Signal flow for basses. Where to distort and compress

[Psykodelix]

I was wondering if anyone had some advice about whether to distort before compression or after as well as where to eq. I have been eqing first in the signal chain but i dont really do too much to the eq besides cut out the sub from my bass and cut out a little room for the drums. Also if I am using a delay and some other kind of filter, is it best to put these at the end of the signal or beginning? I know it will be partly down to what sounds best but i remember reading a while back about how there is a recomended place in the signal to eq, compress, and distort. Thanks for any help or input!

[KoenDercksen]

Common order seems to be synth -> (eq) -> distort -> eq -> distort -> eq etc, and compress in the end.

[Climax]

depends really I think on the original sound and what you are going for, but generaly compress at the end, and distort before eqing, and like above said, when using multiple distortion units, you may have more than one eq/compressor in the chain

[bassinine]

welcome to sound design.

changing the location of effects in chains will accomplish different things. it's up to you to learn when you need to distort/compress in a chain to achieve the desired effect.

[Psykodelix]

I kinda had a feeling distortion should come before compression. Any thoughts on delay/ chorus or comb/ formant filters and where they should be? Also can anyone recommend a good delay or chorus plugin? I have been using the simple fruity delay 2 with decent results as well as d16 syntorus but I thought there might be something better out there to help get that robotic sound like djahsta and cyberoptics/ old school datsik

[alphacat]

Like Bassinine said...

There is no wrong or right order. There is only what sounds good to you.

[Huts]

Theres no rules as to where to place effects in a chain. Sometimes i'll have an EQ or filter after every effect to accent or take away some of the artifacts an effect added, other times I'll have 8 effects with EQ and filtering last. I'm pretty sure you can move effects up and down the chain with a click or 2 in FL? I know in logic you can just alt drag an effect anywhere in the chain to see how it'll sound, mess around don't fall into a trap of formulaically laying out your effects chains

[MoonUnit]

Like Bassinine said...

There is no wrong or right order. There is only what sounds good to you.

No offense, but this is a bunch of malarky. Saying "do what sounds good to you," is a bit dismissive and unhelpful.

How about, instead, enlighten us on why one would eq before compressing versus the other way around?
Or: why distort before compression or vice versa?

OP: I'm sorry I can't answer your question because like most people here, I can't actually describe what is happening, only hear it. However, if you know the THEORY of what is happening, you can make better choices in your production. I'm about to do some research right now because I actually want to know the theory, like I know you do. I'll let you know what I find...

[MoonUnit]

BOOM from the website sound on sound:

SOS contributor Mike Senior replies: There are no hard and fast rules here. A lot of it has to do with the way you work, and for subtle EQ settings I don't think it's particularly important which way around you plumb the two processors. However, in principle there's one straightforward reason why it makes sense to compress before you EQ, especially when you're first learning about processing. Let's say, for the moment, that you've already set up a compression sound you like for a particular track in your mix, and then decide to use a pre-compression equaliser to adjust the track's tonality. Any boost or cut you apply with the EQ controls will change the overall level of the signal relative to the compressor threshold setting you've already chosen, and will therefore mess with your carefully tweaked compression sound, unless you keep revisiting the threshold and/or ratio controls to compensate.

Pre-compression EQ also usually appears less responsive than post-compression EQ, as the compressor's gain changes fight the EQ gain adjustments. This can be disconcerting when you're still getting to grips with this kind of processing, and it encourages you to go for heavier processing than is actually necessary.

In practice, I find that I tend to EQ after I compress for most common tonal-shaping tasks, so that I don't have to worry about the two processes interacting. If ever I find myself EQ'ing before the compressor it's usually when I'm having problems getting the compressor to respond suitably. A common example of this is when an acoustic guitar has been recorded with a mic too close to the sound hole. A mic in this position often captures unappealing low-frequency resonances, and these can really hit the compressor hard, causing it to respond erratically to certain notes and strums and not others. Cutting the low-frequency resonances before the compressor can help tame the low-frequency anomalies before they reach the compressor, making for more transparent and natural processing. No amount of low-frequency EQ after the compressor can do this. Another situation like this is where a singer occasionally taps their foot on their mic stand: the low-frequency thump will trigger a brief and unmusical gain dip from the compressor unless low-frequency EQ has been used to remove it first.

[alphacat]

No offense, but this is a bunch of malarky. Saying "do what sounds good to you," is a bit dismissive and unhelpful.

Not intended to be dismissive at all. It is a big sweeping general statement, but it's also true (ime.) There is no singular way to get to "a good sound," even if there was ever consensus on what exactly that means (which there ain't.)

[MoonUnit]

No offense, but this is a bunch of malarky. Saying "do what sounds good to you," is a bit dismissive and unhelpful.

Not intended to be dismissive at all. It is a big sweeping general statement, but it's also true (ime.) There is no singular way to get to "a good sound," even if there was ever consensus on what exactly that means (which there ain't.)

touche, music would be very boring indeed if there was only one way to go about getting a sound and all songs would sound the same!