FALKEN said:
agreed. but supposing you got it right the first time, I think it might sound better if you did it at the source... maybe it doesn't matter at all.
Perhaps that is true in at least some respects:
First, if you're talking about the difference ebtween using outboard processing gear to wet the source vs. plug-ins to process the recordings, I'd personally prefer most outboard gear to most plugins in audio quality. There are exceptions, of course, but for me most of the best plugins are the ones you gotta pay signifigant bucks for anyway.
Second, if you do use outboard vs. plugin for processing already recorded tracks, there's always the factor of whenever you gotta go out of the DAW to outboard analog gear and back in again to process an already recorded signal, you have to add at least one pair of A<-->D conversion stages to the total signal path, wich will add somewhat to the total overall distortion.
So in both of the above arguments, there is the implication that it may be better to just add the EQ on the way into the recording and be done with it. But -- and this is a Big But -- you'd better get it right the first time, or else you're stuck with havingt to re-record the track to fix it 'properly".
If you're confident that you'll get it right the first time, then by all means, go ahead and do it. Personally (and others may honestly disagree), though, I'd rather have a clean, dry canvas to work from for those times it is "not right". I will of course try to use proper miking technique and such to get the best signal I can in planning for the mix, but I'd rather leave manual processing of the source recording to a minimum.
Others may have a different viewpoint, and that's OK. if so, we both should hear their points of view as well.
Does any of this make sense or am I just rambling?
G.
