Effects order changes sound

"It seems to be the order where the least adjustment causes the most audible effect to me so it's a good basis for training your ear to the nuances of multi effects."
 
Great point. thank you.

Noel Borthwick [Cakewalk]

FreeFlyBertl
just don't add them with the piano player or guitarist looking over your shoulder and then make the mistake to solo the track for them ... they simply won't like it ;-)

Ha I've definitely been guilty of that.

It's especially awkward when you're married to the piano player, no?

Hi. I usually use er before and after dynamics. Depending om the song , I sometimes use a subtractive eq first, dynamics, and boost eq. Or the other way, if needed. I switch them around to see/hear what I like best.
As mentioned earlier, there are no specific rules. If it sounds good to you, it is good😀

Oh dear... It looks like I'm doing it all wrong then...
 
Typically, on most of my recent projects, I insert an EQ plug as the first item in the effects bin, and apply that to the dry sound, in order to get the sound "sculpted" to fit in with each of the other tracks. Only if I feel that it is absolutely necessary do I add a dynamics plug into a track effects bin.
 
If I am adding reverb to a track, I have since settled on always creating a buss for that effect and sending individual tracks to that, which is then routed to the master buss.
 
If I add delay to a track then I will generally add that to a track, usually because I am after a particular delay effect just for that track, rather than trying to emulate playing in a canyon or something. And I place it last in the bin.
 
I use mainly VST instruments, many of which come with their own EQ, dynamic and reverb/delay. If I am unable to attain the same effect with one of my VST plugs then I will use the effect that comes with the VSTi, otherwise I turn it off, thereby giving me more control over effects order, as well as using a plug that is sometimes better than the same "on-board" effect.
 
On my master buss I have recently started using final "mastering" (I use that term loosely) EQ, followed by a limiter and finally spectrum display.
 
So, to recap, I am using EQ > Dynamics (if required) > Reverb on tracks and then EQ > Dynamics on the master buss.
 
I'm going to have to do a bit more research on this...
 
 

1 + 2 * 3 = ?
 
Whether the answer is 7 or 9 depends upon the order in which you perform the addition and multiplication. 
 
Everything that happens under the hood of a DAW comes down to addition and multiplication.
 
The difference is that in arithmetic we've settled upon rules of precedence in order to assure consistent results. In the real world such rules do not exist, so 7 and 9 are both legitimate answers.

if you think of 'effects' as more 'sound shapers', and understand that GAIN STAGING is important in this equation,
then you will get a better handle on stacking effects.