6.4 Reverberation and Ambience Effects 239 or ensemble you are sequencing for. Keep in mind that you can always find creative and original solu- tions when it comes to panning and that rules can be broken for creative reasons. Whereas low frequencies usually sound more natural if panned in the center, high frequencies can be panned at any degree, ranging from center to hard left or right. An example is the hi-hat and cymbals of the drum set. These instruments can help to open the stereo image if panned with more extreme settings. Crash and ride cymbals can be panned, respectively, hard left and hard right (or the other way round), just as in an acoustic drum kit. The same can be said for shakers, tambourines, and high-pitched percussion in general. The final goal of successful panning is to open up the stereo image of your mixes without creating unbalanced positioning of the instruments. By taking advantage of the entire stereo image and accu- rately planned and precise panning settings, you can greatly improve the intelligibility and clarity of the production. 6.4 reVerBerAtIOn AnD AMBIenCe eFFeCtS Another important aspect of mixing is the type and amount of reverb you apply to single instruments and sections to place them correctly in a natural ambience. Natural reverberation is produced by a buildup and complex blend of multiple reflections of the waveforms generated by a vibrating object (e.g., the string of a violin or the head of a snare drum). The reflections are generated when the waveforms bounce against the walls of an enclosure, such as a room, a stadium, or a theater. Depending on the size of the