Useing a peak limiter while recording drums

[detuned6]

I have only been playing drums for about 2 years. Anyway i play extreme metal (really fast) so all my hits are not as even (volume wise) between slow to fast, I try to track as hot as possible and was thinking of using my behringer's(mdx2200) peak limiter funtion while recording on snare and kick to control those certian "bashes" that clip into the red. Would this be a good idea? does anybody use a limiter when recording a drummer thats not so constant ? Any pro's and con's? Im not into using compression while recording.

 

[mixsit]

If you like the sound of that on the recording, it makes sence to go ahead and use it then.
But when in doubt, it might be safer to compress after, and use lower record levels.
You didn't say what you were recording on. 24 bit? 144 db is a lot of spare room.
Wayne

 

[detuned6]

24 bit on protools via digi 001.

 

[plexi]

Do not limit!
Lower the gain to avoid peaks, recording at 24bit you have a lot of headroom.

Amund

 

[mixsit]

Slowly, the message spreads.
Hot levels are not necessary.

 

[detuned6]

really?

Their is only a couple snare hits that makes the track clip.
Why not limit? im all new to this recording digital on a pc, maybe becase tape is more forgiving? Ill have to lower my gain.

 

[plexi]

Re: really?

Their is only a couple snare hits that makes the track clip.
Why not limit?

Because limiting can mess up the audio, and most likely will....
Recording at 24bit, you do not need to record superhot.

Amund

 

[cominginsecond]

Re: Re: really?

Because limiting can mess up the audio, and most likely will....
Recording at 24bit, you do not need to record superhot.

Amund

He's not saying he wants to record superhot. I would say go ahead and limit, as long as you're only using it to limit the occasional spike. If the limiter engages, say, more than 10 times in a three minute song, turn the signal down. Limiting stray transients will not noticeably affect the sound.

 

[detuned6]

Re: Re: really?

Because limiting can mess up the audio, and most likely will....
Recording at 24bit, you do not need to record superhot.

Amund

Could you elaborate on the "messing up the audio" part??

 

[plexi]

Re: Re: Re: really?

Could you elaborate on the "messing up the audio" part??

Unless you can afford a VERY expensive limiter, most buildt-in limiters in budget compressor/limiters like DBX, Behringer etc.... will take some of the punch in the transients away....
Having a clean signal path is always important, so why run the signal through an additional unit, just to catch a few peaks.........?


Amund

 

[cominginsecond]

Re: Re: Re: Re: really?

Unless you can afford a VERY expensive limiter, most buildt-in limiters in budget compressor/limiters like DBX, Behringer etc.... will take some of the punch in the transients away....
Having a clean signal path is always important, so why run the signal through an additional unit, just to catch a few peaks.........?


Amund

Use an RNC. It's clean. It will not noticably affect your audio.

 

[chessrock]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: really?

Use an RNC. It's clean. It will not noticably affect your audio.

But it's not a peak limiter.

 

[cominginsecond]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: really?

But it's not a peak limiter.

You're telling me that if you set the ratio to 25:1 and the attack as fast as possible and release nearly as fast as possible and the threshold to -.1 db that it's not a peak limiter? What's a peak limiter then?

 

[plexi]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: really?

You're telling me that if you set the ratio to 25:1 and the attack as fast as possible and release nearly as fast as possible and the threshold to -.1 db that it's not a peak limiter? What's a peak limiter then?

The RNC is a wonderful compressor, but a peak limiter it´s not....
It isn`t fast enough to catch transients.

Amund

 

[chessrock]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: really?

What's a peak limiter then?

Something that doesn't have attack / release knobs.

 

[cominginsecond]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: really?

The RNC is a wonderful compressor, but a peak limiter it´s not....
It`s isn`t fast enough to catch transients.

Amund

In my experience it's fast enough to catch transients, if you set the attack as fast as it will go (remember that the fastest attack on an RNC is 1/5000 of a second). I have never had a problem using it as a peak limiter. Ever.

 

[plexi]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: really?

In my experience it's fast enough to catch transients, if you set the attack as fast as it will go (remember that the fastest attack on an RNC is 1/5000 of a second). I have never had a problem using it as a peak limiter. Ever.

I can agree with your point, but it`s not a brickwall limiter, 25dB peaks(snare) over the threshold will go through...
But for me, it`s more than fast enough.

Amund

 

[chessrock]

Now 2 RNC's, chained, might be fast enough to be used as a peak limiter.

 

[Wrangler]

So what is a good limiter??

 

[keilson]

curious.....do larger studios always use limiters on the drums when first recording? OR do they record at lower levels and use software and hardware compressors after to bring up the volume of the tracks?