Compression before or after Equalisation?

[Ged Leitch]

Hi Earle, was wondering how you chain eq and compression?
normally for me it's > EQ > comp
but recently have had great results with > Comp > EQ.
I've been testing this because i notice how compressing after eq,ing can change the freq balance, especially when compressing the low end or de-essing high mids etc...
i know thats what the make up gains for but i find it better to work with the spectrum as a whole and use low Q boosts etc to get the balance back.
Whats your views on this one?
Cheers.

[har-bal]

Hi Earle, was wondering how you chain eq and compression?
normally for me it's > EQ > comp
but recently have had great results with > Comp > EQ.
I've been testing this because i notice how compressing after eq,ing can change the freq balance, especially when compressing the low end or de-essing high mids etc...
i know thats what the make up gains for but i find it better to work with the spectrum as a whole and use low Q boosts etc to get the balance back.
Whats your views on this one?
Cheers.

Ged

Here is my rule of thumb.

1. Remove rogue resonances, cut subsonics, cut excessive sibilances and add body (EQ)

2. Now we can control the dynamics (Compression)

If I have to EQ again after Compression then I must have done something wrong when I eq'd in the first place. If you look at an air chain you will see the order folks have been using for ages.

Look at the following diagram

http://hdqtrz.com/Files/air_main.gif

or here

http://hdqtrz.com/Files/chain.jpg

You will see that Eq'ing is always first then compression. The only thing that is done at the end of the chain is the application of a high and low pass filter.

Cheers

Earle