Your instinct might be to add some compression to the bass to reduce those spikes, evening out the track’s dynamic range. Let’s say you’re working on a mix, and you like the tone of your bass guitar, but you notice there are frequent volume spikes in the recording. Once again, this depends on the needs of your audio. There are, however, certain reasons why you will want to choose one method over the other. The answer, again, depends on the sound you want to get out of your signal processing. Probably one of the most asked (and hotly debated) questions in music production is “ should compressors be placed before or after EQ?” This skill is developed by listening critically to your audio, assessing what needs to be done to it (or what you want to do with it), and then deciding how you will treat it with compression. Having a game plan in mind will make it easier to decide where to place everything so you can get the sound you want out of your tracks. The order of your plugins (and consequently where compression is placed) ultimately depends on what you want to accomplish with your signal processing. Let’s take a look at a few different techniques for placing a compressor in your signal chain. It all comes down to what you want to hear! Compressor Placement Techniques Gaining an understanding of signal flow, however, and what each plugin in your chain does to your audio will help you develop a game plan for where to place compression. The answer is…it can go anywhere you want it to go! Having said this, there are some good general guidelines you should keep in mind if you want the best possible results. With so much differing information out there, I thought we should settle this question once and for all… So, Where Should A Compressor Go In The Signal Chain? It can be confusing for those who are learning music production to decide what approach is best for them. It seems like every engineer has their own preference for where to place it!

If you’ve spent any amount of time trying to learn music production, you’ve probably heard many different ideas about where a compressor should go in your signal chain. Improve your understanding of signal flow!.Learn how to apply compression when using different plugins.Where should you put a compressor in your signal chain?.Disclosure: We may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases.

Noise gates and compressors