Pre-Fader vs Post-Fader Recording

[Matt Plomell]

I am unclear about the practical usage of recording pre-fader vs post-fader. What does it do exactly? In what scenarios would it be advantageous to select one over the other?

[musikoljo]

I'd like to know that too

[Steve]

Recording post-fader means you record exactly what you hear. If you change the level of several tracks, it gets recorded. If you make changes to EQ, FX, Level, Pan, etc it will be recorded. This is the best option when you want to capture a live performance as-is.

Pre-fader allows you to mix in real-time, for your room. The audio will be recorded before it travels through the channel, EQ, FX, Level, Pan, etc. This is the best option when you want to play or rehearse live - but record the underlying tracks to mix later in a DAW.