Limiters are generally simpler to use than compressors, making it relatively easy to dial in the right setting. They are renowned for their transparency and their ability to not make the track sound obviously limited or compressed. The L2 Ultramaximizer and the 元 series of limiter plugins are all designed specifically for mastering. The good ones do this so well that you can hardly notice it happening if set correctly. Modern mastering limiter plugins are extremely precise in catching peaks and won’t allow anything to pass through over their set ceiling, which is why they are sometimes referred to as “peak” or “brick wall” limiters. A limiter allows you to bring up the level without allowing the peaks to clip. The problem is, if you bring up the overall level of a track, the audio peaks are going to start clipping. Obviously this is something you want to avoid! But you also want your master to sound as loud possible, or at least in the same volume range as other commercial recordings. The big bugaboo in mastering is clipping – the squaring off of the waveform that occurs whenever a signal exceeds 0 dB, causing your playback device to output a click or a burst of harsh noise.
This sets the ‘limit’ above which the level of the audio passing through cannot be exceeded. Although limiters and compressors both work by reducing (attenuating) transients and loud signals, the amount of gain reduction applied by a limiter is determined by an output ceiling control set by the user. Limiters are essentially compressors with extremely high compression ratios. While many (if not most) mixes can be improved with some carefully applied equalization or compression, it’s probably safe to say that every track can benefit from limiting – though only if done properly! In this article, we’ll discuss six tips for correctly using limiters in mastering.Īs with every other mastering process, understanding the basics is key.
Its primary purpose is to make your track as loud as possible without clipping or distortion. Limiting is the final process in mastering and arguably the most important.
Why is limiting needed during mastering? What is the key to effective, tasteful limiting? And how much is too much? Don’t limit your skills by snoozing on these tips.
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