Hi guys,
I was wondering about the relation between the threshold and out ceiling.
If you've used L1 limiter, there is a preset Dave Pensado->Pensado Limiter
Is it okay to use this preset on the master bus?
Specifically, I am asking what does this preset exactly do to the sound since it sets both threshold and out ceiling on -7.5 dB .What I have found is, there is no audible increase in the volume. It seems we take out some peaks (transients) in the wave form by reducing out ceiling to -7.5 dB instead of staying on 0 or 0.1 dB.
Can somebody explain to me what exactly happens and the interplay between the threshold, out ceiling and release settings. If you can give me some practical usage of such settings in mixing it would be really appreciated. Like I know by smaller release time on bass, you can get some sort of biting/growling(?) sound.
Thanks in advance

 

It's removing transients without increasing the loudness. Release is responsible for the time needed to bring back the gain of signal to the ceiling point. Usefulness of this method (like in Pensado preset) depends on material and situation, but mostly for acoustic guitars.

 

Last edited: Dec 11, 2017

The threshold is the same as on any compressor, it's the point where your limiter is required to kick in and control the signal.

The ceiling is a separate thing that does not interact with the threshold, it tells the limiter "nothing should be higher than this level, ever". As if it was digital 0 and there was no way to go higher. So this is mostly just a convenience for you, if for example you're asked to limit the track to -0.3dB peak level. You set ceiling to that value. Pensado set both of them to -7.5dB for some reason, probably because he thought that's a decent starting point if your track is at -18 RMS (average level) and has peaks jumping around at around -6dB, then you see how that's only 1.5 dB of limiting that Pensado's peaks will be subject to, a nice conservative amount.

Release is controlling how fast the unclamping happens, after the compressor clamps down on something loud.The release on any compressor has a certain special sound. The shorter you make it, the more gritty and aggressive. The longer you make it, the smoother and spacier it gets. At a certain point, the release becomes so long that the compressor or limiter has no time to "unclamp" between transients, so it begins to compress almost constantly which sounds boring because it's just a static volume control style adjustment that isn't doing much.

Dial in a low Threshold on any comp or limiter, so that there is a lot of compression happening (will sound like crap, that's fine). And now adjust the release and listen for yourself to what I described. Try to find the "gritty", the "aggrssive disto" , the "smooth n' spacey", and finally find that point where it becomgs pointless and bland. That's an important point to know since it's like a country border - your useful country is everything below this point, everything above you can not bother with. The border shifts depending on the track you're working with and the sounds it has. So a setting that works for one track is not going to be that good for any other, it needs adjustment.

 

relation between the threshold and out ceiling:
if they linked (same amounts) - you hear what limiter does to sound without volume changes, so compensated to this: LIMITERED OUTPUT LOUDNESS = DRY INPUT LOUDNESS. Matched loudness between processed and unprocessed. So, when threshold goes to "I hear pump/distortion etc" you should stop and make threshold higher, to adjust to avoid this. Then switch off linking, return ceiling to -0.1dB or even quiter/lower to avoid intersample distortions etc. It is for final master bus. Or for insert/busses: don't switch off linking, limiter will be usefull for just limit peaks without volume changes of your bus/insert.
Release is to adjust: avoid distortion or avoid pumping, roughly speaking.
I never use preset for mixing/mastering (only if it is not creative effects - rarely use presets).
What is the task/goal? from what category is this preset? (Bus/group, insert, masterbus)? what's the name of this preset?
Many modern digital limiters have this feature, like linked ceiling+threshold, in Pro-L2 it is called 1:1, or Unity Gain monitoring, for example. So clicking bypass you hear unprocessed sound and compare with processed sound - but with same loudness, matched.
There is also DELTA as well, to hear WHAT IT DOES TO SOUND ONLY (you hear only changes, distortions from processed output without audio by itself), so input minus output. Aka difference. E.g. you have vocals, you clip them to hell, so DELTA will give you only hell clipping distortion without vocals.
So to say..

 

Out ceiling = max output. Set it to -6dB and the max peak after the limiter will be -6dB, limited or not.
If it's at the end of the master chain set it to -1dB (new standard)

Threshold = the point where the limiting starts. Any signal above it will be limited. The lower you set it, the more limiting will occur, you can see this in the display. If you set it too low the sound gets squeezed and begins to distort. Try yourself and you will hear it.

Release = time the limiter is still acting although the signal is below the threshold. Kepp it as short as possible.

And with this simple plugin you won't really need any presets.

 

Last edited: Dec 11, 2017

Import a finished well recorded product (preferably from source, CD?). Now play with the controls starting with the threshold
and listen to what is comning foward in the mix. The L1 is a simple and effective plugin.