Compress or wait for mixing?

[DeckRoid]

Hey

This is a test recording. Just got the room sounding right and plugged directly into the mixer board then to a PC.

My only question is... do I compress it first, or let the software do its thing? I have not played with too many of the plug-ins for the software, but what I have played with, I really like.

Oh, and I have turned off the ringer on the phone you can slightly hear in the background... sheesh... I am such a noob.

 

[NYMorningstar]

Record it with no compression on the way in but back off the mic a bit. There's no need to record it so hot. You only need to show an average of -18dbfs on your software's meter.