Below is a compact yet practical checklist for three insertion points of the YS-Stereo Makeup plugin: individual tracks, buses (groups), and the master. For rock and pop, no frills, just practical techniques.

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## For individual tracks (vocals, guitars, bass, drums)

**Goal:** to add precise volume and depth without upsetting the balance.

- **Vocals (pop/rock):**
- Bass/low end — Mono, Side on low end — minimal.
- High-frequency widening only via Narrow: distribute narrow sections across the channels.
- Haas: 8–15 ms (depth without echo).
- Phase shift: either off or very moderate on high end.
- Reverb: Verb 30–50%, Vol 15–30% — for a slight "glue."
- Controls: Green VUs — Mid should be noticeably higher than Side; white VUs — no clipping.

- **Electric Guitars (Rock):**
- Mid: Narrow, to spread the frequencies and eliminate midrange "mush."
- Side shouldn't be louder than Wide; maintain balance.
- Phase shift — only on one band (usually HF), not all at once.
- Gain: Leave some headroom to prevent the bus from overloading.

- **Bass:**
- Always Mono; Mono+Bass 10–20% for center density.
- Side at low frequencies — minimal.
- Avoid Haas and phase effects on bass: they create instability.

- **Drums (kick/bass, snare, cymbal buses):**
- Kick and snare — Mono, minimum Side.
- Cymbals/hi-hats — Extend the highs, maybe crank up the Side.
- Haas 10-18 ms on cymbals for depth.

**Universal tip:** After setting up, apply Mute FX and listen to Dry. If the track sounds worse without the effect, you've overdone it.

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## On the buses (subgroups: guitars, keys, backing vocals, etc.)

**Goal:** "Collect" a group of instruments into a single stereo field, add air, but maintain clarity.

- **Guitar bus (rock):**
- Narrow in the midrange: this helps "spread out" overdriven guitars and eliminate aliasing.
- Side, moderately; Keep the Wide at a level to avoid losing the center.
- Haas 12-20 ms — for depth throughout the entire band.
- It's best to use phase shift only on the treble, or not at all.

- **Keys/Pads (Pop):**
- You can use the Side more actively and a slight phase shift on bands 1-2.
- Reverb Verb 50-70%, Vol 20-40% — to glue together and add space.
- Make sure the green VUs on the Side don't overpower the Mid by more than 6-8 dB.

- **Background Vocals:**
- Keep the Mids strong, and extend only on the treble.
- Haas 10-16 ms for depth. - Don't make the backing vocals wider than the main vocals—they should remain behind and to the side, not "overtake" the front vocals.

**Monitoring:** Use Mid/Side monitoring. If you hear "holes" in the center when listening to the Side, reduce the Side or reconsider the crossover boundaries.

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## To the master bus (final stereo shaping)

**Goal:** Subtly "stretch" the width and depth, maintain mono compatibility, and avoid breaking the mix.

- **Bottom and lower mids:** Strictly Mono. Side on these bands—minimal or off.
- **Extension:** Only on the HF (upper band), Narrow—very moderate.
- **Haas:** 5–12 ms maximum. Large delays are immediately audible as echo on the master. - **Phase Shift:** Either off or barely noticeable in the high frequencies. Any strong phase interference on the master can "break" the mix on different systems.
- **Reverb:** It's best not to use it. If you need a subtle "glue," set Verb to 20-30%, Vol 5-15%—it should be almost unnoticeable.
- **Gain:** Adjust to the target LUFS, leaving some headroom. The white VUs shouldn't "stick" in the upper range.

**Critical Check:**
- Enable Mid/Side Monitoring: the center (Mid) should remain tight.
- If your DAW allows it, check mono compatibility: bass and vocals shouldn't disappear or "collapse."
- A/B: Mute FX versus Dry. If the difference is too dramatic, reduce the FX and Side.

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## How to get started quickly in any situation

1. Install the plugin, set only the bass band to Mono, and the rest to Wide for now.
2. Disable all aggressive effects: Haas, phase shift, reverb, and Random.
3. Add widening only to the highs via Narrow and gently raise the Side.
4. Add a little Haas (8-15 ms) and, if needed, a light reverb.
5. Check the balance using the green VUs (Mid > Side) and the white VUs (no clipping).
6. Mute the FX, compare with the Dry, and reduce the FX and Side if necessary.

This approach produces a predictable result and saves time: you always start from a safe state and add the effect gradually.