Surround : Multichannel Tracks and Signal Routing : Paths in Surround Mixes : Extending Stereo Mixing Conventions to Surround Mixing

Extending Stereo Mixing Conventions to Surround Mixing
Stereo mixing sets the precedent for active and static panning, and surround mixing can benefit from the same basic principles.
Panning a sound back-and-forth between the left and right speakers is best used as a special effect. In a typical music mix, the basic tracks are placed in the stereo sound field and remain there.
Surround mixes can become incoherent if too many elements are continuously moving, For special effects, some tracks can be panned dynamically, bouncing between speakers or sweeping from one side to the other.