ScottyDogg "Alternatively, does MT Power Drum let you set panning within the VST? If so, you could always set the panning there and then export a stereo track for song purposes (obviously you'd be very limited to mixing later but for demos etc. that'd be more than adequate"

The VST offers you two ways of doing this, one is this view (see image)

And you will see all the sub-tracks in your track view that can be controlled.

you also get this view you can click on each drum to hear the sound and this is also a visual representation of where they placed the drums in the stereo image

With harmonies I separate the high and higher and put them either side of the singer

Other considerations are to give your tracks EQ's so as to prevent your sound from muddying the track. For example on Bass you want a low pass filter, below the voice. I normally put all my instruments eventually though a single track and on this I use an EQ with a dip in the section of my vocal range. In my case 80 to about 250hz.

Additionally there is a lot of mud in the lower frequency ranges, boominess from acoustic guitars etc. All instruments need a HPF cutting off everything below 100 hz, except the Kick Drum

I like to visualise the sound as a 3d box(see image)

I finally found a pic of the first electric guitar I owned, no name Japanese fender lookalike

Here I am at age 14, 1976, on the left. The shadows were the flavour of the day at that time

NGD I picked up this Fender Paramount PM2 Parlor Guitar from Bothners Clearance Store in Cape Town. These are Fender's higher end hand made guitars, still in China, but the fit and finish is outstanding.
Specs

• Solid woods, this one Mahogany back and sides and neck
• Sitka Spruce Top,
• Rosewood fingerboard, Bridge and Headstock.
  -Quartersawn scalloped X bracing,
• Real bone nut and Saddle.
• It comes with a really snazzy guitar case.
• 1930's style Fender logo in Mother-of-pearl,
• binding all round, neck, head and top and bottom of the box
• 1960's style checkerboard Purfling and Rosette,
• 24.75" scale length
• Fender/Fishman specific preamp, tuned to each model shape
• Vintage style open tuners

It came with .12 strings that were quite rusted. I replaced them with .10's and setup the neck relief to the lighter strings. Apart from that the rest of the setup is superb, string height at 12th 2.5mm E to 1.5mm e. I checked the intonation and except for the G string that is minutely out the rest are spot on.

This baby playsbeautifully, hands complaining after 3 hour session yesterday afternoon:

For R6995 this is a superb guitar, all solid woods, exceptional build. The normal price online is about R14K.

There is another one there, a Rosewood back and sides, with Spruce top, only that one is in Sunburst, for R7999, that is the deluxe option. Unfortunately for me is I hate sunburst other would have taken it instead

NOTE: I did publish pics but you cant see them due a technical glitch on the forum

Strataxe, So if you change to a LP you will have to change your name then? ;-) Why not have both, a full range of tones.

I don't hold Fender to blame for any of their endorsements, rather Gibson have been the big bad brother lately. Try a Tokai (either Strat, Tele, or LP style)

I also have played from early teens, with similar histories to other stories here. Eventually bought a good guitar in my mid 20's then went cold again with family growing. The last 10 years I have been very actove playing daily, I love my music, it is my escape

This screams to be tuned to open G DGDGBD, and played with a slide

Bad to the Bone, Walking Blues (Clapton unplugged) Running on Faith (Clapton unplugged) etc

If it doesn't have a truss rod, I think light strings would not be heavy enough to give the neck some relief. It probably came out with 13s or 14s. It has a tailpiece so should be able to handle heavier strings, but take it easy when tuning for the first time.

Dire straits Romeo and Juliet is also played on an Open G resonator, capo 2nd or 3rd fret