When to use a limiter instead of a compressor
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ธ.ค. 2023
- The difference between compressors and limiters explained, and when to use them in your mix.
*** Correction: I misspoke when introducing Molotok as being made by TDR NOVA. Molotok is an awesome free compressor by TDR. They also offer a free dynamic EQ called NOVA.
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About 9 minutes into this, and I already consider it to be the best explanation I've ever heard on the topic.
Wow! That's great to hear! Thank you!
s @AudioMountain777 Would agree, I went to a very expensive music school for production and this by far the best explanation between the limiters and compressors I've come across. Well Done!
I appreciate that. I was taught this in audio engineering school in the late 90's, and it's disappointing that you had that experience in an expensive school. It really should be common knowledge. Thank you for the feedback!
In a sea of unnecessarily verbose mixing tutorials yr content stands out for its clear/concise communication, proper A/B-ing, and practical/tactical applied theory. Keep up the good work! Hope this channel takes off!
Thank you! Great to hear!
Great explanation. I appreciate the clarity of thought and the lack of clickbait and marketing bullshit.
Absolutely!
Thanks!
First time I am proposed this channel. Here, there is no "you are doing it wrong", there is no XX trick to do this or that. It is clean and demonstrated. And there is something like a relieve of oneself guilt in this talk, I like it a lot. Subscribed.
That's good to hear, thank you! Glad to have you on the channel.
Wow....as an academic, I found this tutorial incredibly appealing. I appreciate the clear, concise and detailed explanation.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks!
@@AudioMountain777 subscribed :)
Glad to have you on the channel! Thanks!
Extremely useful insight to tools we use everyday and know, but rarely actually think about what they’re technically doing. I’m a great believer in using what works for the desired outcome. Great video.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks!
I've been mixing for 30 years, and have often struggled to communicate the important differences between compression and limiting to clients, musicians, etc. This is a stellar tutorial, much appreciation for taking the time to create a simple, valuable explanation!
That's great to hear! Thank you very much.
Great explanation. Thank you. I think I've been trapped by the notion that putting a compressor after a limiter is a no-no. This example is exactly what I needed!
Glad it helped! Thanks!
Great explanation. I always knew I loved how the 1176 sounds as a compressor, and I usually use it similar to a limiter first in my compressions chain. But I never knew why. Now I know. And I learned a new way to use a limiter; I learned to just use it on the master bus to prevent clipping. Thanks for the clear tutorial.
That's great! Thanks!
Subscribed. You explain in a comprehensive, comprehensible, and straight to the point way. Thank you
My pleasure. Glad to have you on the channel!
The examples were very good, it gave me a better appreciation of some of the compressors I have. 🙂👍
That's great! Thank you!
@@AudioMountain777 Thank you! I subscribed immediately after watching. 🙂👍
Great to have you on the channel! The next video will be a more in depth look at compression. Hope you enjoy it.
Ive never seen a compressor explained so accurately. Also two absolutely sick choices keeping it free as well. I seriously respect that X
That's very kind of you to say. Thank you!
Ive downloaded it locally to my SSD for my own students. Also taught me a thing or two about Limiting, a tool I typically avoid, normally I use a brickwall at the end but avoid limiting. Thanks!
@@AudioMountain777
Nice! Thanks!
You did a great job with this. Even I can understand this.....and that is saying something. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks!
Best Best Best Just the Best of the Best clear cut explanation. this is first video i am watching of your channel and just amazed and paused the video just to appreciate the knowledge you are providing with graphical examples. subscribed.
Thank you for keeping it simple
You're welcome!
Great video. I like to use clipping then a limiter gently to control peaks and maintain punch.
Absolutely! Thank you!
What a wow !!!! I simply can't leave without making a comment & Subbing.... Insanely helpful & REALLY neately explained... Just blown off.. Hope your channel gets viral & reach the ears that matters.... Pls keep these goodies coming along...
Love to see more on Reverbs / Delays / Delays routing thru Reverbs & Transient processing....
Much Love...🤗🎉🎉🎆🎻😉
Welcome aboard! Thank you very much! More on transient processing soon, specifically clippers. I will definitely be getting deeper into reverb and delay down the road.
This is Ninja level, master Samurai presentation going on here. Well done!
Thank you!
Thank you I just subscribed after watching this. I didnt really understand the two until your clear explanation.
Welcome to the channel!Thanks!
Thanks for this amazing video! This is full of rich information. I’ve been looking for a video with a clean explanation on using limiters outside of the master bus. If I could give this a 1000 likes, I would!! Lol
Glad it was helpful! Thanks!
Dang..! Another incredible tutorial ! Your channel has become my "go to" for understanding how to effectively manipulate the audio landscape !! Thank you so much for sharing your expertise !👍✌
That's great to hear! Thank you!
I’d like to say after recently subscribing you’ve had my attention since day one. Very well spoken and easy to comprehend. Thank you 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Thanks for the encouragement! I appreciate it!
Very nice! 34 years in audio for ABC network. Half the audio guys I worked with could use your tutorials!
I actually like passing tracks through several dynamics processors as the signal moves along (in my own projects)
Was drawn in when I saw that Molotok plugin.Classic stuff. Funny how different the units are that we use for
broadcast chain squashing (Optimods and those Aphex boxes) Kudos!
Thanks! I really like Molotok and need to do a video on it. And yes, using serial dynamics processing is super useful. Do you guys use any of these kinds of audio plugins for your broadcasting work, or is all of it different? I'll have to look up Optimods.
@@AudioMountain777 In "post work" they use all sorts of stuff through Avid and Pro Tools, the "to air " chain all hardwired boxes
or built into the console (mostly CAlREC) as reliability is paramount. In my own project studio I have your Molotok and a bunch of others, I love the old Kjaerhus Audio GCO-1 - way out of date but to me so nice.
