I do everything in the box but.... I typically compress then EQ. I just think when you compress you change the tone of the source so it makes sense to EQ after. I am a recording retard so my advice doesn't count.

think of it this way...

If you compress after you might be negating a lot of your EQ boosts. I say might because sometimes this is what you want. Say for instance you have a bass track. You EQ it to sound a lot thumpier in tone but now certain notes stick out a lot more than others. Compress it afterwards to tame those notes. Basically this way you are using it as an automated volume control to level out the drastic volume increases resulting from those EQ boosts. I usually use compression first and then EQ but there is no right or wrong.

It's probably more common to EQ after compression, but there certainly is good merit for doing it the other way around.

As Rain states - compressing after eq can simply squash those newly boosted notes back down. *BUT* it certainly ain't transparent when it does.

When you boost a bass frequency heavily and then feed it into a compressor, you now have the compressor responding to those notes first (or completely, depending upon threshold and speed of attack/release). This is a good way to thicken bass rather than just boost it.

This is similar to how a sidechain works when patched out to an EQ.

The trick is, play around with different signal flows and see which you like. Chances are, you'll learn a lot while doing it and find applications where "odd routings" make all the difference in the world.

J.

I do both
and generally use the hi-pass and low-pass filter before comp

and use EQ in the side chain of the comp

I do both also. It really depends on what I'm going for. Or I try both ways and see what I like better. To me EQing first sounds a little more compressed especially when it is a boost in the high-mids or highs; not necessarily a bad thing, sometimes it's appropriate. Compressing first generally sounds more natural. Don't be afraid to experiment.

I tend to use corrective EQ (overtones, hiss, rumble, blah, blah...) before compression and shaping EQ ("air," rolloffs/rollups, etc.) after compression.

Not a rule, but a rule of thumb.