Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
A mid-side EQ trick that brings a buried vocal forward in mastering.
When the vocal feels slightly behind the track, most engineers just push the whole master louder. That doesn't fix the problem, it just makes everything louder.
Here's the trick. Open a mid-side EQ on the mix bus or master and go to the mid band only. Add a tiny high shelf from around 1.7k and lift it by about 0.5dB. That gently brings the centre of the mix forward, so the vocal, snare, lead synth, or whatever sits in the middle feels more in your face.
It's subtle, but once you hear it, you'll use it on every master.
Want the exact preset I used for free? DM me "LIFT" on Instagram and I'll send it to you.
#mastering #vocalmixing #midside #masteringtips #musicproduction
A mid-side EQ trick that brings a buried vocal forward in mastering.
When the vocal feels slightly behind the track, most engineers just push the whole master louder. That doesn't fix the problem, it just makes everything louder.
Here's the trick. Open a mid-side EQ on the mix bus or master and go to the mid band only. Add a tiny high shelf from around 1.7k and lift it by about 0.5dB. That gently brings the centre of the mix forward, so the vocal, snare, lead synth, or whatever sits in the middle feels more in your face.
It's subtle, but once you hear it, you'll use it on every master.
Want the exact preset I used for free? DM me "LIFT" on Instagram and I'll send it to you.
#mastering #vocalmixing #midside #masteringtips #musicproduction
