Pro Tools provides 3-Knob mode as an additional way to input pan moves.
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Pan in straight lines, moving the Pan Location cursor using the Position rotary knobs with full movement of front, rear, and front-rear position.For example, when panning front-left to rear-right in 3-Knob mode, audio will be heard from just those two speakers (assuming full divergence is in effect).By comparison, in X/Y mode a diagonal pan may result in audio being heard in some or all channels.The difference is that 3-Knob mode pans discretely between the front and rear position of the panning trajectory, while X/Y mode panning takes place in the full 360° Panning Grid. Divergence and Center Percentage are variable in both Panning modes.
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Click on the Panning Mode button until the 3-Knob mode icon is displayed.
The panner trajectory line appears across the Grid, extending from the front (X-axis) to the rear (Y-axis).1 Adjust the Front and Rear Position knobs to set the trajectory line.2 Rotate the Front/Rear Position knob to pan along the trajectory. The Pan Location cursor is constrained to the white trajectory line.To change the 3-Knob trajectory angles, do one of the following:
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Drag either end point (Front or Rear) of the trajectory line.To change the current trajectory position (left-to-right) and retain its current angles:
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Drag the trajectory line (not its end points) to a new position.