I never add verb, eq, compression, etc.
On the tracks that warrant it, yes, but never on the stereo mix.
That's the Mastering Engineer's job, and they're way better at it than I could ever hope to be.

...Unless the client specifically states that they can't afford a mastering job (a lot of my clients are poor punk kids), at which point I take it upon myself to join in the loudness war and squash the mix for them (it's painful, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do).

>Edit - Please read this post:
(Dead Link Removed)

Thanks

I plan on doing the mastering myself. I'm a poor musician too and need to keep the costs down.

I guess it mostly depends on the style of music. I have personally never done it. I will compress and EQ, but never reverb.
I guess if its an orchestral peice, or a live recording that you want to give a little ambience, a small hall might work.

ya im with drstudio.

ive never put reverb on the master track, only compression and eq. but he gives a good point with the orchestral/ambient.

if you have tracks that dont have reverb...dont put reverb on the master.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I've never done it before, just not anymore (Quoth the raven, "Nevermore" ?).

In the past I've done many things to mixes (how else are ya gonna learn?), I've put tons of verb and compression on stereo mixes, I've mucked them up with BBE's and whatnot...

If you want to add verb and compression, do it.

Just don't go overboard with it.

-or conversely-

Go ahead and go overboard, nothing's written in stone - as long as you've got your original tracks, that is!

Edit> Don't do something you'll regret later.
Save what mixes you have, make duplicates, and screw around with them 'til your heart's content!

Most professional audio engineers do not add reverb or any other effects to an already completed mix.

Most mastering engineers, never add reverb to somebody else's recordings unless requested. That's NOT part of the mastering process per se. Dynamics processing and equalization are.

Top 40 radio of yesteryear with stations like WABC in NYC and WPGC in DC used to have a EMT 140 ST on the air which further enhance the left minus right signal with further random phase information. This would not only provide more of a wider sounding stereo image but could also further boost perceived loudness levels with the added "difference signal" energy level.

Most of the time, our use of reverb is selective to the individual instruments and/or vocals and not added en masse to the entire stereo signal.

Sometimes, you can get away with that and sometimes you can't. It can become quite artificially phony sounding which is not an enhancement but a detractor. Nice on orchestral stuff but generally not nice on rock-and-roll unless you are a top 40 radio station.

Spring, Plate, Digital reverb for the masses
Ms. Remy Ann David