Questions on best filters for vocal (podcast) processing

KBjeff wrote:

Do the audio effect filters apply during recording,

no

KBjeff wrote:

or only when you play the raw recorded track (I have a USB mic recording directly to Garageband)?

yes:

http://www.bulletsandbones.com/GB/GBFAQ.html#nondestructive

(Let the page FULLY load. The link to your answer is at the top of your screen)

KBjeff wrote:

Do the audio effect filters apply sequentially from top to bottom?

yes.

you can rearrange them by dragging the effect by the 3 verticle dots on the left of the effect slot

KBjeff wrote:

What filters and settings would you recommend I choose to best compress and normalize a male voice for spoken word podcasting?

there really isn't such a thing, or else there wouldn't be so many parameters to set.

you need to experiment to find what works best with a particular voice/room/mic/etc. in fact change any of those things and you'll likely want to tweak the settings again

you're welcome, good luck