Chain of effects/plug-ins

[space]

Hello people, I love making tunes on Logic Pro 7 (I'll upgrade to 8 another time) but am quite a novice at the moment.

 

I was wondering if there is/are correct way(s) to chain effects plug-ins. e.g. X plug-in should go before delay, distortion etc

 

Are there any combinations that should not go together?

 

What is the 'proper' way to chain plug-ins, which ones should come before/after others ? Sequential order of the plug-ins

 

cheers

[Jope]

I'm afraid there is no really useful answer to your question as the sequence depends on what you want to get.

Ok, putting a distortion unit behind a reverb seems not applicable for most cases since the reverb blurs the notes one into the next one and the distortion unit will convert this to inharmonic noises... But sometimes even this might exactly be what you were after.

Try out, listen and collect experience. After a while you will definitely know how to tile effects.

[sayenex]

ok, here's a start,

 

normal:

1. EQ

2. Compress

3. Delay

4. Reverb

 

 

virtual guitar/bass

1. tuner

2. Guitar Amp Simulator (amplitube, GAP, GR etc.)

3. EQ

4. compressor

5. delay

6. reverb

 

tuned vocals:

1. pitch correction

2. gate

3. EQ

4. Compressor

5. delay

6. Reverb

 

 

anyway, I'm not an expert and you can change stuff around, but try starting with that. I don't use a gate very much, but I think it's more useful at the beginning of the chain.

 

If you're going to throw in extra stuff, (distortions, choruses, phasers) try throwing them in after the comp? and move them around if you don't like it. but normally I keep my delay's and reverbs for the end.

 

if anyone else can post what they do that would be helpful for me too.

 

thanks, Evan

[bresnark]

A popular school of thought is that you ought, actually, to EQ *after* compressing - which surprised me too, I have to say. The principal being that you're dealing with a more final sound post-compression than you would be pre-compression; and, therefore, you're better off tweaking your EQ on an already compressed sound.

 

I've started doing my chains like that and... erm, I can't really hear the difference! Still...

[Jope]

A popular school of thought is that you ought, actually, to EQ *after* compressing - which surprised me too, I have to say. The principal being that you're dealing with a more final sound post-compression than you would be pre-compression; and, therefore, you're better off tweaking your EQ on an already compressed sound.

 

I've started doing my chains like that and... erm, I can't really hear the difference! Still...

 

I think the difference will become the more notable the more "mountainous" the frequency response curve of the EQ is, i.e. the more some bands of the EQ are emphasized over others. If the EQ is the first effect in the chain, the compressor will mainly react to the emphasized bands.

[fader8]

The only value in putting the eq before the compressor is when you want to control what freq range the compressor responds to. Given that, a sidechain, fed from a prefader bus, is much better suited for this.

 

Of course there's no rule, it's more about your ability to control things in an organized way. So, for example, eq'ing after the compressor, making eq changes doesn't impact what the compressor is doing.

[Roger Paolo]

The only value in putting the eq before the compressor is when you want to control what freq range the compressor responds to. Given that, a sidechain, fed from a prefader bus, is much better suited for this.

 

Of course there's no rule, it's more about your ability to control things in an organized way. So, for example, eq'ing after the compressor, making eq changes doesn't impact what the compressor is doing.

 

If you want to make sure that certain frequency's (hiss for instance) is not compressed, it makes sense to put the EQ before the compressor; for instance in a kick drum track; if you would compress the sound the overspill of the rest of the kit would be emphasized between the kick hits. Better to filter it out with an eq first.

[fader8]

If you want to make sure that certain frequency's (hiss for instance) is not compressed, it makes sense to put the EQ before the compressor; for instance in a kick drum track; if you would compress the sound the overspill of the rest of the kit would be emphasized between the kick hits. Better to filter it out with an eq first.

 

Well that's true if that's the method you use for what you're describing. I tend to be old fashioned so I use the duplicate track, swap polarity -gate trick. That way I don't lose the top end of the kick by eq on that channel directly. Just habit.

[yann]

I was wondering if there is/are correct way(s) to chain effects plug-ins. e.g. X plug-in should go before delay, distortion etc

Study how Logic's preset channel strips are laid out and you will have a good start.

[Roger Paolo]

If you want to make sure that certain frequency's (hiss for instance) is not compressed, it makes sense to put the EQ before the compressor; for instance in a kick drum track; if you would compress the sound the overspill of the rest of the kit would be emphasized between the kick hits. Better to filter it out with an eq first.

 

Well that's true if that's the method you use for what you're describing. I tend to be old fashioned so I use the duplicate track, swap polarity -gate trick. That way I don't lose the top end of the kick by eq on that channel directly. Just habit.

 

That was a bad example from my side.. I meant to say that you would eq out something you don't want to lead trought the compressor.

In your example you say that you swap polarity.. I don't understand; when use this trick I duplicate the track, sidechain the gate on track 1 from track 2 and have it listen to 20 to 500 Hz, so it only opens on the kick sound.

 

How does your technique compare?

[fader8]

How does your technique compare?

 

Hey Roger,

 

You're comment goaded me into doing a new addition to the Tips & Tricks section. So, rather than explain it here, just go to:

 

http://logicprohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=17553

 

. . . . and try out the project file I posted and compare for yourself!

 

Hope you find it useful.