How do they work: Logic mixer effects signal path

[AndreBenoit]

The simple answer is no! There are recommendations but there is only one rule you must adhere to....if it sounds good then it's ok & it doesn't matter how you got there!
Some people like to EQ destructively first; removing unwanted frequencies, then compress, then EQ again to boost the frequencies you like but this is only a starting point. As you get used to techniques & equipment, you will get to a point where you will hear something instinctively know what compression or EQ it needs.

I find it helps to sort my thoughts into either "corrective" or "creative", keeping corrective effects on the channel strip & creative things like delays etc on aux sends but that's just me. The only real rule I have is self imposed, I never use reverb on bass it just makes it muddy & sound awful!
I hope this helps!

Andre

[Grindonthemind]

As Andre said there is no right way to accomplish signal flow. However, depending on what genre of music you're producing, certain signal flows will be more conducive to producing "pro" sounding results than others.

As a general rule (I produce trance/edm btw), I put a compressor on every single track as my first FX input. That works well for me for two reasons: because it allows me to effectively control the gain on every channel without messing with the channel strip volume faders (sometimes that gets messy) and because it allows me to manipulate other compression parameters with the best results while I'm constructing my track.

As Andre also mentioned, lots of people like to bus out effects such as reverbs and delays, because then you don't have to put the same effects on different channels over and over again (assuming you've got multiple channels using the same effects settings). I used to think there was some really important reason for doing this, but there isn't. It just helps people's workflow to organize like that (and might help attenuate cpu usage), but it's definitely not necessary, and I don't do it because when I've got 5 different groups for submixing and 5 aux channels going, it gets cluttered/confusing (to me personally).

[djshire]

Thanks guys. I have yet to find my good workflow and settings for things.

[Papanate]

Originally Posted by Grindonthemind

As a general rule (I produce trance/edm btw), I put a compressor on every single track as my first FX input. That works well for me for two reasons: because it allows me to effectively control the gain on every channel without messing with the channel strip volume faders (sometimes that gets messy) and because it allows me to manipulate other compression parameters with the best results while I'm constructing my track.

I would recommend not constructing channel strips on auto pilot. Compression affects the way audio sounds - making a decision in advance of hearing the audio seems counterproductive to my way of thinking.

Also since DAWs allow for drawing a volume envelope - I would avail myself of that technique first since it only affects the volume of a track - and doesn't alter the character. Or if not that then Automating the fader and listening to what it really needs.

[NYCruiser]

Originally Posted by AndreBenoit

The only real rule I have is self imposed, I never use reverb on bass it just makes it muddy & sound awful!
Andre

X2 on this. Something else I do sometimes is put my reverb out on a bus and use sends on the tracks that I want to apply it to.

I will also put an eq on the bus after the reverb and high pass it wherever it sounds good. The pass point will depend on the material.

[Grindonthemind]

Yeah I guess I should have clarified that even though I use a compressor on virtually every track, I don't always use it to compress the signal. Sometimes I use it as a simple gain control. I just like having it there because I almost always use at least a little compression on every instrument, and I'd rather have it first in the signal path--plus you can always remove/bypass it.

[Heyclown]

Originally Posted by NYCruiser

Something else I do sometimes is put my reverb out on a bus and use sends on the tracks that I want to apply it to

This I do allways. I have a whole lot of busses that serves like this. Room rev, hall rev, 3 delays, Tremolo; and then I add buses to taste if I need more.