how often you put limiter on single tracks and why?

Discussion in 'Working with Sound' started by petrrr, Aug 8, 2022.

  1. petrrr

    petrrr Kapellmeister

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    how often you put limiter on single tracks and why? thanks
     
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  3. No Avenger

    No Avenger Moderator Staff Member

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    Rarely, only if it has very few spikes which are slipping through the compressor and are messing up the level.
     
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  4. ayu

    ayu Member

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    On every channel, in between every insert. Absolute precision :yes:
     
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  5. petrrr

    petrrr Kapellmeister

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    do you think if you put limitor instead of compressor on the tracks it will alter the sound a lot at the end? or can same result be achieved more or less
     
  6. clone

    clone Audiosexual

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    I use a limiter on single channels when I want a more transparent effect than a compressor. A brickwall limiter has pros/cons vs using a clipper in the same situation. You have to remember the difference in the Threshold setting. Everything below the threshold is unaffected. So with a limiter the Threshold is set very high, and then a very high ratio compression is applied. Right at the Threshold, you take into account the Knee parameter. This effectively decides what is done right above and below the threshold; and what portion of the audio at Threshold is either Unaffected or is Limited.

    A compressor will affect density when settings are correct and it is applied desirably, A limiter should do much less of it until the audio is much higher in amplitude.

    It's almost like comparing the difference between "riding switch stance" on a skateboard or snowboard; rather than just calling it riding backwards. lol
     
    Last edited: Aug 9, 2022
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  7. mk_96

    mk_96 Audiosexual

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    Not very often, every now and then i feel the need to use one when there some sort of percussive element that is way too snappy, even then a clipper and/or saturation oftenly do the trick.

    Finally, lossless mp3
     
  8. clone

    clone Audiosexual

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    I guess I really only half-answered. The most common place in my project for a limiter to get put as insert onto a single channel; is when I am bouncing those single channels to stems. The ProL2 instance in that situation does almost no "work" limiting, but I prefer it to a clipper in that working example. I feel a clipper is more appropriate where the stem has already been bounced, but I still find myself in the situation which @No Avenger already described. Little high frequency transients which are faster than my compressors Attack can catch, without having to lower the attack parameter (and therefore affect the material I originally wanted to compress correctly).
     
  9. wavyj

    wavyj Producer

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    I may use it from time to time, mostly for drastically changing the sound, not so much for taming volumes. At the end of the day it's a colour to my sound pallette, if I imagine that the element should sound over the top squashed and kinda distorted I'll use a limiter (mostly fabfilter L2).
     
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  10. Djord Emer

    Djord Emer Audiosexual

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    depends on the overall sound I'm trying to achieve, specially with drums. If I'm looking for moderate/highly compressed sound, I will usually use a limiter after a compressor chain.
     
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  11. Snare Gel

    Snare Gel Kapellmeister

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    all jokes aside, I NEVER use a limiter on tracks. You have automation and compressors. Nothing against clipppers on drum tracks for an effect though. but I wait till the Master Bus, and then I use a multiband limiter. but there are no rules. this is just my way..
     
  12. MrLyannMusic

    MrLyannMusic Audiosexual

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    Snare to control transients (very gently) and bass to have more of a consistent level and as @No Avenger said, very rarely.
     
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  13. artwerkski

    artwerkski Audiosexual

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    Quite often. Not for any particular reason other than; because I can.

    :winker:
     
  14. No Avenger

    No Avenger Moderator Staff Member

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    Instead? Well, if the source doesn't benefit from any compression that would be an option. But I've never come across such a source, AFAIR.
    How much a limiter alters the sound depends on the amount of limiting. If it fetches only some peaks that would hardly be recognized as a change in sound, if you squash it to death...
    But there's no specific line or amount of GR up to which this is inaudible or starts to get audible. It's music and sound, not math.
     
  15. Ryck

    Ryck Guest

    well, years ago, I used it to gain volume, but it lost dynamics, and it destroyed all the material So now I only use it in very specific cases to cut something that the compressor won't. Let's say the limiter is my last option.
     
  16. Groov3

    Groov3 Member

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    When I want to do a "crazy loud" mix, and need to keep the song dynamics really under control, I use a clipper on drum/percussive tracks but in tonal stuff (intruments, vocals) is usually better to use a transparent limiter to avoid excessive distortion.
     
  17. justwannadownload

    justwannadownload Audiosexual

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    Either a limiter or a clipper on every single track, a limiter on every subgroup, a clipper *and* a limiter on a mix bus. Style is modern electronic. I aim at -6-ish LUFS so nothing crazy.
     
  18. artwerkski

    artwerkski Audiosexual

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    I put Ozone on all my tracks. I'm not kiddin' .
    [​IMG]
     
  19. EddieXx

    EddieXx Audiosexual

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    limiters on regular channels?

    i guess i your are modelling sonic material like if it was concrete sure

    but if its stuff we regularly label as music then i dont see any point in using a limiter in a regular instrument channel, specially if you are not trashing the material with it, then whats the point?

    its not that you "cant do it", its just odd. if you have decent sounds that are eq:ed and a decent volume-mix already. then a compressor (if needed) will let the material breathe while also taming its peaks and glue it together


    .
     
  20. Baxter

    Baxter Audiosexual

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    I use limiters fairly consistently if/when to tame peaks before the rest of the chain (of compressors, etc). Same goes for when mastering. Limiter first.
     
    Last edited: Aug 9, 2022
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  21. No Avenger

    No Avenger Moderator Staff Member

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    :woot: I hardly dare to ask what you would call crazy.
     
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