[LAU] Mastering question (not software, but technique)

Hey everyone! Ive got a few questions/assumpotions, i'd like to have your opinion about. Clarification: I don't use GUI, because I can't. I have to go by ear. Equalisation; Assume using Fons Adriaesen's LADSPA EQ (filters.so Unique ID: 1970). I choose the band freuqencies (as a starting point) around the dominanat note of my piece. So if it's in A major/minor I might choose 55Hz, 220Hz, 440Hz and 3520Hz. Assume we have a simple piece in one key only and we don't do too much weird. Good assumption? Or should I start out by listening for the main frequencies of instruments with harsh and loud attacks (like drums, strongly plucked instruments...)? Doing compression on filtered bands: I again go for bass, mid (rhtym instrument and perhaps main voice) and high (lead sounds and all the overtones). Again I choose based on the key of the piece. Good choice? About compression: I usually have high compression ratio on the bass (as a starting point), mid ratio on the mid range and a high ratio again on the overtones. Good starting decision (assuming a basic pop/rock setup: bass, drums, rhythm instrument, voice and lead)? Or should I go for the peaky instruments? If you have no GUI setup, how would you find frequencies of the peaky sounds VERY fast? You could guess the sounds, but you have to find the bnads, you can get textual output from a filter or any other LADSPA plugin. You can control parameters of effects with MIDI or by entering into the computer keyboard. I guess filter below 20Hz and above 20kHz is fine, you can't hear it if your older than a young child and belong to the human species. When to filter: as early as possible or as late as possible? I'd guess: better later. Does it make much difference if you record in 48kHz or 96kHz if you finally get down to 44.1kHz output for the public? I mean realistically, not just in theory viewed on some analyzer. A lot of questions, a few - perhaps all - rather stupid, but after reading a bit, I didn't find suitable answers. If someone can recommend some reading on the net, which is not PDF (at least not favourably PDF), please tell me, I'm not too afraid of reading. :-) Kindest regard and thanks Julien -------- Music was my first love and it will be my last (John Miles) ======== FIND MY WEB-PROJECT AT: ======== http://ltsb.sourceforge.net the Linux TextBased Studio guide ======= AND MY PERSONAL PAGES AT: ======= http://www.juliencoder.de