Effect Chain Order

The same effects in a different order take tone and dynamics to a different result.

Related

Gain StagingEqualizerCompressorVoice

The question

The same effects in a different order become a different tone. Order is not the on-screen list but the path the signal travels.

How it works

Linear effects such as EQ can trade places. Nonlinear and time-based effects cannot. Distortion is sensitive to input level, so an EQ before it changes the level and spectrum entering the clipper; an EQ after it filters an already clipped result. A compressor before reverb steadies the tail, while one after reverb pulls the tail down with the dry. Delay and reverb usually sit at the end so distortion cannot clip their repeats.

Settings and what you hear

A vocal chain runs high-pass, de-esser, compressor, EQ, modulation, delay and reverb. A guitar chain runs filter, overdrive, modulation, delay and reverb. On a bus, EQ and compression come last, their order depending on which sees peaks first. For each effect, ask whether it should see the dry or processed sound.

What to listen for

On a funk drum loop, compare compression before EQ with EQ before compression. The first stays steadier; the second lets some hits trigger the compressor. On a voice, put reverb before compression and hear whether the tail moves with the dry line.

Common misconceptions

That order does not matter; that the order of plugins in a list is the signal flow; that every track should use the same chain.

Sources

• Pirkle, Designing Audio Effect Plugins in C++ — signal flow sections checked, not quoted
• Huber and Runstein, Modern Recording Techniques, effects and signal processing chapter — background checked, not quoted

Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.