I would do the exact opposite, hit the button first, then adjust the eq... and i also don't believe in 'smilie faces' You adjust it depending on what you need. A boost on the mids right before a lead will make you stand out... that wouldlook more like a frown

FWIW, I keep the preshape pushed for the most part, and the eq is uaually pretty flat across the spectrum unless I feel it needs adjusting.

Well, the T has arrived. And contrary to my previous understanding (no misrepresentation on the seller's part), it is equipped with the OP-30, not the -40. I was looking forward to playing around with a notch filter (something seems really "rocker" about cranking the volume up to a constant feedback loop ), but no biggie. AND, I realize that the "pre eq" button on my OP-Pro is the same as the preshape button on the OP-40... I've been playing my 6778 all the time with that engaged, thinking that it was just a bypass switch for the onboard eq. But this OP-30 has a "eq in-out" button as well as a pre eq button. Learning new stuff is so cool!