Mastering Chain Plugin Order (EQ, Comp, Tone, Stereo, Limiter)

The reliable order for a mastering chain is corrective EQ, then compression, then tonal EQ, then stereo processing, then the limiter last. Each stage shapes the signal before the next one reacts to it, and the limiter always sits at the very end because it sets the final ceiling and loudness after every other decision is made. This is not the only possible order, but it is the one that avoids the common traps, and understanding why each stage sits where it does lets you adapt it to any track.

The chain at a glance

• 1. Corrective EQ - fix problems: sub-rumble, harsh resonances, tonal imbalances.
• 2. Compression - glue and control dynamics on a cleaned-up signal.
• 3. Tonal EQ - shape character: air, warmth, presence, after compression.
• 4. Stereo processing - width and imaging, before the final ceiling.
• 5. Limiter - set the -1 dBTP ceiling and final loudness, last.

Every one of these stages is optional except the limiter - a great mix might only need a touch of tonal EQ and a limiter. But when you do use them, this sequence keeps them working together instead of against each other.

Why corrective EQ comes first

You clean up problems before anything else reacts to them. If your mix has a boomy build-up at 200 Hz or a harsh resonance at 3 kHz, that energy will trigger the compressor that follows - the compressor will duck the whole track every time the problem frequency spikes, pumping in response to something you did not even want in the signal. By cutting the problem first with corrective EQ, the compressor only responds to the parts of the sound you actually care about. High-pass out the sub-rumble below roughly 30 Hz here too, so the limiter is not wasting its energy on inaudible low end.

Why compression sits in the middle

With the tone cleaned up, gentle bus compression glues the mix together and controls its dynamics - evening out the level so the loudest and quietest sections sit closer together and the track feels cohesive. Doing this before the tonal EQ means your character-shaping boosts land on an already-controlled signal, so a bright high-shelf does not suddenly cause the compressor to overreact. Keep mastering compression light - 1 to 3 dB of gain reduction, low ratio, slow attack to preserve transients. This is glue, not loudness; the limiter handles loudness. If you are unsure what compression is doing to your dynamics, the reasoning carries over from what a limiter does.

Why tonal EQ comes after compression

This is the part that surprises people: you often EQ twice, once before compression and once after. The first EQ is corrective - fixing problems. The second EQ is tonal - adding character. It comes after compression because compression can change the perceived balance of the track. Once the dynamics are settled, you can hear the real tonal picture and make musical moves - a gentle high-shelf for air, a touch of low shelf for warmth, a small presence lift. If you made these boosts before compression, the compressor would react to them and partly undo them. After compression, what you shape is what you keep.

Why stereo processing comes near the end

Width and imaging adjustments - a stereo widener, mid-side EQ, or a subtle enhancer - sit after the tonal EQ and before the limiter. You place them late because widening interacts with level and phase, and you want it applied to a signal that is already tonally finished. Crucially, stereo processing goes before the limiter, not after, because widening can push peaks up and change the true-peak reading. Let the limiter catch the final peaks after all width decisions are made. And always check mono compatibility - aggressive widening that sounds huge in stereo can hollow out or cancel in mono, which matters for club systems and phone speakers.

Why the limiter is always last

The limiter is the finishing stage. It catches the remaining peaks, sets your ceiling at -1 dBTP, and brings the track up to its final competitive loudness. It has to be last because it needs to see the complete, finished signal - after every EQ, compression and width decision - to know where the real peaks are and how much level it can safely add. Put the limiter anywhere but last and every plugin after it changes the levels it just carefully controlled, re-introducing peaks above the ceiling it was supposed to protect. Set it in true-peak mode so it catches inter-sample overs; read true peak explained for why that matters.

Adapting the order

This sequence is a dependable default, not a law. Real mastering is flexible, and there are good reasons to bend it.

• Multiple compressors. Some chains use a slow glue compressor then a faster one, or a compressor and a separate saturation stage for density. Keep them before the limiter.
• Saturation for loudness. A touch of harmonic saturation before the limiter can add perceived loudness and warmth without pushing peaks as hard as raw limiting.
• Mid-side EQ. This can serve as either the corrective or tonal stage depending on what you are fixing.
• Less is more. The best masters often use the fewest stages. Do not add a plugin just to have one - if the mix only needs tonal EQ and a limiter, stop there.

Whatever you add, the two anchors hold: fix problems early so later stages react cleanly, and put the limiter last so it finishes a completed signal. For the export that feeds this chain, read how to export a WAV for mastering, and browse the full mastering guides for the targets at each stage.