I find that EQ and compression are some of the greatest tools for producing a sound. It can be used throughout the entire song process (production, in sound design; mixing, to get a good balance between your elements and; mastering, to emphasize the rhythm, handle any frequency problems and bring the song up to the desired volume).
Personally I produce with a limiter on the master channel, use it in mixing, bypassing it and turning it on for a good comparison and I always do the mastering separately - try to listen to the song as if you had never heard it before.
The reason why mixing with a limiter can be helpful is that it allows you to hear the music similarly to how it will end up sounding: with some compression weighing all the elements of the mix all down a bit.
As far as how exactly EQs and compressors can be used...
The EQ is extremely valuable in that it can be used to take unwanted frequencies from a sound, allowing it to fit into a mix like a piece of a puzzle.
Too many instruments occupying the same frequency ranges will take away from the clarity of your song.
The HARD-HITTING sound of dubstep and electro is, starting with a cool sound
, the balance between the instruments frequency-wise and in regards to their relative levels and some solid compression, personal observation and application leads me to say LAYERS of compression.
More technically with EQing, taking frequencies out a bit will help you when you are slamming it all together at the end.
A highpass filter around 50hz handles inaudible bass frequencies that will steal overall volume when limiting and taking a few dbs out of the 400-500hz range will add clarity. These are general figures I find to be true; don't take those figures as law. There will always be other unwanted frequency swells to handle but the main point to note is that EQing things OUT is way more useful in the long run than trying to compensate with EQing frequencies IN which will inevitable lead to more distortion and noise in your song.
Now as for compression; it helps to know what they were designed for before utilizing their application:
In order to hear more of the qualities of any given sound it takes the quiet details and makes them louder while setting a threshold for louder things, upon which passing, will be pushed down against or towards. This can usually be done with a ratio - the higher the ratio (e.g. 24:1, 4:1, etc.) the more it compresses when the volume passes the set threshold. The lower the threshold (e.g. -4db, -12db, etc.) the more of the sound is brought out through compression or more accurately, "targeted" for compression in effect, making it more audible. This can be looked at in the realm of frequency spectrum for more useability to your scenario - frequencies with higher volumes will be more contained and frequencies that are relatively quiet will begin to surface into the realm of audibility. With a nice mix and an even level of frequencies, you will get a hard-hitting sound.
As far as how I utilize the capabilities of a compressor, I usually use two, sometimes even a limiter after these.
The first is used to accentuate the dynamics of a track, the second to regulate the overall volume, (the limiter used in severe cases needing a ceiling to control it).
There's probably a lot more I could say regarding these two things but I feel like I've adequately stressed their importance.
A few other things I think you'd find useful if you aren't already doing:
Separate your "brostep" bass into at least two channels; one for the mutilated sound covering most of the frequency spectrum, starting around 200-400hz going up, the second for sub-bass. compress this but don't distort the shit out of it because it will decrease the clarity and "energy" of the drop.
Use a compressor before the master limiter, lightly, as I gave in my "two-compressor" arrangement on a single track, it can be used to accentuate the rhythm, and bring out some subtle details.
The last thing, apparently quite controversial, is about HOW MUCH to slam your song.
I say slam it. Dubstep as of late is quite slammed. This isn't a rock ballad.
DON'T slam it to the point of "pulsating" (when every time the kick hits, the whole song gets quieter, fading back up into loud until the next kick hits).
You can achieve this result, if desired, through "side-chaining" (also compressor-related) but the whole song should NOT do this.
More technically, I wouldn't limit the song much more than a max of 5 dbs, depending on the quality of your limiter.
This means the song is being suppressed by 5dbs during the loudest transients.
If you have the option, oversampling is very useful, giving you a bit more headroom to work with during the mastering process.
One more thing to measure loudness is the RMS level. This is a number that tells you the average volume of a song.
The higher the number the quieter. -14 is quieter than -10. -10 to -8 is pretty loud, I wouldn't ever go louder than this unless you want the mix to sound over-saturated, pulsating and mushy. More important, I have found, is the amount by which the song is compressed, as I said before by the limiter.
Anyway, now you have a pretty long summary of EQ and compression, I hope you find this extensive monologue useful in some way.
Feel free to ask any questions, I am more than willing to help out in any way I can. =)
Sincerely,
James
I guess only practice will help me with the barrier though.
(who btw I heard doing the reese glitch-hop biz before Koan's EP's ever dropped). We all hear tunes and take ideas and inspiration from them, which is all I offered him. You were advocating destroying his tunes dynamics, boring drum patterns, and potentially uninteresting basses/melodies. Which in a style of music that already all sounds relatively the same, seems crazy to me. Listen to a ton of tunes, take ideas from them and make them your own, everyone does it. However I don't agree with putting these limits on yourself before you even start a tune