Hello everyone! I have experimented with the "saturation" module in the sonible limiter and I have noticed that it increases the level of the track without increasing the peaks, it seems to not distort at all! If I try to increase the volume with a tape, it cuts the peaks instead of "starting from the bottom". What are the methods/plugins to increase the volume without increasing the peak?

 

Um, compression (upwards and downwards), limiting, clipping (which is what "saturation" module does). Technically speaking, there are all kinds of waveshaping that do that, these are just the most commonly named three.

 

In general, this sense of "louder" come from the harmonics that are being added by the saturation, overall is a combination of even/odd harmonics, but you gotta be careful depending on the plugin you're using. Jaycen Joshua uses Black Box from Plugin Alliance for this task on the drum bus, and Sonnox Oxford Inflator is almost a must have plugin in pro studios for this task because it doesnt add undesired intermodulation, like the Black Box, on the busses. Gsat+ by TBProaudio is a great free plugin for this, and it's clear and safer for busses than Black Box (don't tell anyone about it )

 

Compressor + makeup = louder.

 

Not necessarily.

 

Subjectively I would try to keep the main track for peak alone, and add an tape type plugin in a parallel track just to enhance loudness, so you don't touch peak and add volume simply.

 

All of the above already. But you can also use an Exciter. (waves aphex aural exciter most commonly)

"The Exciter dramatically enhances the presence and clarity of your audio signals. On the high end, the Aural Exciter restores natural brightness and improves sonic detail. The Big Bottom performs a similar function on the low end, providing deeper, more resonant bass with little or no increase in peak output."

 

Last edited: Jun 10, 2023

Well, if they haven't screwed it up completely the saturation comes before the limiter. So no matter how much you push it, apart from the fact that it will add its own zero attack time compression, it won't exceed the peak set by the limiter.
Meaning, saturate how much and with whatever you want, as long as there's a brickwall limter afterwards, the peak won't rise (above its threshold).

 

Er, not really see

Inflator behaves the same way (just tested).

 

Loving my new poor-man Inflator in my not-pro studio

Sleek Custom GUI + OS + Lin/Min Phase mode for the sample rate conversion (using Voxengo's code). Not 100% perfect just yet, as the FX meters not really accurate (dev promised to fix it) and sometimes there are overs when pushed too hard but it will only get better in the future. Also the preset browser is non-existance (who needs them anyway). Just look at this beauty.




For those interested: Download Link

clipping, waveshaping etc. You don't need peaks to increase the perceived loudness. In simple way, think of it as "square-wave"-ing the peaks. Square wave creates odd order harmonics. The act of "square-wave"-ing the signal will result in adding odd harmonics to the signal. Adding odd harmonics will make the signals get thicker and brighter thus louder (more perceived loudness) as our ear is sensitive to the high frequency. At its extreme it is hard-clipping but anything less, is soft-clipping or what we all know as saturation. Soft-clipping however produces not just odd harmonics but a more complex harmonics pattern (asymmetrical) with a mix of odd and even order harmonics in various amplitude above the fundamental frequency that if used cleverly can sometimes add a feeling of the signal getting warmer or glowing that commonly associated with tube (even heavy) or transistor (odd heavy) saturation that also gives added perceived loudness (volume). Ah you know that already.

 

Last edited: Jun 10, 2023

This video is very good and also explains why i said Inflator work better on busses than Black Box, for example. If you're not screwing up the Inflator putting 100% with max curve, it will hardly be heard as a problem. While with Black Box you turn 2 knobs + saturation and you have lots of crunchiness and confused harmonics happening. I think it's not a safe tool for loudenator on busses, at least on my experience, Inflator seems to work on a "safer" realm.

 

i don't know if anyone said it already, but remember that "perceived" loudness is also sensible to frequency range.
bumping 20Hz is different than bumping 1kHz.

 

This was THE thing when people didn't had maximizers and wanted records to sound louder. Almost every Motown/Abbey Road/Atlantic on 60's and 70's had a boost of 3 f*ckin DB on 3 to 4 khz. People were crazy with fletcher munson back then, and i'm not a big fan of doing that today for the sake of those listening to music on earbuds or crappy speakers. I don't want to torture them

 

Saturation changes the sound colour (warm - cold) and definition (soft - sharp). So it does distort and how.

 

I meant that the peak level of the original track is not increased (gain reduction doesn't increase) just the waveform becoming more "sausage" from the bottom

 

Actually if you add makeup gain, yes.
Compressor itself reduces the level, but I added "+makeup (gain)", that renders the overall energy higher, means louder, even if the weighted distribution of spectrum can change the perceived loudness to our ears.

 

You also have parallel compression, upward compression and parallel saturation.

 

Last edited: Jun 11, 2023

Ok, checked it. The manual indicates this too, but sorry, there's no magic and nothing new going on, it's just a hidden autogain, that's all (it doesn't work with sine waves or pink noise). Nonetheless, it's pretty convenient.
But I'm not a friend of this saturation, it's an infinite amount of (odd) harmonics.

 

Obviously if you add gain you can make anything sound louder but the thing is... depending on your compressor settings (if you gain stage it right) it might not make a big difference and sometimes it might even be perceived as quieter than the original audio source (that's where my original "not necessarily" comes from). And that's why I never think of compression as a "make loud" tool, it can definitely help with the right settings but for the purpose of this thread I wouldn't say it's the best tool for the job.

 

it's fairly simple - increase loudness of anything else that isn't already peaking,
saturation, distortion, harmonics, compression, reverb, stereo widening.... human ear can easily be tricked by perceiving more "dense" stuff as louder