Do you need a low cut on the master bus?

If you’ve been watching mixing and mastering tutorials, you’ve probably heard people say: “Always do a low cut on the master at 20 Hz, 30 Hz…”

Here’s the truth: you don’t always need it.

Don’t cut just because

So many people throw a high-pass filter on the master by default. Big mistake.

Always listen to what happens to your song.

Sometimes a gentle cut (like 12 dB per octave) can make the limiter breathe better:

• The low sub energy isn’t choking it anymore.
• The result is more movement and more dynamic punch.

Other times, that same cut will kill the vibe. It can strip away the soul and make things sound digital, flat, artificial.

If you do filter on the master

1. Make sure it’s linear phase

If you already clipped during mixing, a non-linear-phase filter can “un-clip” the signal by shifting the phase.

• That eats up headroom.
• That means more unnecessary distortion later.

2. Gentle cuts are usually the best

• Less phase shift, and consequently less pre-ringing (in linear phase mode).
• Less impact on the fullness and “naturalness” of your low end.

Keep it simple

• Don’t reach for low cuts on the master by default.
• If you use one, go gentle, and go linear phase (ideally).