problem
EQ before compression changes the detector response; EQ after compression reshapes the compressed result.
Cuts before compression can stop rumble, resonances, or harsh bands from driving excessive gain reduction. Boosts can make the compressor react more strongly to the boosted region.
This position is useful when the spectral problem is also changing the compressor movement.
EQ after compression shapes the tone without changing what the detector heard. It can restore brightness, weight, or balance after the envelope is controlled.
Large boosts can still raise peaks and output level, so the downstream headroom must be checked.
Try a corrective cut before compression and a smaller tonal move after it. Match output level, then compare the groove and balance in context.
Meter Core helps reveal whether the preferred order improved control or simply became louder.