Should i eq before recording

I don't understand why you would think the guitars sound "weak" if they are not clipping, but that is what mixing is for.

Do they sound weak on the live monitor? Then turn up the live monitor. Do they sound weak once recorded in the mix? EQ, compress, and control the levels during the mixing process. Trying to get more "loudness" by eqing or compress right at the initial recording is simply wrong. Record at proper levels with out clipping without Eqing.

Then EQ during the mixing process. This is the proper way. As with all recording processes live by the rule "if it sounds good it is". I personally prefer to use gentle EQ and compression on the way in as a choice for the overall sonic quality of the track. Though if it sounds weak I'd crank up whatever your listening to it on. If you're going straight into digital then the preamp doesn't have the colour of analoge equipment and so tracking at lower volumes to maximise head room is the way to go barely hitting the yellows.

I don't think that EQing before recording is bad, it does beat the purpose of the digital recording flexibility but even changing a microphone is -in a way- EQing.

To facilitate this workflow I have my compressor plug-in inserted in slot C right in the middle of the inserts and my EQ plug-in inserted in slot B. But, you should employ this technique more sparingly because overdoing your EQ can lead to a mix that sounds harsh and grating, or the opposite, hollow and dull. An acceptable way to apply EQ pre and post compression would be to employ a single High-Pass EQ band pre compression, to sculpt your signal at a macro level before compression, and a multi-band parametric EQ post compression to really fine-tune the sound.

Be careful though — you need to remember that whatever you do with your EQ will alter the compression. If you did decide to come back later and boost or remove anything, this will affect how your compressor works and you will need to recalibrate it. Using EQ after compression has many benefits. For starters, your EQ settings will not affect the compression at all and you are free to make adjustments later without changing the compressor too.

The Real Answer. The primary advantage of EQ after compression is you get much more precise control over the tone, as the compressor is not getting in the way of any boosts. This can really help some elements stand out in the mix. If you boost a frequency before applying compression then it just gets squashed down again. But boosting after compression gives much more consistent results.

Whereas EQ before compression should be subtractive , EQ after compression tends to be additive. Most often, people will opt for EQ before and after compression. The bonus is any nuances or characteristics of each will be present in the mix which will ultimately add more depth.

New member. Apart from agreeing with Track Rat about getting the sound right at the source, I'd view that question in two ways. The first way is that the N-Track software EQs will have no measurable noise and will be far more transparent than the Behringer circuit EQs.

The second would be that twisting an actual knob on a mixer is often an easier way to get the sound you want than playing around with software, IMHO. But, like Track Rat said, once you record it, you can't take it off. Despite my old-fashioned, anti-PC recording convictions, I'm gonna have to suggest that you record flat and do any EQ that you absolutely need in N-Track when you mix down.

Just my two cents. PowerCouple New member. Hello shack