I would add effects after regardless of what it is. Plugins have come a long way. There are some great convolution delays out there. What you add when you record, you can't take away.

I have done both but my preference is, like Hueseph, afterwards especially for time based effects delay and reverb. The exception usually is if I am adding a lead track to nearly complete project and the guitarist dials in some especially good sound, even then I usually ask to track it again without.

This is definitely a June Allison with a six pack of beer ("depends") situation. There are some effects - e.g. rockabilly slap back and surf guitar reverb - that are so much a part of the performance that I can't imagine doing them without a hardware effect. You just would not have the same feel. But as was said above the plugins sound better than all but the best stomp boxes.

for my own recordings,my chain is set before it hits the mic. i have to hear the final sound as im recording it as it affects the way i play it.
especially for lead.
i guess it would depend on the player and the material beeing recorded.

If yer' gonna track, you halfta' track responsibly.

(Remember... Friends don't let friends, mix monitors!)

Just a lil' slap of reality here...

If yer' "man enough" to make the decision... make the decision and go on.

Ultimately, Bob's dead on... the genre' dictates what you're doing... kinda'...

but that's really falling under the jurisdiction of Rule #32.

Which states: "if it can be said, it can be said with a picture"

So... what picture are you painting?

If you don't know.... then probably not...

Rules are sometimes made to be broken...

Its a pretty straight forward progressive metal song... i'm going to double track the guitars, 2x Left and 2x Right.

So... do 8 tracks... 4 with FX and 4 without... then you've gotten the whole permutation to choose from.

Any delay plug-ins you recommend ?

EchoBoy and Anthology are two of my fav's.... then too, so is dragging a duped track.

Dupe and drag. Ahhh, the things you can do to something you've made out of nothing....

I'm surprised no ones mentioned reamping yet. I don't mind the sound of a good stompbox, I think the giga delay is very nice, even though its not true bypass, I think it beats a DL4 any day (I own both). But the problem is setting them up perfect prior to tracking. Or which is often the case with delays on guitars, setting them up imperfectly perfect. I like to reamp because it allows me plenty of time to work out the pedals, amp settings, and mic placements. So why not (if you've got the money and time) get the two DI's you need, split the signal out of the guitar, one can go through the players many noisey pedals into the amp, and the other can go straight in? That way, the player will be able to respond to the effects and his "sound" intuitively, but you can always go back to make it sound better? Out of laziness and a slight desire to want a perfect sound, I cannot live without reamping.

The cons of this of course, is putting off another bunch of decisions. They stack up quick and can make for future headaches.

I know this has already been stated, but I'm also in a metal band and I also record us.....i NEVER track with FX on, I always add them in the mix. for this genre anyway

This ain't rocket surgery...

It's a trend to track nakid and without fx.

It gives you a lot of freedom, true... but what you do with that freedom is often a problem in itself...

Again, the only REAL "Rule", is that there are no rules.

Do what you think... but the most important thing in the room when you track, is the 6" between yer' ears.

If you're unable to commit a certain sound to tape, then don't, and deal with it later... or you know what you want/gotta have - cause the song tells you so... and you track it already done and committed.

Or... you find someone that will make that decision for you and let them produce.

I usually apply the effects after so that the effects match the tempo of the song.