eq pre or post compression

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The traditional "rule of thumb" that I was taught was DeEsser->Compressor->EQ.  I now feel that rule is outdated and agree with the other folks here, but I thought it was worth mentioning...  Obviously this pertains to vocals specifically.  The idea being that one should tame the HF transients before hitting the compressor, also to get the vocal nice and thick and even sounding before EQing it for presence.  My modification to this idea is another compressor (or limiter) after the EQ to slam it all to hell.  But that's just me and the pop music stylings my clients call for.

Ain't no rule that wasn't meant to be broken.  Enjoy your experimentation.
 
well, take the "telephone vocal" effect for example...

hi and low cuts cranked, boost the 1 to 3k area like mad.

listen.   think of a spectrograph.  some of those sounds are
right in the middle of the boosted area.
some are pretty much out of the boost band.

some of the ones in the boost can be loud and annoying, most out
of the boost can be lost, but the effect is there

now compress after the eq and you can get it to sit rather evenly.
the effect is now usable.

O.K. that's and extreem case, but...

the same can go for the different registers in the sound of and instrument.

the harmonic content and envelope is what gives each instrument it's sound,
so many of our tools are designed to mess with those two properties...

season to taste is a matter of taste

 
QUEEF BAG said:
well, take the "telephone vocal" effect for example...

..snip...

season to taste is a matter of taste

That's all very well, but change one thing and you'll like something different...

Whatever gets you what you want, is what you want.
 
if I'm mixing in PT, I'll do eq cuts before compression and boosts after compression as a general rule of thumb.

if I'm on a console, I'll a/b between pre/post and call it on which sounds better

every blue moon I'll boost heavy into a comp to get it to do something "cool" then cut out the boosts post comp (effect?... I dunno, sometimes it works)

all I have to say is that when I'm mixing in PT I spent more time dicking with plugins than mixing... tis a tragedy when you look at your lead vocal track and count 7 plugins on it.

 
Depends on whether you need to compress the eq or eq the compressor.
track-26amp3B-field-shot-discus-hammer-throw.jpg
 
if you think that some frequency fight with the compressor, eq it first, and if you think that your compressed sound lack of something, put eq after, that's how i do it  :)
 
How bout a chain for the first decade of the 21st century:

MIC -> PRE/HPF -> COMP -> EQ -> A/D -> ITB-DeEss -> ITB-EQ -> ITB-COMP -> ITB-EQ -> D/A -> OTB-COMP/EQ -> PASSIVE-SUMMING -> PRE -> BUS-COMP/EQ -> A/D

All settings very minimal with no GR more than 1 or 2 db of course...

Best,
jonathan
 
There are no "rules" ... throw that book out of the window  ;D

If we think that we should follow "rules" then we are probably in the wrong business !!

MM.
 
This subject has already been debated on another forum.
The Wise said: Everything is Volume.
So, change the Volume first, and then change the Volume.
Tip: You may want to adjust the final Volume to taste.
Caveat: the actual Volume may be affected.  ;D
 
abbey road d enfer said:
This subject has already been debated on another forum.
The Wise said: Everything is Volume.
So, change the Volume first, and then change the Volume.
Tip: You may want to adjust the final Volume to taste.
Caveat: the actual Volume may be affected.  ;D

;D ;D ;D absolutely true

But i find myself changing volume (deessing) first, then changing volume again (EQ), then changing volume once again (compress) and maybe another serial volume change (say my mnats 1176 after my d-la2a).

The "de-esser first" is probably the only rule i swear by, regarding this topic. Whatever "De-esser" means. Trim, gain, pre fader automation, maybe trim down the esses in melodyne (i use to do lots of syllabe-by-syllabe gain trimming to keep every word upfront)

But there are some occasions where i want it to pump or where compression doesn´t sound affected by the EQ, so in this case i usually don´t give a s#it about EQ/Comp order, whatever sounds good.
 
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