Maximiser first...then Limiter...for mastering?

can you explain what each step would do because i dont' understand it yet

I would normally put just a limiter..but some put a maximizer as well before the limiter?

thanks


edit: I've chatted with izotope because Ozone 9 has both a maximizer and a vintage limiter module

they told me maximizer provides a more cleaner signal loudness

and their vintage limiter a more analog style sound

and both an be used.......for example you can raise the signal 80% by maximizer and 20% by vintage limiter or any way...

depends if you want a cleaner or more analog style louder track

but both serve same purpose to raise the volume of the track

 

Last edited by a moderator: Oct 29, 2021

that was in the loudness war in the past . . . right now, youtube, spotify etc . . .only works at -13 , -14 lufs . . then . . maybe a touch of something , maybe a limiter (but before put a compressor ) and do not need maximizers, clippers or nothing . . . maybe a good mix do no need limiter neither . . . (in mastering) a touch of hardware is nice too . . . yo can use a good HW equalizer or a good HW compressor, only for a touch of analog . . . . these are other times my friend . . .
(and sorry for my english, is not my native blah blah blah )

 

have you been just messing around on threads for 6 years instead of actually doing anything

or is there more to your posts?

very confusing

 

Maximiser=Limiter

 

The compressor always comes to the end, if you absolutely have to use a limiter, the limiter comes at the very end.

 

Maximizer is already a limiter. These are workflow differences.
But you can put a clipper before it to shave off drums or other short peaks that would strain the limiter too much.

 

Is this a "rule" of some kind?
In my mix bus chain, the wideband compressor comes third after the first EQ and a multiband compressor, then there's a transient processor, then there's a saturator, then a second EQ, then a clipper, a de-esser, and finally a limiter. Some links in the chain might be missing, depending on the input material.
I'm breaking your rule and I feel fine doing so.

Double posting too much lately tho. Gonna consciously moderate it from now on, I'm sorry.

 

just a put a metal zone turned to max on the master. and a limiter after that.

 

Sometimes people over squash peaks in mastering! & it ends up with the sound being too loud/ harsh! if ya lookin for analog fatness use saturation

 

A maximizer is a limiter with an input gain, while the limiter offers a threshold. Limiters are therefore particularly useful on individual channels and subgroups, while maximizers do a good job on the master bus, where the aim is to make things "loud".
Sometimes these two terms are used interchangeably, even though they are not - very confusing .

 

@samsome, this. In a maximizer you raise the input until the top end is chopped off, in a limiter you pull the threshold down so it chops of the peaks.

But I wouldn't use a clipper in the main out, rather on individual channels, this usually gives a better result.

A vintage style limiter usually doesn't have an infinite ratio or a TP option.

 

I usually end up with loud drums (even after clipping individual channels) that pleasantly affect the overall dynamics after compression and saturation, so I don't clip them on their bus and clip the mix instead.

 

No, there are no rules and I do not make any, you are a free person and you can do as you see fit.
I only answered the question from the topic starter how I learned and also apply it.