problem
Masking makes parts disappear even when nothing is technically muted.
Frequency masking happens when two or more sounds occupy similar ranges and one hides the detail of another. Turning the hidden part up can help briefly, but it often makes the mix louder and more crowded.
Common examples include vocal intelligibility fighting guitars, kick attack fighting bass harmonics, and cymbal wash covering vocal brightness.
A spectrum analyzer can show where energy piles up, but the decision still comes from listening. If two parts spike in the same range, mute or dip one and check whether the other suddenly becomes clearer.
Reference tracks help separate a real masking issue from a genre-appropriate dense arrangement.
Try level, panning, arrangement, and narrow EQ moves before heavy processing. Often the fix is making one part slightly quieter or less busy in the exact moment another part needs attention.
Meter Core gives spectrum, loudness, and stereo context so clarity decisions stay connected to the whole mix instead of one isolated curve.