using a limiter with level amplifer

[BrianCRX90]

I was reading about this on a site and something that never occurred to me to try. I pretty much have both of these in Adobe Audition (hard limiter and the level amp. in the mastering section) but personally I found them overbearing so got a simple limiter plugin and a level amplifier plugin.

So I tried it this morning, placed my headroom on the mixdown together on a couple settings and resulted in a even wave...compared to the all over the place peaks I had before. The result of the wave had a peak of -2.5 I think. I tried it in my car and the overall volume was much louder.

Any input on using the two together? In any case it sounds at least twice better then just throwing a limiter getting high peaks while the low peaks are quite. Looking at some commercial mp3's opening them in Audition I've noticed almost every wave is even and the peaks are less then -3 at least or should I not be looking at other cd's as a guide?

 

[mixsit]

If you mean a 'leveling amplifier' that's a variation (in name typically) for compressor. And apparently you've found a comp/limiter combo that's working better for you.
The two together is totally common to be found on mix.
Not knowing what you have- in terms of function controls on these, I'd offer few things to watch out for.
Some combine function of compression (or limiter) threshold with make up gain. That can make thing a little tougher to get a handle on what they're actually doing to your signals.
Personally I totally prefer having each function neutral separate and let me decide on all functions 'when where and how much.
When it's cool to have something you drop in an run the 'Process knob up- and it works, fine. But if you're trying to get a handle on 'what's doing what?
Then try separates'- You set thresholds, ratios etc. You raise the mix up into the compressor limiter chain. And dump the 'auto gains.

As for the 'pictures for insight. Use the same track for any comparisons. For example.
Two mixes with a hot snare. Same amount of limiting. The one at 120bpm looks like a brick, the one at 50bpm you can see all the lower peaks that weren't touched.
The 120' mix looks like that too when you zoom in.

 

[BrianCRX90]

If you mean a 'leveling amplifier' that's a variation (in name typically) for compressor. And apparently you've found a comp/limiter combo that's working better for you.
The two together is totally common to be found on mix.
Not knowing what you have- in terms of function controls on these, I'd offer few things to watch out for.
Some combine function of compression (or limiter) threshold with make up gain. That can make thing a little tougher to get a handle on what they're actually doing to your signals.
.

That makes sense. Let me elaborate....I'm using a simple limiter vst that only has threshold making up the gain and when I turn on the level amp which is called Thrillseeker LA I'm putting it on the default setting along with the hot setting on the limiter which the threshold is pretty high and is a little bouncy but much better then what I was trying.

If I lower the threshold and increase the output on the LA would I get a better result? I'm trying to get it a little louder and so far these two plugins have been great together opposed to only using the limiter which sounded horrible.

 

[mixsit]

Think of the limiters -brickwall anyway, as heavy handed hard stop as you raise a track up into it. Usually associated with the downside of distortions (more then compression) as you go up.
Compressors -slower, much gentler ratios -how about 1.5:1? sometimes less :>) and tend to work to condense - or compact' or make more density', or add a little movement' to the body mix.

"If I lower the threshold and increase the output on the LA would I get a better result?"
Grins.. That you answer yourself.