Quick tip

How to Make Hardstyle Break Melodies Cut Through With the CLA-2A

If your hardstyle break melodies aren't powerful enough and don't cut through the mix like you want them to, use this setup to fix that.

Jim
Jim, On Point Samples
20 March 2026 · Short 1:02

My notes from this Short

01

CLA-2A on the lead and chord layer

Analog compressors, especially the CLA-2A, give your lead and chord layer a power that a lot of other plugins can't. I open the peak reduction to increase the compression, then add makeup gain to compensate for the gain loss.

02

Dynamic EQ to calm the highs

But the CLA-2A is well known for pushing the highs in your leads a lot. You can control that with dynamic EQ afterwards, if your setup calls for it. This way you get the nice compression without those overwhelming high frequencies.

Waves CLA-2A followed by FabFilter Pro-Q 3 on a hardstyle break melody layer: a dynamic high shelf that pulls down the highs the CLA-2A pushes
The CLA-2A, then a dynamic EQ band that pulls the highs down.
What I use in this video

Waves CLA-2A·FabFilter Pro-Q 3·FL Studio

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