When to Do Signal Processing

When to Do Signal Processing
Given all the signal processing options at our disposal, you may very well ask when they should be done and in what order. There really are no hard and fast rules, though we can provide some guidelines. The thing to remember is that the cumulative effect of all your signal processing is going to depend on how each step in your signal processing affects the next step.

For example, if you recorded your original audio at a low level, you may be tempted to normalize it to start. However, if you're planning to add some EQ, be sure to leave headroom, because you may add to the overall level. If you're going to use compression and EQ, remember that the compression is going to warm up your bottom end and make your audio sound fuller, so you may not need to add too much bottom end. Conversely, because compression is going to fatten your sound, you may be tempted to add a touch of high end to compensate for any lost sparkle.