A maximizer is a limiter. The only difference is that with a limiter, you lower the threshold until the desired amount of gain reduction is achieved, while with a maximizer, you have a gain control that pushes the level above the threshold you set. That's about it. Anything else you might associate with a maximizer, such as dither, are optional features designed to make the engineer's job easier. These features are not essential to the definition of a maximizer.

 

I don't see a problem, that's why i'm asking. I like working with L2. But my question is related to dated DSP, something that would deteriorate the material i'm working on. Again, i don't have ears + knowledge to judge it in a long term job. I just want to choose a tool that i can always trust.

 

Then you just need to measure them, until you find one that always does the same on any frequency.
One of them is the Acon Digital Limit with 30ms look-ahead.

 

There, you said it: it's not the same thing. It's like saying delay is just a reverb with shorter diffusion time just because it technically is... but it's not. I don't have an issue with maximizers relying on limiting/clipping principles, I have an issue with most of the people missing the point and comparing an old maximizer with modern limiters that don't have maximizing capacities instead of comparing it with current maximizers avaliable in the market today (Boost, Sculpt, Ozone, to name a few).

 

Last edited: Feb 21, 2023

You did not like the name of the topic, not to me.
And received the answer.
And now you explain to us for a long time what limiter and maximizer are.
All ok if you know what you do ))

 

It's true that over time Maximizers have become more specialized,
and now include a variety of features useful on a Final Master processing:
True Peak detection, Intersample anti-clip, DC Bias, Transient emphasis, Multiband actuation,
Dithering (mostly unnecessary nowadays..) etc.

But in essential terms the only difference is Maiximizers have a pre volume/gain control,
they're basically the same thing..

 

Still what was the First Maximizer ever produced?
Waves L1?

If so the term "Maximizer" may be just a commercial moniker to distinguish their product,
> a Mastering oriented Limiter.. which created a new trend

 

Last edited: Feb 22, 2023

I don't know about the first maximizer, but imo the current BEST maximizer out there is Boost by UrsaDSP (to keep this thread informative). That thing is amazing. It's state-of-the-art DSP.

 

The problem with Waves L2 Maximizer is not reading the manual first.

 

This is a global problem.
They do not have time to read even the names of the potentiometers and knobs on the processors and plugins.

 

Oh, we're at this point now?
Do we have to call the 1176 and the LA-2A limiting or leveling amplifiers, as printed on their front panels, because they don't have a threshold knob and you control the gain reduction via the input gain? Or can we still call these two units compressors because that describes their actual purpose?

EDIT:
First, delay is not reverb with shorter diffusion time. That's like saying a tire is a compact car without body, seats, steering wheel, gearbox and engine.
Second, Boost is a limiter. UrsaDSP even points out it's a limiter 7 times on their own website. Ozone is a mastering suite, including a limiter. And Sculpt is neither: Sculpt is a broadcast-style broadband dynamics processor.

Let me show you the only and not so big difference:

Spoiler: What's the difference?

Mindblowing....

 

Last edited: Feb 22, 2023

Nope, it's the other way around. Just sayin'.

 

It's not the other way around afaik. They're literally based on the same the same acoustic phenomena with different diffusion/reflection times (you can watch Sean Costello talking about this in the linked video). But of course it is NOT the same thing in audio... that was my whole point.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverberation#:~:text=Reverberation is created when a,include furniture, people and air.

Boost indeed is a different story: instead of a gain compensation of sorts, the more you lower it's threshold, the more it maxes ou the sound through *upward-compression*, but it can also act as a maximizer if you set focus to 0% (you can verify that using the plugin).
The same mechanism is present in Sculpt and Ozone's Maximizer is literally a maximizer (as its name states). I'm not denying that maximizers have limiting capacities, just that they're specialized tools with unique features that should be compared with other specialized tools in the same category.

I mean, I don't mean to be a dick guys, at this point it really sounds I'm just holding to the bone but I'm just here to learn, don't mean to be a contrarian.

 

Last edited: Feb 23, 2023

Delay, or rather echo, is a copy of the input signal fed into a feedback loop with a time delay. A (depending on medium) linear process used to simulate echoes caused by reflections from hard surfaces.

Reverberation is a partially (depending on sound pressure and sound velocity) non-linear process that simulates the complex response of a gas, liquid, or solid material after being excited by an impulse - which includes, but is by no means limited to, echoes.

 

Yes, that's absolutely right.

When I pointed out to the fact that reverb and delay were the same but weren't the same I meant that although both rely on the same acoustic principles, be it by emulating physical conditions or mimicking (in the case of tape delays), and can each be turned into the other (you can use many reverb plugins as delay and many delay plugins as reverb) they're both unique tools that offer different workflow experiences and different soundscapes.

In the acoustic world, reverb and echo are manifestations of the same physical phenomena: sound reflections. In the audio/mix world, it's quite different. I gave this example just as means to illustrate why I couldn't see the point of comparing regular limiters with maximizers... but now I see that was a bit nitpicky and out of touch of me. Thanks for making me realize this.