Compressor/Eq

**Tbone** · Mar-09-2004, 1:26pm

Howdy folks

Yesterday I cracked and bought an EQ and a compressor/limiter/gate for our band PA.

My question is, what order does the chain go? Should it be mixer->EQ->compressor, or mixer->compressor->EQ?

I don't see any clear advantage to either. Is it easier to notch feedback out of compressed or uncompressed sound?

Thanks

**mandoJeremy** · Mar-09-2004, 4:30pm

I personally would go mixer, eq, compressor but that it is just my opinion.

**mandofiddle** · Mar-09-2004, 4:35pm

Hey Terry,
We have our rig going mixer > eq > compressor, and you know what my rig sounds like...

**Tbone** · Mar-09-2004, 5:00pm

Yea, true. I was reading in the compressor manual, and it was saying, to eliminate feedback, run mixer->comp->Eq. With the compressor set to hard knee, it says you can ring the system out. But I don't see how it would be any different if you go mixer->eq->comp. Just don't know. Plus, at guitar center the guy actually seemed pretty knowledgable, and he said it didnt matter. So we'll see what it sounds like friday nite.

**Michael H Geimer** · Mar-09-2004, 5:09pm

The logic of placing the comp before the EQ in the signal chain is that you aren't compressing your EQ changes. i.e It makes little sense to add 6db of 1k only to have the comp knock it all back down. Better to comp first, then add only 2db of EQ.

More efficient. More control. Less noise. YMMV.

**mandofiddle** · Mar-09-2004, 5:15pm

So your saying to run the Compressor before the EQ then?

Not that it matters now that our bass player bought the Bose PA System. Eliminates every piece of equipment except the board, and boy does it sound good

**Michael H Geimer** · Mar-09-2004, 5:24pm

Yeah. There are plenty of exceptions, but typically the compressor goes after the pre-amp, as they have a similar job to do - make the singal good clean and useable.

Pre-amp
Compressor
EQ
Effect Send
Fader

Once again ... plenty of exceptions ... YMMV.

- Benig

**Tbone** · Mar-09-2004, 6:56pm

I saw an article online about compressors and emailed the author. Here's his reply:

Having a limiter as the last stage would be common (to protect the
speakers), and compressor at extreme settings could do more or less the
same function. Typically you want to apply the compressor on a
per-channel basis, rather than on the entire mix since different
instruments need to be handled differently, and generally the
compressor goes early (if not first) in the signal chain. I think
before EQ would be more standard, otherwise tweaking the EQ would
affect when the compression kicks in.

Quit trying to rub it in Dave!