Once ITB, does chain order matter?

[RedCrownStudios]

Once the band is in the box, PT in this case, is there any difference in what order you place the plugins?

I have almost always been going EQ->Compressor->Verb

Should I be going Compressor->EQ->Verb or what?

(I dont always use verb, just using this as an example)

Does it make a difference?

Be gentle, I have been recording a long time, but am self taught.

[Mr. Dipity]

It certainly does make a difference. EQ is going to alter the energy of the wave, which will alter the response of the compressor ( ie louder sounds will get clamped down on, quieter ones will not)

Which one 'should' you do depends on what you are trying to do. Your best bet is to plug things in both ways and figure out what you need in each situation.

[RodC]

It certainly does make a difference. EQ is going to alter the energy of the wave, which will alter the response of the compressor ( ie louder sounds will get clamped down on, quieter ones will not)

Which one 'should' you do depends on what you are trying to do. Your best bet is to plug things in both ways and figure out what you need in each situation.

+1

You should be able to hear the difference. Leave all the settings the same and move the order around while you playback. Sonar will allow you to do this just by dragging them around in the effects bin.

[the finger genius]

Mr Dipity is correct. It matters in all the same ways that it would matter out of the box.

[The Scum]

Does it make a difference?

Yes, it does. And it's no different betwwen ITB and OTB.

Let's consider a quick example: your chain with compression and EQ.

If you put the EQ first, by cutting or boosting a band, you make the compressor more or less sensitive to that band. If you boost the lows of a bass guitar, then compress that signal, the compressor will compress more strongly when the lows become prominent. This is sometimes convenient, and is sometimes counterintuitive...you've turned the lows up, but the compressor is whacking them back even more. If you do this with a high-boost and a high-ratio compressor, it can act a bit like a de-esser.

If you compress first, then you might be smoothing out the signal. Following that with an EQ, you can change a band and the compressor response doesn't change any. It behaves a little more predictably.

But they're both different and both useful. Just more tools for you toolbox.

I find that EQ->compressor->EQ is sometimes useful.

[RedCrownStudios]

True enough, I mostly was asking because I seems like all those "all in wonder" preamp eq etc boxes tend to go as such;

preamp->eq->compressor. (such as the ART box etc)

It seems that there is a school of thought behind that and although I can hear a difference in PT when they are moved around, I was wondering why the hardware boxes tend to be made this way.

software tends to emulate hardware etc......

[The Scum]

The really good all-in-one boxes (Focusrite, SSL, Amek) actually let you change the order of the processing for exactly these reasons.

[JohnDavisNYC]

real engineers don't use all in one boxes...

j/k

but actually, i have always thought those things suck, sometimes for that very reason... the Manley VOXBOX is a total turd, as is the Focusrite Producer Pack... too many functions, too small a powersupply, and not enough care put into each part of the puzzle...

seperate, discrete units are better for the flexibility and performance.

john

[RefD]

but actually, i have always thought those things suck, sometimes for that very reason... the Manley VOXBOX is a total turd, as is the Focusrite Producer Pack... too many functions, too small a powersupply, and not enough care put into each part of the puzzle...

seperate, discrete units are better for the flexibility and performance.

yah, but what about the Quartet II?

exception that proves the rule?

[RedCrownStudios]

Great googa munga!

Quartet II is expensive.

[RefD]

Great googa munga!

Quartet II is expensive.

it is that.

but you do pretty much get what you paid for.

[JohnDavisNYC]

i haven't used the quartet, but i imagine it is great... from all that i have heard about it.

john

[rwc]

i wasn't sure when i started so I tried making a gate before a comp, and vice versa

it does make a difference. this is the simplest way I can demonstrate it.

[@?,*???&?]

Yes, the sequence of plugins can change the sound.

One flaw to what you've suggested is to be inserting reverbs.

That saps processing power quickly when you have separate reverbs inserted on individual audio tracks. Rather, set-up aux returns and insert reverbs there. Leave those reverb mix settings at 100% wet. Use an internal aux or buss to get to the reverb and then you can buss individual tracks to the reverbs and send more than one thing into the plugin- rather than only having one plugin per audio track.

[Nick Sevilla]

Once the band is in the box, PT in this case, is there any difference in what order you place the plugins?

I have almost always been going EQ->Compressor->Verb

Should I be going Compressor->EQ->Verb or what?

(I dont always use verb, just using this as an example)

Does it make a difference?

Be gentle, I have been recording a long time, but am self taught.

Try Verb->EQ->Comp

Cheers