Hey Reader,

Every time I work on a track, there’s one ritual I never skip:

I play it for my girlfriend.

And she is my hardest critic.
She never likes my tracks.
At least it feels like that. 😅

She doesn’t know anything about mixing. Doesn’t care about saturation or parallel compression.
But when she says something’s off, I listen.

This week, I played her my upcoming Tech House remix of this track:

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I was hyped.
And she... looked confused.

At first, I rolled my eyes.
But then I realized—she was right. (Not that I’ve told her yet.)

In the break, I had vocals, synths, melodies, drums—everything at once.​
It wasn’t loud.
It was just unfocused.

And that’s when the one question came back to me:

👉 “What’s the focus?”

🎛️ The real secret to a pro-sounding mix

It’s not your EQ.
It’s not your compressor.
It’s clarity.

And stereo placement plays a huge role in that.

Here's my go-to stereo placement guide:

• Kick & Sub Bass → Always mono. Center = power.
• Mid-bass or extra layers → Slight width = fullness, but stay out of the sub’s way.
• Leads (vocals, main synths) → Center = clarity. That’s where the story is told.
• Pads, FX, background synths → Wider = space & vibe.
• Percussion → Tops, shakers, loops = go wide. They don’t need center stage.
• Layers → Add width with delays, octaves, reverb—but only to support the core.

🛠 Tools I actually use:

• Ableton Utility → Width control, mono-checks
• Ozone Imager (free) → Simple & visual
• Haas by Kilohearts (free) → Subtle stereo shifts = magic

One of my fav tricks?

👉 Put a Utility on the master chain and switch to mono.

Suddenly, all the clutter shows up.

Still hearing your lead? Great.
Lost your vocal? Something’s competing.

You can also solo just two channels—e.g., synth + vocal—and find conflicts fast.
Instead of checking 50 tracks, you’re only comparing 2.
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Way faster. Way clearer.

🎯 Bonus Tip: Shift focus using automation

Don’t just widen everything.

Try this instead:
In the break, automate your vocal to become wider, while a synth moves closer to mono.
This subtly changes who’s in the spotlight—without deleting a thing.

And since it’s my birthday today (yeiiih), I’ve got something for you:

🎁 I’m giving away 3 FREE track feedbacks.

Got a song in progress?
Send it my way, and I’ll help you find your focus.

Only the first 3 replies will get one.
Let’s make sure your next drop hits.

Before I go, I’ve got one quick question for you:

👉 If you could get personal help with one part of your production right now, what would it be?

• Finishing tracks?
• Mixing?
• Getting label-ready feedback?
• Something else?

Just hit reply and let me know.
I’m listening—and it might shape what I build next.

Stay Productive,
- LEMAN

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