praecox wrote: ..... why to use EQ after the compressor? what is the benefit? can someone explain it to me?

You can put the EQ either before or after, theres no right or wrong way as you may know.... but it does depend on the situation.... However, as per your question, the primary reason for putting the compressor pre-EQ is so that you can play with the EQ alot during tracking when your recording a voice or instrument.

If you diddle with the EQ's.... it completely messes up your compressor settings (you would have to adjust the input trim, the output trim, the threshold or the ratio or any combination thereof depending on need).... and then you'd have to change the compressor settings each and every time you played with the EQ.... and thats just way too much work to be doing.

In addition, its generally not good practice to put the compressor on the output either if your running an effects processor on a channel insert such as a reverb box. Compressing after the FX processor could have undesirable effects, and noise gating after the effects would be even worse (unless you want to do that intentionally).

Lastly, alot of people do not use a dedicated noise gate, but rather they utilize the gate which comes with their compressor...... and when it comes to noise gates moreso than compressors, you have even more reason to put it pre-EQ. The gate should be one of the first things in the chain.... before the fader, before the EQ, before any processors, and before the compressor.....

Oh.... another reason one might want to EQ after the compression is so you may try to restore any of the high end frequencies which tend to get quashed during compression...... but I view this as the least important of all the above reasons...

Nemesys wrote: [quote=praecox]..... why to use EQ after the compressor? what is the benefit? can someone explain it to me?

You can put the EQ either before or after, theres no right or wrong way as you may know.... but it does depend on the situation.... However, as per your question, the primary reason for putting the compressor pre-EQ is so that you can play with the EQ alot during tracking when your recording a voice or instrument.

so that why the channel strips are made in this configuration - u have right:)

If you diddle with the EQ's.... it completely messes up your compressor settings (you would have to adjust the input trim, the output trim, the threshold or the ratio or any combination thereof depending on need).... and then you'd have to change the compressor settings each and every time you played with the EQ.... and thats just way too much work to be doing.

yes, absolutely.

In addition, its generally not good practice to put the compressor on the output either if your running an effects processor on a channel insert such as a reverb box. Compressing after the FX processor could have undesirable effects, and noise gating after the effects would be even worse (unless you want to do that intentionally).

i meant to put the comressor as the latest but of course not after the reverb or chorus for example..

Lastly, alot of people do not use a dedicated noise gate, but rather they utilize the gate which comes with their compressor...... and when it comes to noise gates moreso than compressors, you have even more reason to put it pre-EQ. The gate should be one of the first things in the chain.... before the fader, before the EQ, before any processors, and before the compressor.....

Oh.... another reason one might want to EQ after the compression is so you may try to restore any of the high end frequencies which tend to get quashed during compression...... but I view this as the least important of all the above reasons...

hmm... i use the compression to squash the frequncies and dynamics...so why i need to boost them after? that reason i don really get..

thnx for great explanation:)

ps. cool music nemesis:)!

praecox wrote:

hmm... i use the compression to squash the frequncies and dynamics...so why i need to boost them after? that reason i don really get..

Hi Praecox

thats why there is no right or wrong way to do it. you do it like you do. :? i can see the ideas in booth ways..

:lol:

Nice reply Nemisys

Here is the main reason why channel strips and most high end consoles like SSL's have pre-EQ compression. If the EQ was before the compression not only would you have to readjust the compressor every time you change the EQ settings BUT think of it this way...Let's say you have a bass track that lacks some serious definition...let's say you boost at a certain frequency by 6-9db or so...essentially the compressor is going to be negating a lot of that boost you just made if it is post eq in the channel strip...unless of course you change the compressor - but that, like someone said, is silly and too much work. A Compressor is for dynamic control and that being said is only going to use amplitudes (unless it is a multiband compressor) to operate and modify the signal. If you are only using a compressor to squash the signal and not to control the consistency of a performance (which is really the ideal use of a compressor) then it won't really make a difference to you where the compressor is. Just know that if you compress after EQ and you make a decent boost somewhere in that EQ...the compressor is going to squash more cause you are essentially raising the amplitude of the signal.