Izotope Ozone (4, 5, or 9) vs Newfangled Elevate..

Which one do you use, or consider is the Best,
and Why?


Other famous contenders could be: Waves L3, Weiss MM-1 or Kratos 2,
but I'd say they're on a lower tier..

And yet other valid contenders:
Voxengo Elephant, TDR Limiter 6, Titan 410x, Nomad Factory E-3B, Bitsonic M/S, BBE Sonic Sweet, Venomode Maximal 2,
UrsaDSP Boost, AudioMaxx Plektron, D3CK Krucz, Plug&Mix Ultramaxit, Audiority Harmonic Maximizer, G200KG Veemax,
Anwidasoft L1V ....

 

Last edited: Jun 26, 2021

Where TF is FabFilter Pro-L 2?

 

no Weiss MM1 Maximizer ?

EDIT : finally saw it, "MM-1" lol

 

I like combo, not one. Clipper and 2 limiters.

 

Sounds like a proper sausage factory.

 

Err, Audiority's Maximizer is an EQ. Ok, they say it's an multiband exciter, but sadly, that's not true.

 

No Drama, FabFilter Pro-L 2 has been added,
although it's advertised/described as a Limiter..

Still, if there's any other one missing just tell..
(besides the ones that come stock inside DAWs like Cubase,
or proprietary hardware-walled ones like UAD..)

As for Auditory's, I've never tried it but it has a section labelled Maximizer,
so who I am to contradict them.. but yeah as rudimentary as the plug looks it could be a mere Gain control for all we know..

 

Last edited: Jun 26, 2021

The irony is that it's rarely just one plugin or hardware that is being used to achive a loud/crispy/transparent/colored/punchy/etc master. Preferably you want several processors doing little, than one doing a lot. So the poll is kinda screwed, as multiple combinations might be awesome (depending on mix, genre, desired end result, etc).

 

I loves me that there TDR Limiter 6 Gentleman's Edition, always have, always will...it's cheap at twice the price. It's really of course more than just a limiter, and in reality a pretty daisy chain of events that create a profound and pleasing outcome.

 

Well I can agree, one needs to take care of every step of the Production process,
Timbre selection, Mixing, Filtering/EQing, the individual or Bus Comp, Master Bus Comp, Multiband Comp, etc..

But that's not the goal here.

The goal is calling what's the best Maximizer for what it Is/Offers,
also considering good Maximizers do much more things/processes than just increase Volume/Gain..

Besides your argument could be also applied to any other question, like "What's the best EQ?"

Ofc all the rest of the processes/steps matter, a Lot,
but we would be talking about EQ, not the rest, just as today's topic is Maximizers..

 

Last edited: Jun 26, 2021

I use one good clean compressor (eg Kotelnikov), one limiter and one clean clipper in series.

 

I agree, and I get the point. But it's all subjective. All maximizers and limiters (just like compressors and EQ) sound different. Some music asks for transparancy while other music/genres requires color, grit, character, etc.
So I still stand at my "it depends" answer/PoV (even though my personal favorite is TDR Limiter 6 GE followed by Weiss MM-1..and then maybe DMG Audio Limitless. Edit: and there is no Sonnox Inflator in the list).

Good poll though, as it opens up to more suggestions, testing and experimentation.
Edit2: I wish the poll was multi-choice.

 

Last edited: Jun 26, 2021

It's a workflow difference, not a functionality one. Basically, "maximizer" automatically raises the gain to the value matching the threshold after the limiting but before the output, while "limiter" doesn't necessarily do so.
That means, limiter is more convenient for separate channels, while maximizer is more suitable for master bus, BUT the difference is one drag movement. You can use either anywhere.
Also, Pro-L 2 has true peak limiting and a dither, which firmly justifies its place at the end of the master chain and, accordingly, its role as a maximizer.

 

is fader an option, lol.
i know i know.. back to my corner. but you should have clarified NO GUITARISTS ALLOWED!

 

T-Racks Stealth

 

Well, I didn't say Limiter's spot on the master chain is not Justified..
They're in fact Related processes, and the inclusion of Dithering can be useful if that's effectively the last plug in the chain,
or if you don't do things differently..

But that may not always be the case,
for example I don't use a Limiter because my tracks never Peak/ed,
and I work mainly on Orchestral Soundtracks so I have no use for Compressor/Limiter induced Distortion/Clipping..

Also If I ever had to Dither,
I would do it with standalone Izotope RX from the 24/32bit Masters..

But nowadays Dithering is not really necessary unless you're preparing the audio for CD or something,
MP3/4, OGG and streaming services don't need it, and will in fact work best if given 24/32bit Masters..


Also thing is Maximizers do other stuff besides of Volume/Gain and Limiting,
like Transient Shaping, Harmonic Shaping, Compressing, Intersample Clipping prevention, Psychoacoustic filtering etc..

And all of this can have a very Perceivable effect,
even if the settings are so Low the Compressing/Limiting side of it remains inactive..

 

The one that works best in the context of the material.

 

It's either a channel strip with a maximizer, like Ozone or Limiter 6, or multiFX like Boost or Harmonic Maximizer.
Then again, some limiting algorithms do things to the signal. I'm pretty sure at least "Dynamic" one in Pro-L colours the transients. There are certainly others.

 

Sonnox Oxford Limiter
Sounds very clean and never pumping.

 

U all forgot sausage Fattener

How tf can u forget it?