Software vs. Hardware Limiting

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mark4man

mark4man

MoonMix Studios
People...

Onto my final phase of CD production; & I'm now ready for adding a few decibels of RMS to my tracks...as well as adjusting the overall gain of various tracks for CD level uniformity...& have ran into a software "limiting" dilemma.

I'm using UAD-1's Precision Limiter across the stereo bus; &...as with all software limiting, peak intermodulation adds a tiny bit of breakup to the resultant signal. It seems like this happens even at high sample rates; & also when chaining together multiple instances of the plug at lower outputs (although this does seem to help.) I would imagine this happens even with well known plug-ins like the Waves L series Maximizers?

So...is there a serious advantage to going hardware in this case? A good solid-state analog limiter wouldn't suffer the same DSP maladies as their software counterparts, right? What are some good units; & could I get away with an inexpensive solution like fmr's RNC or the dbx166, or would I have to go to a hardware L2 or a Weiss DS1-MK2?

Thanks,

mark4man


[OR...is there a way to achieve total transparency using software?]
 
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If it was me, I wouldn't run my finished tracks through an RNC or low end DBX for the final "mastering". There are some good analog limiter/levellers, but the good ones again are quite expensive. The least expensive option that I can think of that would still be good quality is the Aphex Compellor.

That said, I think it best for what you are describing to stay digital. I used to own the hardware L2 and I felt it sounded very good. I didn't notice the kind of breaking up you are describing. I have found a plugin that I feel does as good a job as the hardware L2, and that is the WaveArts FinalPlug. Very, very clean and transparent, I suggest you check out the demo.
 
Albert...

Thanks, man...good advice...I will check it out.

mark4man


BTW - Someone else told me to have a listen to Voxengo's Elephant...will check back in with an assessment.
 
It's a given that you're going to lose *something* just from having the limiter active.

That being said - have you tried the "B" setting on the UAD?
 
John...

Glad you came along ! ('cause, I remember...you were a hardware man...then a software man...now a reborn hardware man...just the kind of input I need.)

That being said - have you tried the "B" setting on the UAD?
Click to expand...
No...but I'll tell you what I did...I chained two PL's together @ +.75dB each to give me a smoother +1.5dB; & it now sounds great ! A little rumbly on the bass, but still nice.

So...what does the "B" setting do?

Thanks,

mark4man
 
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