Hey,
If I have you correctly, you want to fix (or improve) a sound by applying some mattering techniques to it before the tack is actually mastered.
Not that I’m a master engineer but I’d say that wouldn’t be a good way to go. Mixing everything together until you happy with is always the better option. Basically it’s always better to get the mix sounding well before the latter - So you end up with a good balance.
If you take a single stem and apply some mastering techniques to it, then it may sound too ‘rinsed’ when it goes back into the mix. And then it will be further processed after the actual master, which may really interfere how it sits.
Best thing is to improve it before the master. That way you can A/B constantly with your mix for reference.
If you can't record the track again, you could try sweetening it with EQ. Or at least cut out the stuff that you don't need. Or try surgically cutting rogue frequencies, etc.
Cheers,
Rob.
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