Fx Order

dsealer

New member
Not sure if this is the exact place this question should be asked, but here goes.

In what order do you set your effects on your tracks?

I may use several different fx on my tracks but I've never been quite sure of the order they should be in. At times I use eq, comp, reverb, delay, a deesser, a limiter. I also use some plugins, like maybe an enhancer or some processing software.

Do you ever use more than one of the same fx on a track?

What about Mastering a track, asking the same questions?

Thanks,
Don.....
 
Not sure if this is the exact place this question should be asked, but here goes.

In what order do you set your effects on your tracks?

I may use several different fx on my tracks but I've never been quite sure of the order they should be in. At times I use eq, comp, reverb, delay, a deesser, a limiter. I also use some plugins, like maybe an enhancer or some processing software.

Do you ever use more than one of the same fx on a track?

What about Mastering a track, asking the same questions?

Thanks,
Don.....

It all depends, just remember that the first effect is going to change what sound is feeding into the next. In most circumstances, the spatial effects will be at the end of the chain, with tonal shaping either before and just after dynamic shaping - but, as I said, it depends. If the main theme is a big, spacey sound, you may try using the reverb before dynamics.

Really, there's no right answer. Just depends on what you're trying to achieve.
 
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More than one of the same effect on a track? Yes, with compression, I'll apply 2 light compressors on a track rather than 1 heavy one which could result in a pumping sound.
 
Usually in my final mixes, I don't even stack FX on a single track.

I'll split an instrument into multiple channels, apply one FX each and then apply one last FX to the main bus.

e.g.
for vocals, I'll mix the raw vocal (maybe with a de-esser or some eq) with a fully-saturated reverb and a heavily-compressed version.
On drums, I'll EQ or compress each mic by itself then put a transient controller on the bus.
 
for mixing:

you may find, if you invest in some of the better plugins on the market,
especially the models of vintage gear,
that the order becomes more critical......

that said,
there are general rules, like EQ first, so you can shape your sounds before anything else happens to it.

but sometimes, you may find you need to also eq after, like putting a compressor on a bass track, that brings out low end bloom you do not want.


it takes people years to get good at making the right choices,
but a shortcut, would be to go on line, and look at video tutorials by Waves, Sonnox, Izotope, etc,
and look up individual topics, like micing vocals, mixing bass guitar, eq'ing drums, etc.


i typically do:
1. eq
2. compression
3. limiting
4. post eq

and these are INSERTS.


then, if i want to apply effects like reverb or delay, i setup sub busses with individual effects inserted in them, set for full wet, then SEND from individual tracks to these FX sub busses.

this approach could not be any more basic, and is very common.

how you break out of the 'norm' and make sounds unique, is your eventual goal.
 
Just to add to the mess -- We've already touched on insert effects vs. additive effects -- Usually self-explanatory -- An insert effect is something you use to change the source (generally, EQ, compression, some modulative effects, etc.) and an additive effect is something you add via an auxiliary send to a mult/copy (reverb, delay/echo, other modulative effects, etc.).

So you might have a vocal -- You EQ it correctively -- you compress the hell out of it -- But you want the send to the reverb to have the natural vocal dynamic. So the send to the verb has to be post EQ but pre-compression. However, you probably don't want to send the full range signal to go to the verb, so you *insert* an EQ *on the send* to the reverb *before* the verb. Then you might want to put a leveling compressor *on the verb* (return - or "wet") signal.

Some echo...? Almost certainly going to want to make some fairly drastic cuts (via EQ) on the send going to the echo/delay or things can get very crowded and sloppy real quick. Might even want to make it sound a bit telephonic (a nice way to keep it easily heard but easily controlled). But that return, although thinned out, will have a "dry" feel compared to the reverberated vocal. So the *delay* signal will than have to be routed (aux send, possibly the same send as the vocal) to the reverb.

The possibilities are endless. You might want to leave the bass alone, but compress the snot out of the chorus signal - maybe before it hits the chorus - maybe after the chorus (the return). Maybe you want to add just a touch of "room" to that chorus signal. Or the bass signal but not the chorus signal. On and on and on.

Blah, blah, blah - experiment like a madman. Once you know what all these different things do, the mix will tell you what it wants.
 
In what order do you set your effects on your tracks?
Are you asking what order I use them in, or what order you should use them in?

I may use several different fx on my tracks but I've never been quite sure of the order they should be in. At times I use eq, comp, reverb, delay, a deesser, a limiter. I also use some plugins, like maybe an enhancer or some processing software.

The only worthwhile answer there is that they go all over the place, and where you place them depends on what you want them to do. But I know...that doesn't help you much. Here's something that will: There's 2 things you need to do. First, experiment a lot. Second, try and get a good grasp on what exactly each each of these plugins is and how it works. Once you understand the fundamentals of EQ and compression, a lot of the questions you have about series processing and plugin dependencies will answer themselves.

Start by placing your EQ's both infront of and behind the compressor. Do both. At the same time. Make as many changes on the EQ infront of your compressor as you can to get a sound your happy with. Then use the EQ you placed after your compressor and observe the differences.

Do you ever use more than one of the same fx on a track?
I see a lot of people try and act like Dave fucking Pensado and build out what they think are uber complex signal chains to impress their youtube followers. Please don't do it just to show off. Keep the signal chain as simple and clean as you can unless you have a compelling reason to use the same delay 3 times on the same track.

Yes, there are times when I stack 3 of the same reverbs on the same bus. But I can clearly articulate why I'm doing it, why it can't be done with one instance, and how the decays, tails, reflections, and modulation on the tails interact constructively instead of making a fucking mess.
 
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