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LX Audiolabs edited this page Jul 6, 2026 · 1 revision

Equilibrium — Master Bus Balancer

5-band spectral balancer with per-band Gain, Stereo Width, and Pan. Zero-latency, linear processing.

What is Equilibrium?

Equilibrium is a pre-master spectral balancer for your master bus. It balances frequency bands so your mix translates everywhere — club systems, streaming, earbuds.

Unlike Meridian (shaper with compression & saturation), Equilibrium is purely linear: no compression, no saturation. Just EQ, stereo width, and pan per band.

Key idea: Your master is too bass-heavy? Equilibrium pulls the bass down. Too dull in the highs? Boost. Too wide in the sub? Make it mono. Before any limiter touches your master, Equilibrium fixes the spectrum.

Where to Place It

🟢 First on the Master Bus — before any limiter, clipper, or mastering chain.

Not for: track/bus EQ (use Meridian), dynamics (use Meridian/Aurum).

Why first? Fix tonal balance before dynamics processing reacts to it. Correct the spectrum, then compress/limit.

The 5 Bands — Electronic Music Reference

Per band: Gain (−12 to +12 dB), Stereo Width (0–150%), Pan.

SUB (0–80 Hz) — Kick fundamental + rumble tail

  • Default Width: 0% (mono) — always keep sub mono for club compatibility
  • Too loud? Gain −3 to −6 dB
  • Too thin? Gain +2 to +4 dB
  • Stereo rumble? Width stays 0% — fix in the mix, not here

BASS (80–300 Hz) — Kick body + low synths + bassline warmth

  • Default Width: 100% — reduce to 50–75% if low-end feels unfocused
  • Muddy? Gain −1 to −2 dB
  • Lacking weight? Gain +2 to +3 dB
  • Rolling basslines? Slightly narrow Width (75%) keeps the groove centered

MID (300–2k Hz) — Synth body + percussion punch + atmos

  • Default Width: 100% — the core of your track
  • Thin/hollow? Gain +1 to +2 dB
  • Crowded/muffled? Gain −1 dB
  • Pads too wide? Width 80–90%

PRES (2k–6k Hz) — Percussion attack + synth definition

  • Default Width: 100%
  • Dull? Gain +1 to +3 dB (brings hi-hats and transients forward)
  • Harsh/fatiguing? Gain −1 to −2 dB
  • Width at 90% if top-end feels splattered

AIR (6k+ Hz) — Hi-hat shimmer + atmos tails + reverb air

  • Default Width: 100%
  • Too dark? Gain +1 to +3 dB
  • Too bright/hissy? Gain −1 to −2 dB
  • Small moves — ±1 dB is already noticeable

Key Features

MONO FLOOR (0–300 Hz)

Everything below the set frequency goes mono — critical for club-ready masters.

  • Techno / hard bass: 120–150 Hz
  • Deep house / ambient: 80–100 Hz
  • Don't push past 150 Hz or pads lose width.

LISTEN Mode

Shows input energy before your corrections — your raw mix spectrum. Toggle on to analyze, toggle off to see your changes take effect.

AUTO LOUD

Measures loudness over 5 seconds, adjusts output gain to compensate for EQ changes. Click, wait, done.

PRE-MASTER GAIN

Static ceiling preventing clipping. Default target: −3 dBFS. Not a limiter — a safety net.

SNAP

Exports full plugin state as Markdown. Feed it to any AI for mix feedback.

Typical Workflow

Balancing a Bass-Heavy Master

  1. Enable LISTEN → watch the band bars during your drop
  2. SUB: Kick peaking too high? Pull −2 to −4 dB
  3. BASS: Low-end muddy from layered synths + rumble? Narrow Width to 65%
  4. MID/PRES: Balance body vs attack — usually ±1 dB
  5. AIR: +1 dB if the top feels closed
  6. MONO FLOOR to 120 Hz (standard for techno)
  7. AUTO LOUD → compensate
  8. SNAP → AI feedback

Preparing for Streaming (Spotify/YouTube)

  1. MONO FLOOR: 80 Hz
  2. BASS: −0.5 dB (earbud optimization)
  3. MID: +0.5 dB (clarity)
  4. PRES: +1 dB (presence)
  5. AIR: +0.5 dB
  6. AUTO LOUD → PRE-MASTER on (−3 dBFS) → SNAP

Tips

  • Right-click any knob to reset to default.
  • SUB always mono (0% Width). No exceptions.
  • Gain moves ±1 to ±3 dB are normal. More than ±5 dB = mix problem, not master problem.
  • LISTEN shows energy, not loudness. Low bass measures high visually but sounds quieter to ears.
  • Reference track: Play a commercial track, compare LISTEN spectrum to your own — that's your target.
  • Width changes are subtle. 100% → 90% is barely audible but cleans up the measurement.

Known Limitations

  • Stereo only (L/R). No surround support.
  • No per-band compression. Each band is linear — dynamics issues belong in the mix.
  • PRE-MASTER is static. Not a real limiter — one fixed gain calculation.

System Requirements

⚠ Modern GPU required. LX plugins use GPU-accelerated rendering (Iced + wgpu) for real-time displays.

Component Minimum
Windows Windows 11 64-bit
macOS Apple Silicon (M1–M4)
Linux Modern distro, Vulkan-capable GPU + up-to-date Mesa drivers
GPU DirectX 12 / Vulkan / Metal — GPU from ~2015+
DAW CLAP-compatible (Reaper, Bitwig, Studio One, FL Studio)

Not supported: Windows 10 (blank displays), old Intel Macs, Linux on pre-2015 GPUs (crashes). There is no software fallback — the GPU pipeline is mandatory.

FAQ

Equilibrium AND Meridian on the Master? No. Equilibrium = master balancer. Meridian = tracks/buses. If you need master compression, use Aurum (in development).

Why is LISTEN showing high SUB but I don't hear it? LISTEN measures energy, not perceived loudness. A 50 Hz tone at the same level as 1 kHz sounds quieter. Trust your ears.

Can I save my master settings? Your DAW saves settings with the project. Use SNAP for documentation and AI feedback.

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