 12 o’clock.
2. Create a return track with a stereo ping pong delay. Usually these delayed signals are hard left and hard right. Place the Stereo Pan rack after the delay to position the two delayed signals wherever you like in the stereo field.

If you’re interested, check out some of my sounds.