Distortion(drive) / EQ

[Iron Keys]

In a very typical circumstance, is it best to process your signal i.e compression/eq THEN overdrive it... or is it better to add such processing after it???

I know it depends on what you're after, and perhaps if you need to trim / bring out elements of the distortion... but for processing of the main signal of the instrument, would you want to be doing that compression and equalisation before hand or afterwards?


I imagined you'd do it before hand, i,e process your signal, then overdrive it a little.

But I also know, if you recorded bass through an amp you already have its distortion, so the processing would be done after the distortion.


advice as always, mad appreciatd.

 

[Greg Savage]

I do it at the same time before i print the sound

 

[UNORTHODOX]

Compression and Eq are originally correction effects, distortion is a extra, or afteraffect for shaping sound. You'd technically use Comp/Eq/Verb before wideners/distortion/Delays/etc

 

[Iron Keys]

Thanks, brethren.


I guess in terms of recording through an amp, you're left no choice but to eq /compress/whatever after.

 

[Greg Savage]

Thanks, brethren.


I guess in terms of recording through an amp, you're left no choice but to eq /compress/whatever after.

Stop thinking about steps just do what sounds good. That's the best route to take until you come up with a good processing system.

You create a lot of good sounds this way. Sounds that you wouldn't have with a step by step process.

Trust me

I not saying toss the logic out Im just trying to get you to expand more outside of the box.. That's how a lot of good commercial sounds are created just by processing for the sake of processing... then something catches the ear and its easy street from there

 

[Iron Keys]

Stop thinking about steps just do what sounds good. That's the best route to take until you come up with a good processing system.

You create a lot of good sounds this way. Sounds that you wouldn't have with a step by step process.

Trust me

I not saying toss the logic out Im just trying to get you to expand more outside of the box.. That's how a lot of good commercial sounds are created just by processing for the sake of processing... then something catches the ear and its easy street from there

Yeah, I love happy-mistakes.

 

[Step Soprano]

Agree with NNxt, the only shit that matters is a good sound. Typically, I compress vocals going in, but only slightly(depending on the vocalists, there are times when i slam them going in, IE Waka). But for instruments, i tend to distort/overdrive then eq to shape it tonally the rest of the way(don't want everything muddied up) then I send it to an outboard compressor(love the la-2a for mono sounds, and planning on buying 2 1176's soon for stereo processing) to compress the shaped sound the way I want it.

 

[Iron Keys]

I've considered going to studio to whack my drums hard through outboard compressors... any likely benefit of this, or most likely a waste of time?

(obvs taking into account worth trying n see what happens, but still)

 

[Formant024]

after compression = out of control
before compression = control

depends what you're using it for, i tend to add dirt to basslines before compression. If you're going to use distortion etc after compression i suggest keeping some headroom.

 

[dacalion]

agrees with Formant...

 

[Iron Keys]

By 'keeping some headroom' you mean what?

It's easy enough to 'turn down' or lower the gain on something after compression, thus leaving more headroom ??? (I'm sure you mean something other than this, hence me making this comment)

 

[Step Soprano]

By 'keeping some headroom' you mean what?

It's easy enough to 'turn down' or lower the gain on something after compression, thus leaving more headroom ??? (I'm sure you mean something other than this, hence me making this comment)

Depends what you are mixing this on, in a way. In all honesty, though, I leave everything at unity on the board when getting ready to mix and recording the sounds. I record as close to 0 db as possible to keep from clipping but still getting as hot as I can. I want everything, all instruments and sounds, recorded so that the hottest points peak just below 0 db. That way, I have a reference point in which to adjust the levels of all of the sounds as a whole. With all of the sounds, meaning vocals and instruments, mixed and set as far as overall levels go, I like my mix to end up with at LEAST 6 DB of headroom(amount of DB's before you clip and hit 0, sometimes 10 DB. Then, I send it to the mastering engineer if the project has money in it or I master it myself with Ozone to bring it up to -0.3 overall level(as conversion to MP3 can add up to .2 DB sometimes with conversion, so even when converted to mp3 u end up below 0, and not clipping).

 

[Formant024]

hehe @ relic

no headroom = squashed mix
headroom = every sound has breathing space, you'll hear more detail in sound because of this.

On a note though, a healthy reading does not only imply going for -0,1dB alone but a reading that also moves as fast as possible opposed to one to where the needle hardly moves.