EQ and reverb - which one first?

  • Thread starter Thread starter dobro
  • Start date Start date
dobro

dobro

Well-known member
I'm studying a bit of stuff these days. Robert Dennis says to pan, set the levels and apply reverb before you get to work EQing individual tracks. Because I always do EQ before reverb, that surprised me, but when I thought about it, it seemed to make some sense:

1 EQ's the single most important thing you do to a track or mix. So, leave it until the end to make sure you have EQ exactly the way you want it.

2 Reverb changes the color of the sound. Okay, there are EQ adjustments you can make along with the reverb algorithm, but that's not as good as precision EQ'ing.

Is that the general idea? Or is the issue of which one first - reverb or EQ - just a personal preference with a tradeoff either way you choose?
 
reverb and eq will change the overall volume of a track. i put the reverb on first because it won't change things as dramatically in terms of volume as the eq will. that way you won't peak. the other reason is you want to eq your final sound for the track. reverb can add a lot of eq on its own (i.e. added lows and sibalants). so i use this order, and i think it's fairly typical reverb-->eq-->compression. of course switching the order around will give different sounds. experiment, but this is what i've found to be best most of the time.
 
I read it somewhere that timing FX like delay and reverb should be applied at last. I forgot the reasoning behind it, but my logic is to cut the unwanted lows so the reverb doesn't add more lows on top of it. Also, reverb are designed to simulate the room, right? So, why shape the EQ it creates?

anyway, this is only my reasoning.

Al
 
I usually do effects last unless they are absolutetly vital to the sound of the track like a delay or flanger or something. Overall it's not a big deal. Why get stuck in do this first, then this...

Just do what needs to be done whenever you decide you need it.
 
A1A2 said:
I read it somewhere that timing FX like delay and reverb should be applied at last. I forgot the reasoning behind it, but my logic is to cut the unwanted lows so the reverb doesn't add more lows on top of it.
Click to expand...
I don't don't see why you couldn't add EQ afterwards like you said, but you would more than likely want the reverb after most of the other effects/processors, like compression/limiting, noise reduction, expansion, etc... Because compression and limiting would bring the soft soft tail of the reverb up in level, which would probably sound un-natural. If the noise reduction was after the reverb, then the noise of the track would be throughout the reverb trail and adding noise reduction to it would take the "sparkle" out of the reverb and add artifacts. And adding expansion after the reverb could cut the tail off the reverb to quickly.
But of course any of the above "could" be used if that's the effect you're going for, so there really are no rules set in stone saying you can't do any of that. :)

What I usually do, is I have the EQ on the insert of the track to change the sound of that track, then I send it to an aux channel with the reverb, and then if needed I'll add EQ to the insert of the aux channel to take out any extreme lows and/or highs (like you mentioned) of just the reverb sound.

Hope that helps. :)
-tkr
 
dobro said:
Robert Dennis says to pan, set the levels and apply reverb before you get to work EQing individual tracks.
Click to expand...

I know this is a slight deviation from the the topic of this thread, but I've come to be of the opinion that at least the initial EQing and level setting is best done in mono. For me, it's much easier to get everything to fit in it's place that way.

Ptron
 
Thanks Texroadkill. That allows me to proceed as I like, since there's no obviously better way to do it. :D

(Y'all gonna regret that when you hear my next mix.)
 
I've never really analyzed the psuedo accoustic logic - but I tweak EQ last.

I dial in any processing such as compression first (to control the basic signal). I then add whatever time based effects as needed. Then I tweak EQ if I need to achieve something specific in the mix.

I consider EQ a last reort, to be used with much care. If I have to EQ too much it is likely an indication that I either did not record a signal properly or that the arrangement is too cluttered, which forces me to "fit things into the mix".
 
TexRoadkill said:
Just do what needs to be done whenever you decide you need it.
Click to expand...
Okay, I haven't read beyond this, b/c this is the right answer.

Tex is pretty dumb, but every once in awhile he stumbles across reason.

And if you think about it, Dobro, you're probably already doing this...to the extent that you're EQ'ing your final mix or adding any overall verb to it... Order matters not... LISTEN TO THE FORCE, DOBRO, lol.
 
Last edited:
I usually put chorus on everything and send it through a maximizer then I like to add a reverb plate and some eq. The kicker is then I add a bunch of noise then I squash it and limit it all to only one track then push the envelope with some delay and phase shifting software that costs well into the millions. Hope this helps..
 
scottboyher said:
I usually put chorus on everything and send it through a maximizer then I like to add a reverb plate and some eq. The kicker is then I add a bunch of noise then I squash it and limit it all to only one track then push the envelope with some delay and phase shifting software that costs well into the millions. Hope this helps..
Click to expand...
Dude, did you steal my studio notes?
 
Damn, Scotty, I been doin' it all wrong!

That's how this board really shines - just when you're taking a turning into the wrong dark street, there's always someone like you who'll go the extra mile to make sure a brother has a light to be led by. :D
 
YO DOBRO:

Of course you know I'm no expert; however, what difference does it make if you do EQ or Reverb first or second?

You can always go back and do it over with a different reverb and a different EQ.

You get the tracks done; you make a mix. You don't like it? Go back and do it over and make changes.

Maybe I'm missing something here but that's how I do it.

Green Hornet
 
i think we are all trying to find order in the chaos.

if we can find an approach that works for n, n+1, n+2 then we can summize that said approach works for all values of n (modus ponens).

here's my preference:
eq (shelves/passes) --> compression --> eq (sound shaping) --> reverb
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top