Mastering chain

[ajcamletearthlink.net]

I'm sure this has been asked and answered before - if anyone can point me in the direction of where to find articles/info that would be great....

 

I'd like to hear opinions on the priority of the compressor and/or limiter and EQ in the mastering chain... which do you go for first & why....

[Anderton]

>>I'd like to hear opinions on the priority of the compressor and/or limiter and EQ in the mastering chain... which do you go for first & why....<<

 

That is an excellent question. As a matter of fact, I'm writing a column for Keyboard on the proper order of effects in a plug-in chain, and deal with this issue. When the article is done, I'll post a synopsis of the section involving EQ and compression in this topic.

 

For now, all I'll say is there is no universal law about this, it depends on the situation.

[ajcamletearthlink.net]

Thanks Craig! I find this to be a really subjective issue, and while we always go for what we think is right or best at the moment, its great to have differnet angles, opinions, and *reasoning* that might hip us to something new...

 

ajc

[Anderton]

Okay, here's the section (unedited). I suggest you look for the finished version in Keyboard, there are a whole lot of additional tips.

 

EQ BEFORE OR AFTER COMPRESSION?

 

There is no universal answer for this one, because compression can serve different purposes.

 

For example, consider this scenario: youve laid down a killer synth bass line with a really resonant filter sweep. On some notes, the level goes ballistic when a notes frequency coincides with the filter frequency. Otherwise, the signal is well-behaved. But, you also want to boost the lower midrange just a little bit to give a beefier sound.

 

In this case, Id put the compressor first, so it can trap those rogue transients, then apply EQ to the more dynamically consistent sound. Because the EQ change is small, it probably wont change the overall dynamic range of the signal that much.

 

Now suppose you dont have any problems with overly-resonant filters, but you do need a massive lower midrange boost. This much boost could greatly increase the amplitude at some frequencies, so putting compression after the EQ could help even these out a bit.

 

But theres a complication here. Because significant boosts increase level, the compressor will scale those levels back down a bit, thus somewhat negating the boost for those signals that exceed the compression threshold. Signals below the threshold remain boosted. Therefore, with compression after EQ and a relatively high threshold, the boost will be most apparent on lower-level signals, but become less prominent with higher-level signals. In a great many cases, this may be exactly what you want.

 

Another reason to place EQ before compression is if you want to make the compression more frequency-sensitive. Suppose you have a great piano part, and want to emphasize your melody. By boosting EQ slightly for the range you want to emphasize and then compressing, the selected frequency range will go into compression sooner than the other frequency ranges. Or, suppose you have a buzzy digital synth. Cut the highs a bit prior to compression, and the compressor will bring up everything else more than highs, but unlike EQ, there will be a dynamic range ceiling. This type of technique isnt quite the same as multi-band compression, but gives some of the same results in that theres more snap to the boosted frequencies.

[Quin]

I had the same dilemma - and solved it (expensively) - and it works... My signal chain is

 

-Digital into O2R - mix...

-Analog out of O2R into Manley Variable Mu Compressor to control dynamics, and if necessary fatten sound up

-Output from Manley and A/D convert using TC Finalizer 96K

-AES/EBU side chain to Weiss Digital EQ

-Back to and Limit (not compress) within Finalizer to control any excesses that the EQ might have generated

-Digital out to sound card on computer, with side chain back to mixing desk - and monitor changes via the digital inputs on the desk

-Cut/tweak/print CD using Sound Forge/Waves/CD Architect.

 

There are times when the Manley is not needed - but usually just a gentle touch of compression (<2dB) makes a nice improvement to the overall feel, so I leave it in the chain anyway.

[Faeflora]

Thanks for that post on compression Craig http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif. I'm not that experienced with compression, I'm still learning lots. You described stuff I've been doing that makes things sound the way I want. I didn't think about what was happening when I did it. It's good to analytically understand too and you helped me! http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif

[Anderton]

I should also add something important -- mastering is about VERY small changes. I find that you really need 1/10dB resolution in plug-ins and such if you want to get serious. Any change affects the rest of the signal; for example, boosting the treble also makes the bass less prominent. Also use very small changes and let your ears acclimate to the new sound before trying something new.