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By default, channels of 2D sounds and music are assigned directly to the corresponding channels of their output bus, regardless of the position or orientation of the listener or game object. You can, however, use the 2D Panner to balance the volume of each channel within the sound or music object so that they can be heard in varying levels through the channels of an output bus.

The 2D Panner contains a two dimensional graph view with x and y coordinates that simulates the "pan" and "fade" controls of a car panner. You can drag the black circle that represents the point source anywhere within this graph view to change the amount of power routed to the channels of the output bus.

The actual power distribution depends on the output bus configuration. For example, the y coordinate has no effect when the output bus is stereo. Note that side speakers of a 7.1 configuration are at their maximum level when the black circle is in the middle.

Some sounds, such as character voices, are key to the game play, so you may want to route their signals to the center speaker to ensure audibility. The Center % controls allow you to define the amount of the signal that will pass through the center speaker. For more information on using the Center % controls, refer to Routing Audio Signals to the Center Speaker.

	Note
	The Center % property has no impact on motion FX objects.

2D sounds and music can be used for a variety of purposes in your game, for example, menu sounds and character voices. They also use less CPU and memory, so you may want to consider using 2D sounds in situations where memory or CPU usage are issues.

2D Positioning for Motion FX Objects

For less sophisticated motion devices, such as game controllers, you should use 2D positioning without panning because the motors within these devices cannot simulate a 3D environment. There may be some situations, however, where you might want to reduce the intensity of a motion signal based on the proximity of the source. In these cases, you can set the positioning of your motion FX object to 3D and then use the attenuation settings.

To define the channels of a 2D sound, music, or motion FX object:

1. Load a top-level object into the Property Editor.

2. Switch to the Positioning tab.

   	Note
   	If the object is not a top-level object, you must select the Override parent option before you can set the Positioning options.

3. Select the 2D option.

   The 2D positioning controls become available.

4. If you want to pan the signal to a speaker or motor other than the default front left and front right, select the Enable Panner check box.

5. Click Edit to open the 2D Position Editor.

6. Drag the black circle, which represents the point source, to any position within the 2D plane.

   The volume or intensity of each channel will be adjusted to simulate the position you specified.

	Note
	You can specify exact values using the X and Y coordinate text boxes.

Related Topics

• Working with 3D Sound, Music, and Motion FX Objects

• Routing Audio Signals to the Center Speaker