Jpok1000
I have heard in the past that to much compression & EQ Can suck the life out of the track
& make it sound muddy or lifeless. So what I am asking is how much compression & EQ is to much? & is it wise to have a compressor & EQ in each individual bus as well as the Master bus. Or is it best to just have a compressor & EQ in the Master bus only & use the compressor & EQ in the final Mastering stages at the end of the project.
There's no easy answer to this. There are some guidelines, I think.
TOO much is when your ears think it's too much. Of course, that depends on the style of music - and how good your ears are, as well.
There is LOTS of controversy whether to use (and how much) compression and EQ on the Master Bus. My feeling is - do what you think sounds right, but keeping in mind what headroom and other options you'll be giving to the Mastering Engineer (if you use one). If you're doing everything yourself and ITB (In The Box), then just go for it.
Compare your results to your favorite tracks to get a beat on whether you're in the ballpark or not.
I do know that many producers/engineers use EQ and compression a lot but in varying degrees. Many do so on each and every track. But like anything else, developing a good working knowledge and experience with these tools is most important.
Compression and EQ are intense tools and can easily be used badly. When used well, they can do great things to a track too.
In the end, assuming one has good skills/experience with the tools, then it's really a matter of taste.
There are great tracks that are heavily compressed on purpose - ie, it's a "sound" they went for (pumping is one example). But there are also a lot of bad tracks that are overcompressed or over EQ'd for the wrong reasons and sound bad.
So use your ears, study all you can, learn all you can, practice all you can and you'll come to your own conclusions about how/when/why to use the tools.
That's my 2 cents ;)