Most Transparent Hardware Peak Limiter for Mastering?

[electro]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

What is the Most Transparent Hardware Peak Limiter for Mastering?

 

[electro]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

I want to put it up against the UAD Precision Limiter for a comparison.
Transparency w/ maximum loudness is the issue. I already think that
the UAD Precision Limiter outclasses the Software L2. I don't know if
the hardware L2 has the exact same algorithims as the software version.

 

[mark]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

I know this is useless becuae its been gone over so many times.....
but I'd like to ask the OP.....

why do you need your CD to be so loud?

People will adjust the volumne anyway... if you limit so much it will
create listener fatigue and they won't listen to it very long.

On the radio it makes NO difference cause the radio station AGC /
multi-band compressor / limiter / stereo encoder/ clipper is going to
process the hell out of it anyway.

So just turn the gain down a bit and let those peaks be recorded.

Mark

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

electro <electro77@hotmail.com> wrote:
>What is the Most Transparent Hardware Peak Limiter for Mastering?

Depends on the kind of limiting you're doing. If you absolutely need
protection limiting for CD mastering, the L2 can probably limit more
than anything else while still being transparent. It has a bad reputation
because so many people horribly abuse it, but if you're careful it's a
nice box.

Next step down would probably be something like the Dominator, which will
not be as accurate at hitting 0 dBFS perfectly because, being an analogue
device, it will drift a little. But it's very clean and if you're looking
for something clean and don't need absolute stability it's a good choice.

Then again, there are a lot of devices that can be very transparent if you
only use them for protection limiting, but which can get ugly fast if you
slam them.

Are you looking for something for classical work where you may have two
or three peaks on the disc that need cut down, or are you looking for
something to slam the hell out of and still keep some degree of transparency?

The most transparent limiter is no limiter at all.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

electro <electro77@hotmail.com> wrote:
>I want to put it up against the UAD Precision Limiter for a comparison.
> Transparency w/ maximum loudness is the issue. I already think that
>the UAD Precision Limiter outclasses the Software L2. I don't know if
>the hardware L2 has the exact same algorithims as the software version.

I don't know then, because I really don't ever try for maximum loudness.
I will say that if you're trying to do that sort of thing the L2 will go
a lot louder than the Dominator (or any other analogue limiter) before it
falls apart. Way too loud if you ask me.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Just for grins, I tried this experiment. To my thinking, they both bring
something to the party. I tend to want a limiter to not color the sound, but
both of these do to some degree (the L2 being part of the Waves Platinum
Bundle in my case, so it is software). Either one can be transparent or not,
depending on whether
it is abused and to what degree. Since I'm old and I remember the sound of
music recorded to analog tape, mixed with analog processors and cut to
vinyl, my ears tell me that the UAD *reminds* me more of that sound when
overdriven.........darker and more pleasant until overdriven to the point
that it becomes increasingly muddy as the abuse gets ridiculous and the
waveform squares off into sonic oblivion. The L2, when overdriven reminds
me more of the music I have been hearing for the last 10 years or so, bright
and harsh.as the waveform squares off into an equally unpleasant sonic
oblivion.

DJ

"electro" <electro77@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1110737055.689279.147180@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
> I want to put it up against the UAD Precision Limiter for a comparison.
> Transparency w/ maximum loudness is the issue. I already think that
> the UAD Precision Limiter outclasses the Software L2. I don't know if
> the hardware L2 has the exact same algorithims as the software version.
>