Mix & Mastering folks..Your fav OSX AU software limiter?

[Jeff White]

Just curious as to what you peeps are using on the 2-bus or for mastering as the final piece of your chain...and why?

Jeff

[Nick Sevilla]

I have been using the Ultramaximizer+ from Waves as the last insert.

Set to KILL. Just kidding.
I set to threshold -1dB and output ceiling of -0.2 dB.
It catches the odd transient, and does not allow the print to distort, so it can be burned to CD.
Usually, it does nothing there except raise the overall loudness by one dB.
The dither is set to none.
Release set to 10mS.

Cheers

[mwerden]

Massey limiter rocks. Usually put on vibrant fast release, which I found to be colorful but less than an L2. Based on a totally nonscientific comparison years ago, so who knows at this point. But it sounds great, sometimes I set it to shave off a DB here or there and sometimes get up to 4. Depends on the material and the application - if I'm making an mp3 i tend to limit more because it seems to survive the mp3ifier a little better.

[Marc Alan Goodman]

Heya Matt

Yeah, the Massey's great. Ozone does the job too.

[vvv]

I use CEP 2.1's limiter, notable for its transparency.

[Jeff White]

I'm a long-time Ozone user, and it definitely is nice. Just wondering what else is out there. I'm running Digital Performer 7, so no RTAS for me. Wish that I could run the Massey stuff.

Since I am in the middle of changing my entire software setup, I'm love to try some other things out. Keep 'em coming!

Jeff

[kingtoad]

I usually use Voxengo Elephant or Fabfilter Pro L depending on the project. I usually prefer Elephant when I am. Or being forced to push the limiter too much and Pro L when the client insists on a super loud master, although it's very much song/mix dependant. I also occasionally use Sonnox Inflator/Limiter or Airwindows ADClip2 when neither of those options gets me what I want.

If I could only have one limiter I would probably choose the Pro L at this point, although I would miss the Elephant.

[lysander]

The Glue for the two bus for me. Mastering with Ozone, typically.

[kinger]

I don't use anything, myself, but the guy who made the cool Molot compressor just released this new freebie that looks pretty sweet.

http://vladgsound.wordpress.com/plugins/limiter6/

[alexdingley]

I tried the Demo of OZone 5 and it was great... but I found that it got harsh quicker and nastier than the one I ended up going with: Slate Digital FG-X

It just gave me the volume I wanted while staying super-natural. I thought the Ozone was pretty great, but it was also really easy to get that slammed FM sound if you weren't super careful.

[fossiltooth]

I use both the Massey L2007 and Pro Tools' built in Maxim plugin all the time. They both sound really really really really really really really really similar, just like all decent limiter plugins do. If you pushed me, I'd say that the L2007 sounds a little "thicker" and the Maxim sounds a little "leaner," and that I swap one for the other based on how the mix sounds. That said, the differences are subtle enough that if you told me "you can only have one" I'd shrug and say "okay." "No big deal."

Admittedly, neither of these are AU plugins, but I think the point stands: They're all pretty decent these days. I haven't really heard a crappy sounding software brickwall limiter since the original L1 -- and even that's been upgraded and doesn't sound too crappy anymore from what I've been told.

To confirm all this, I just went and pulled up the multitrack masters to "Killer Queen" and put both these plugins on 'em. Set both to a threshold of -10 and an output of -1. With those settings they limit by a slighty different amount -- averaging anywhere from 5db to about 7db on this mix. These are fairly "radical" settings, and not something I'd do on an actual mix, but the song still sounds pretty damn good. More transparent than what's done on the radio, anyway. And both plugins sound nearly identical.

If there was a way to post these clips on the TOMB, I would. Anyway, the point is: Try it yourself. If you're in the market, download a couple demos. Smash a few things, coddle a few others, pick whatever you like and makes sense for your budget. If you're looking at reputable brands, none of them are going to be bad. We're talking about transparent limiting here. Once one of the most difficult things to do -- Now, possibly one of the easiest.

[Brett Siler]

Izotope Ozone. I used to used Wave L2 but the Ozone is a lot better at letting transients come through. I have used the Massey Limiter before but I've been hooked on the Ozone lately. It just works so well.

[fossiltooth]

Izotope Ozone. I used to used Wave L2 but the Ozone is a lot better at letting transients come through. I have used the Massey Limiter before but I've been hooked on the Ozone lately. It just works so well.

Not to be difficult, but wouldn't an instantaneous brickwall limiter that 'lets transients through' generally be considered "broken"?

[Nick Sevilla]

Izotope Ozone. I used to used Wave L2 but the Ozone is a lot better at letting transients come through. I have used the Massey Limiter before but I've been hooked on the Ozone lately. It just works so well.

Not to be difficult, but wouldn't an instantaneous brickwall limiter that 'lets transients through' generally be considered "broken"?

Oh, thank you for this. I laughed hard just now...

+1

[Brett Siler]

harhar youz a funny guy (Guido voice)

Ozone is good at letting you get a louder signal without totally killing the dynamics. It's doesn't get as "pumpy" or "smashy" as Waves L2 does. You can smash shit with it if you want but it's not as immediatly squashy as the L2. There's different modes on the limiter too, you don't always have to set it on brick wall. Also Ozone 5 has a "Transient Recovery" feature where you can preserve the original dynamics after the limiting.

Or maybe they are just selling broken plug ins.....