Pan-Pot Interview: Recording Shakers In The Studio

We’re excited to present yet another video in our studio production series from Riverside Studios in Berlin. This time, production duo Pan-Pot show off a few clever techniques for recording handheld shakers and mixing them in a track, as well as share why it’s important to get a solid rhythmic take on shakers and not rely Ableton’s warp features to clean up a take.

A few highlighted tips from the video:

The shakers used in the video are made by Meinl Percussion – who make a variety of shakers. Check out the brand on Amazon to see some of the many types available.
The mic should be positioned further back from the shaker, with the gain turned down on the preamp – it’s a loud input signal.
Avoid warping a take of shakers after the fact – it’s better sounding to get a well-done take so that the sound is consistent in the mix
For dynamics, a low-cut EQ on all sizes of shakers will help, and compression sidechained to the kick drum can make a shaker sound solid. When two shakers are in the mix at the same time, pan them and create a physical space for the sound.

Sounds From Pan-Pot

Want to get a feel for what type of music Pan-Pot is making these days, with and without shakers? Check out some of their recent sounds:

Want to watch more tutorials from the Riverside Studios series? Check out some of the best below: