Can an outboard limiter be easily integrated into a basic home studio for mastering?

[cfg]

I have a basic home studio, using Reaper, with several preamps running into a Tascam 16x08 interface. I have mastered all in the box, with acceptable results, but I'd like to know if it's viable for me to master using an outboard comp/limiter. I need a general idea of how I would route the mix from Reaper into an outboard compressor and back into Reaper. I am essentially a novice, and how I would go about doing this puzzles me.

 

[mjbphotos]

What makes you think that an outboard limiter will be any better than in the box? Its really a matter of setting up your routing to send the mastered stereo signal to 2 of the outputs on the Tascam, then the returns from the limiter to 2 inputs on the Tascam and back into a new stereo track in Reaper.

 

[cfg]

Thanks for the reply. I have a chance to trade for a Manley Slam. I'm imagining it would be better than comp/limiter plugins.

 

[PorterhouseMusic]

Thanks for the reply. I have a chance to trade for a Manley Slam. I'm imagining it would be better than comp/limiter plugins.

"Better" is subjective. Different - no question about.

 

[rob aylestone]

I've never ever had an expensive compressor - I've always spent my money on things that make much more difference. Mics, new sounds, keys, computer upgrades all make much more obvious differences to the sound. Sure, as said above, the clever compressor might make it sound different, but maybe a new mic for the money you have would be better targetted. There was a great old Abbey Road story where they had one of their old, prestige and rare compressors being tweaked during a mix, and only discovered afterwards that while the input was connected, the output wasn't! Those tiny adjustments people were making and heads being nodded to simply didn't exist!

 

[mark de berard]

try this chain Daw > Speaker Out > Manley In > Manley out ( Unbal ) > Speakers ( monitor through the manley ) A/B E to E for ref
............................................................................................................Manley out ( Bal ) > Daw > 2 track record

 

[Smithers XKR]

I've never ever had an expensive compressor - I've always spent my money on things that make much more difference. Mics, new sounds, keys, computer upgrades all make much more obvious differences to the sound. Sure, as said above, the clever compressor might make it sound different, but maybe a new mic for the money you have would be better targetted. There was a great old Abbey Road story where they had one of their old, prestige and rare compressors being tweaked during a mix, and only discovered afterwards that while the input was connected, the output wasn't! Those tiny adjustments people were making and heads being nodded to simply didn't exist!

I dont know if I am saying the wrong thing here so I apologise in advance. My understanding of a limiter is that it is just a cuttoff device to protect speakers and audio equipment from dynamic overloading and damage. It is an electronic protection device for speakers and music equipment which has no musical value. A Compressor/expander takes the signal and alters the lows to bring them up and takes down the higher dynamics to bring it all into a narrower bandwidth without changing any of the feel of the vocal track. Sorry if I have misunderstood the thread, but I use compressor in my recording and a limiter is entirely different IMVHO

 

[Smithers XKR]

I've never ever had an expensive compressor - I've always spent my money on things that make much more difference. Mics, new sounds, keys, computer upgrades all make much more obvious differences to the sound. Sure, as said above, the clever compressor might make it sound different, but maybe a new mic for the money you have would be better targetted. There was a great old Abbey Road story where they had one of their old, prestige and rare compressors being tweaked during a mix, and only discovered afterwards that while the input was connected, the output wasn't! Those tiny adjustments people were making and heads being nodded to simply didn't exist!

PS I bought a Behringer Compressor/Expander rack mount module for £100 new. It is about as low budget as you can get but it has great facility and features and a good S/N ratio. It works great for me in my experience and for home recording on a budget it is hard to beat IMVHO ??

 

[Smithers XKR]

I've never ever had an expensive compressor - I've always spent my money on things that make much more difference. Mics, new sounds, keys, computer upgrades all make much more obvious differences to the sound. Sure, as said above, the clever compressor might make it sound different, but maybe a new mic for the money you have would be better targetted. There was a great old Abbey Road story where they had one of their old, prestige and rare compressors being tweaked during a mix, and only discovered afterwards that while the input was connected, the output wasn't! Those tiny adjustments people were making and heads being nodded to simply didn't exist!

Jimi Hendrix would drive his roadie mad. Saying this Wah doesnt sound right. The roadie would give 4 or 5 wah pedals and Jimi didnt like any of them. Eventually the roadie got really sick and gave Jimi the first one back without telling him. Hendrix said ... yeh thats great ????

 

[Massive Master]

Coming in late (sorry).

First - I am a fan of *SOME* peak limiting in the analog stage - But this would be considered "safety" limiting (just to grab the occasional over). Everything done during the analog phase is typically done at the levels the material is asking for - not necessarily the client. The levels that best serve the material (not surprisingly, this usually lines up with what most streaming services and vinyl engineers are looking for also) and then a digital limiter is used at a later stage "to make it competitive" for the client (because the listeners never asked for this).

I've had very limited (no pun intended) drive time behind the SLAM and I ended up sticking with what I was already using (Neve, Crane Song). The Neve (MBP) is shockingly decent at capturing peaks that would normally get through, but it's still an analog device. The HEDD is what captures what would've gotten through (in a way that no other processor I've ever used does). That said - that final "I'm just doing this to make it louder" limiting stage always ends with a digital limiter that does exactly the same thing time after time.

The MBP I love for the sound. The HEDD I love for the sound. The main limiter - I don't want to hear it. I'm going to, but I want as little effect to the sound as possible and I'll spend freakish amounts of time trying to make it so.