Mastering Question: The Best Limiter: Final Limitation:

maybe compressors are what you need rather than limiters. Compressors will bring the levels up. There is a gain control to adjust the level of the compressed signal.

Waves L2 or L1 ultramaximizers

http://www.waves.com/Content.aspx?id=211

Expensive, but easily the best for a professional job, it'll give you a ton more level without killing the dynamics.

Logics own adaptive limiter colours the sound terribly and should be avoided it at all costs.

G5 Mac OS X (10.4.9) Logic Pro

There are several ways. But here is my way:
1. On the output channel insert a multipressor and tweak it to taste.
2. Then I open the 'apple peak limiter' and adjust it so everything just hits 0.0 db. (this plug-in looks very simple but does the magic you are looking for)
3. My final step is the Adaptive Limiter. (Icing on the cake)

P.S. A lot of people(gurus) are going to start telling you to start buying stuff, but for what you want this combination of Logic plug-ins will keep everything under control. I also want to add that you have to avoid individual channels on your mix overloading. That way you have some headroom to work with on your master channel.

I believe Logic's Adaptive Limiter to be pretty transparent and does fine as a hard limiter. I use the apaptive limiter, low cut, hi cut and Vintage Warmer as my only plug-ins in my buss master chain. Not sure where others are hearing the coloring from on the apaptive limiter, but it sounds pretty clear to me.

I would like to put a vote in for UAD's Precision Limiter!

UAD's Precision Limiter is fantastic! It's warmer and more transparent than the Waves L2 (which I have but never use since I got the PL) the mastering bundle is great all around. The Precision Multi Band is amazing as well. Plus...you'll have all the other amazing UA plugs once you buy the Powered Plug Ins card! Do yourself a facour and get it 🙂

This is funny. Seems like the right plugin/procedure for dynamics processing is more dependent on personal taste than other questions of this character. I won't add any advice here, but there is one thing within your question that attracted my attention: "The light just before the red" might be too much. There were tedious discussions about the maximum output level, and one important point (well, important in my opinion) was that if you exploit the complete dynamic range of the output format you will leave no headroom for digital filter algorithms that are taking place in modern DACs, so you better make your peak levels as low as -3dB or better -6dB.

the best limiter is the one you can't hear working.

i've tried most of the available, and for the most part, would never depend on any.

a least do a mix without any for reference.

there's a certain skill in NOT having to depend on such devices.

best, david r.

there's a certain skill in NOT having to depend on
such devices.

So true,and yes,it is a skill that takes years...

the best limiter is the one you can't hear working.

i've tried most of the available, and for the most
part, would never depend on any.

a least do a mix without any for reference.

there's a certain skill in NOT having to depend on
such devices.

best, david r.

Sounds good (the answer and probably your results), but there is one reason that might vindicate the use of a limiter anyway.
Even when you balanced everything out to keep the whole song within the desired dynamic boundaries, there is no guaranty that under no circumstances some peak values can add up to unallowable levels since you don't have full control over all phase correlations between your tracks (or the voices of virtual instruments or the delay lines of certain effects). You can run (or bounce) a song several times and you will end up with several different overall peak levels. When recording on tape, the magnetic saturation will swallow such things, but in a digital system a limiter can help you out here.
So to me the best way seems to set all levels properly that no limiter is needed - and then to use it anyway for the worst case and hope it will never step in.

jope, i'm not against a limiter's use at all.
i just rather process the files/tracks that need it, and leave the others naked.
i use compresion, even on orchestral sounds, if they don't balance in a mix properly.
and, i use a lot of tape sims and tube sims. (and sometimes even the real deal - see kit details in my profile.)
i like the edge digital has and exploit it regularly, though.
if i were to do a dance track for instance, a lot of processing will happen, including side chaining.
i really like the sonalksis compressor. it's a credit to that company. you can squash the signal in a vice like fashion and it still retains good detail.
you could say i got for the least amount of processing needed to get the job done.
best, david r.

I like to use multi band compressors for this.

I believe you will like this one

Free!!


http://www.hitsquad.com/smm/programs/W1LimiterX/