Pan law determines how the volume is adjusted when a signal is panned from centre to one side. Without compensation, a centre-panned signal sums to +3 dB louder than a hard-panned signal. Pan law attenuates the centre position to compensate, maintaining consistent perceived loudness across the stereo field.

Which pan law should I use?

-3 dB (equal power) is the most common and works well for most mixing situations. -4.5 dB is a compromise that some engineers prefer. -6 dB (linear) works best for signals that will be summed to mono. Most DAWs default to -3 dB.

What is the difference between equal power and linear panning?

Equal power (-3 dB) uses sine/cosine curves to maintain constant power across the pan range — it sounds most natural for most material. Linear (-6 dB) uses straight-line attenuation and maintains constant voltage sum — better for mono compatibility but can sound slightly louder at the extremes.

How does pan law affect mono compatibility?

With -3 dB pan law, summing stereo to mono can cause centre-panned content to increase by up to +3 dB. With -6 dB pan law, centre content stays the same level when summed to mono. The -4.5 dB compromise splits the difference.

AudioCalcs

Pan Law Calculator — Channel Level from Pan Position

Calculate channel levels for different pan law settings (-3dB, -4.5dB, -6dB).

Pan Position

-100 = hard left, 0 = centre, +100 = hard right

Pan Law

How We Calculate This

-3 dB (Equal Power)

Left = cos(pan × π/2), Right = sin(pan × π/2)

Where pan is normalised 0 (left) to 1 (right). At centre (0.5), both channels are at cos(45°) = 0.707 = -3 dB.

-6 dB (Linear)

Left = 1 - pan, Right = pan

At centre, both channels are at 0.5 = -6 dB.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Last updated: February 2026

All calculations are estimates based on standard formulas. Always verify results for critical applications.