How can I keep vocal body after subtractive EQ in a mix?

[LoganLC]

I’ve been trying to get my vocal takes to sit better in my mixes, and I’m wondering if I’m overdoing it with subtractive EQ. I cut a lot of low-mid mud and harsh frequencies, but then the vocal starts to feel thin and loses its body, even before compression.

[Justin_L]

I've done this a bunch. cutting the mud helps the mix but if you go too hard the vocal sits thin even before compression. Sometimes I back off the narrow cuts and try a wider, gentler touch, then maybe lift a touch around 120 Hz to bring back body.

[Daniel_R]

Are you sure the problem is the cuts? Could it be the mic, pre, or your room monitoring coloring what you hear?

[Paul86]

I once removed harshness around 3 to 4 k like it was nothing, and the vocal got brittle in the context. It’s easy to chase the solo tone and lose how it sits in the track.

[Penelope61]

In other days I drifted off topic, thinking the issue was timing or breath, and the fix was to re-take instead of chasing tonal edits.