Fuller Soundscapes

[Dr. Rod]

Hi, I was wondering what are the best production techniques for making a pad or instrument seem fuller? I know about reverb and delay, but are there any other effects / methods of sequencing / panning methods that are commonly used?

[OverCoat]

EQ is probably the most effective... effect, but compositionally you could layer the pad in octaves... whatever you call it...add moar harmonies

[Mia]

You could try chorus.

[Hy Bound]

If you're using simple synths/pad sounds, its probably best to layer several of them in different octaves. If you're using a more complex pad sound, like, say, Absynth or something that prides itself on being a very complex texturizing tool, just doing different chords with it should do the trick.

As far as effects, Chorus and Doubler make it a bit wider. You can also try and double the track and place a phaser on the second track and then cross-fade it back and forth with panning automation/modulation. Another cool little effect is adding a send effect with reverb and then lightly phase the reverb; it adds a pretty cool texture that should widen it up a bit.

But really, nothing is better than judicial use of layering sounds. Try a relatively mono, low-end pad layered with a stereo mid-range pad and a widened high-end pad. I use this kind of thing a lot and it really makes pads awesomely wide and fits with how most people master their music.

[statas]

stereo detune- makes the sound seem wider, and the detuning tends to add a sense of movement to the pad.

(this also works awesome on bass, just make sure that you bounce back to mono if you are going to get pressed on vinyl.)

[Fray]

Some nice deep bass pads can make a big difference too. Doesn't have to be real loud or anything.