Chicken And Egg - Chicken And Egg, Best stage to choose effects? Options

[Bonzo3]

After messing around in Garageband, I've just put together the first song I'm pleased with and and in the process of mastering it. When laying down each track, I had set effects to give each instrument the right feel. Now I'm setting the master volume and have a choice of different effects and settings for the song as a whole. Some of these make the song sound great in places, but throw certain instruments out (particularly those I already set effects for).

I'm just wondering when is the most logical stage to employ effects – at the recording stage, or the mastering stage, or both? Something's telling me I was a bit too specific early on, and I should have waited till I had the broader picture. Any advice from more seasoned Garageband users?

Thanks...

[Bonzo3]

Hey - thanks both for the swift replies...

Yep, I am hoping to upgrade to Logic - perhaps at the end of the year (need to get a bit further with Garageband first before I take the financial plunge).

And, yes, I'll try stripping out all the effects I laid down before to see if they are really needed in the final mix. It's kind of odd though: I've found that to craft a song I need to add quite a few effects to the Garageband preset sounds - otherwise they are often not inspiring enough to make me want to lay down the next tracks. But then when I come to mastering I hit things like reverb- and echo-overload!

Ah well, I'll suck it and see. Thanks for the advice...