Limiter or maximizer

  • Thread starter Thread starter gonso
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gonso

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Can anyone explain me what is the difference between limiter and maximizer?
I am using Cubase. There are two plug-ins: one for limiter and one for maximizer. As I can see with limiter you can turn up the input so it is maximizing too, isn't it?
 
I thought "Maximizer" was just a name some companies gave to their limiters to make them sound cool. Waves has "Multi-Maximizer". "Ultr-Maximizer", etc....But I might be wrong.

Maybe the only difference is that a Maximizer has automatic gain make up. So, the more you limit, the louder it gets automatically.

I'm just guessing.
 
"Maximizer" is some goofy word that means whatever the software developer meant it to mean.
 
The original (or at least first famous) Maximizer was the BBE unit, which was the bee's-knees c. 1990 and was not, in any way, shape or form, a limiter.

So:
Massive Master said:
"Maximizer" is some goofy word that means whatever the software developer meant it to mean.
Click to expand...
 
Generally speaking, a limiter is a compressor applied to a channel which has a high threshold and high ratio. They are designed to compress peaks which already high level to stop them hitting 0 and clipping, as such they don't usually require much if any make-up gain.
Maximizers tend to do the job of reducing the dynamic range more significantly. They have been used to literally maximize how loud the track/channel can possibly be without clipping, much to the majority of the professional industry's dismay. They also tend to have a 'look forward' option to assess the audio just before it actually needs to be processed, that way it can make the compression less noticeable.

Hope this is helpful
 
They are essentially the same thing except limiter is the correct terminology for the process at hand.

I think some "maximizers" were multi band back in the day.
 
Limiter = compressor with infinite ratio. I thought maximizer was just a program with an extra multi-band on it or just a marketing term for limiter?
 
I thought maximizers add harmonic content like an enhancer or an aurel exciter, I dont think they work as a limiter.
 
PDP said:
I thought maximizers add harmonic content like an enhancer or an aurel exciter, I dont think they work as a limiter.
Click to expand...

You're right in the sense of BBE's "Sonic maximizer". But Waves' "Ultra-Maximizer" and "Multi-Maximer" are limiters.

As a few people have mentioned, "Maximizer" isn't a definite term. It's just a word companies use to make their limiters and whatever else sound like something you need to buy.
 
The sonic maximizer can be used to help rid your tracks of those pesky midrange frequencies.
 
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