Order of plugins for processing question

[gillibi]

What are the guidelines for order of plugins for processing audio with plugins? Would you EQ first, then compress, then add reverb, etc? What is the standard? I know you can probably get some cool sounds going against the norm, but would like to know some general stuff. thanks

[Zooey]

Reverb should be on a separate buss, not in the chain of plug-ins on a disk track insert.

 

There's no hard and fast rule for the order of EQ and compression. If you want to filter out frequencies that may cause the compressor to pump, you can put the EQ first.

[UstadKhanAli]

That's right. Each method (order) gets its own sound and can be done for different reasons. And each can yield a slightly different sound. Or in some cases, a radically different sound.

 

You can, of course, EQ the reverb. Nothing wrong with that. Or you can EQ before the reverb to prevent the reverb from accentuating certain frequencies.

 

Like Zooey, I prefer to have reverb on a separate buss. Unless, of course, I'm only reverbing one specific sound for a specific purpose. I also use a hardware reverb, sending the busses out to that and then returning it to a stereo auxiliary buss, but anyway, that's another issue.

[Joe Gilder]

 

There's no hard and fast rule for the order of EQ and compression. If you want to filter out frequencies that may cause the compressor to pump, you can put the EQ first.

 

 

Agreed! Since compression tends to expose any problems in the recording, I tend to do subtractive EQ before compressing, that way that muddy sound at 400Hz doesn't get compressed and louder.

 

If I need to boost things via EQ, I typically do that after the compressor, because any boost you make in the EQ will probably get turned down at the compressor.

 

There's certainly no wrong way, though.

[gillibi]

Thanks for the replies! Any other effects that should go on separate buss?

[Lee Knight]

A common setup is the "sandwich".

 

EQ - Filter stuff you don't want the compressor to react to... and conversely, boost stuff you do want to compressor to react to more radically.

 

v

 

Compressor - Sometimes setting a slow attack can be nice if you boosted 60Hz say on a kick. It'll pop through nicely. Or 1-4k on an elec. guitar.

 

v

 

EQ - Your standard EQ tweaks

[Joe Gilder]

 

Thanks for the replies! Any other effects that should go on separate buss?

 

 

Reverbs, delays... Basically, anything that has a wet/dry section on it, I tend to put on an aux and set it to 100% wet. That way I can adjust the amount of reverb by adjust the send level on individual tracks, rather than opening up the plugin itself and adjusting the wet/dry balance.

[Zooey]

 

Reverbs, delays... Basically, anything that has a wet/dry section on it, I tend to put on an aux and set it to 100% wet. That way I can adjust the amount of reverb by adjust the send level on individual tracks, rather than opening up the plugin itself and adjusting the wet/dry balance.

 

 

Yep. Even if you don't believe in conserving CPU, there are things that you can do with reverb and delay on a separate buss that you can't do any other way.

[CME]

Yep. Even if you don't believe in conserving CPU, there are things that you can do with reverb and delay on a separate buss that you can't do any other way.

 

Like setting up a high pass filter before the delay to clean up the sound.

[Zooey]

Like setting up a high pass filter before the delay to clean up the sound.

 

Yep. Or sending single snare hits or vocal lines to a delay, then letting the delay feedback trail off naturally.

[CME]

 

Yep. Or sending single snare hits or vocal lines to a delay, then letting the delay feedback trail off naturally.

 

 

Yeah I do that with last word of a vocal line on occasion. Can really add a cool emphasis. Providing it fits the song.