Very cool. That makes sense that the critical components are all hardware.
I had the opportunity to work on one of the early AVIDs in a media-tech class in high school. It was super fun to edit on.
@@AudioMountain777 Places like ABC/Disney choose stuff as much on NAB convention wheeling and dealing as they do on what the engineers tell them!
I recall some years ago they had nightmare problems keeping the plugins "registered"
(I.E. recognized as license paid for) in a bunch of those Apple "Trashcan" desk top systems. Me personally I only use stuff you can actually own - no monthlies. There was a T.C. Electronics limiter box they were big on for a while - The Level Pilot.
Back when i stared in the 80s they were married to JBL monitors, not only for room to room consistency across over 24 control rooms but because when a feckless audio op shuttled a 1/4 in tape on an Ampex ATR 102 or Studer A820 with the editing engaged (which kept the heads full-on the tape as you proceeded to move tape at 100 ips plus!) those tweeters did not blow out of their frames.
Wow, those JBLs are some well built speakers.
It's just so easy to follow your videos.
That's great to hear! Thank you!
I think I just might learn how to actually apply limiters and clippers 😂😂😂😂 you have simplified these mysterious tools for me.
Great! There's more compression videos to come. Thanks for watching.
I have to agree with the many commentators on your video. It was very well done. I've also subscribed and wish you the best.
Thank you! Nice to have you on the channel!
Straight to the point. Good job! Subscribed!
Thanks! Great to have you on the channel!
Very informative! Well done my friend.
Thank you!
Clippers next…
I will do a video on clippers at some point. Thanks!
Cool tips here and so... ...Important to understand wich tools seems or ARE better than others to process "things"... Merci.
You're welcome!
Definitely listen to these videos on your studio monitors or headphones to get the most out of em. Cellphone speakers are good just for bullet points.😊
For Sure. Thanks for watching!
Awesome awesome video - and did you recently switch to studio one or have I not been paying attention? 😂 great DAW
Yes, I'll be using Studio One more and more. Thank you!
Amazing video & explanations bro! 💯
I now have another new & very useful tool in my belt, that I had no idea existed until now... thank you! 🙏
I was at the point where I was identifying the NEED for limiters, and could describe the situation you described, (in my own mixes)... I just didn't know what I was identifying, or that there's an actual 'thing' that's FOR my exact problem, (called a limiter.. obvy.. 😆).
Awesome.. 🔥🔥🔥
✌️😎
🔹️🔷️CYRUS🔷️🔹️
Great! They're super helpful. Thank you!
Wow great video. Very thorough. Subscribed.
Welcome aboard!
Thank you very much for this detailed video, I was always confused on this subject but after seeing this video it's all so clear. Your videos are fantastic can't wait for the next one.
Glad it was helpful! Thank you!
By the way you have an excellent collection of videos. Pretty clear and too the point. Nice work.
Glad you like them!
Great explanation. Thanks
You are welcome!
nice clear explanation, not just in regards to content but also in terms of mic-production clarity/quality....very good job. it seems you had the release set fairly slowly on the Molotok which might've contributed to it getting squashed to the lo-fi-vibe we experienced. i really like the Brickwall Limiter on Vlad's Free Limiter 6 (not to be confused with the Tokyo Dawn version) ...the original Limiter 6 has the Compressor and Limiter....in that order...the TD version you can switch the order of the plugs. If you can find the original version with Battle-tank Gray finish.....that may be my favorite dynamics plugin of all time, judging from how often i use it ...which is nearly all the time. Happy New Year to you...subscribed.
I'll check out Vlad's limiter - thanks! And thanks for the encouragement!
I'm not a sound engineer. Just a musician who does everything myself, so I wanted a rudimentary understanding. I've watched so many videos on this topic and I always leave as confused as before. I already understood all the knobs but the actual functional results were a mystery.
I've never seen a more clear, no nonsense explanation. Thanks so much for sharing. Subbed and gonna explore all your vids. ❤
Thanks! I'm glad to have you on the channel!
Great Video! Can you do one on when to use a Clipper rather than a Limiter? Thanks
I'm planning on getting to clippers in this compression series. The next video on compressors will be up soon. Thanks for watching!
I posted a video on clippers. Hope you like it!
Great video. Thanks.
Glad you liked it! Thank you!
Great tutorial!
Thank you!
Absolutely fantastic explanation! I also found using a multiband compressor can damage your mixdown. I tried using only a fab filter limiter on the master buss and sounds better!
Awesome! Thanks!
Best video on this topic! ❤
Glad you think so! Thanks!
Very helpful. Thanks.
You're welcome! More on compression soon.
Super helpful thankyou
You’re welcome! Thanks!
First! Love your channel! ❤
Glad to have you here! Thank you!
We can put a limiter on vocals? I had no idea. I must try that. Until seeing this video I thought they were just for mastering.
Awesome! Yes, it's a great technique- use a limiter to catch and tame just the loudest parts of the vocal (the peaks) and after that use a compressor to level the volume. The limiter makes the compression job easier and allows the compressor to work more smoothly. Stay tuned for the 1176 LA2A video- I'll lay it out.
Excellent!!! Thank You!!!
You are welcome! Thank you!
Great video. Thank you. Where would you through in the clipper…?
Clippers are also for dynamic peaks, and they work really well.
Thank you!
Excellent!
Glad you liked it! Thanks!
Thanks!
You're welcome!
What about when to use a clipper instead of a limiter and compressor? Or a saturator...which I understand lops peaks too. (such as Decapitator)
Yes, clippers work great, and they add harmonics as well. I plan on doing a video on clippers soon. Great tools.
Very good
Thanks!
legend
Thanks!
Great explanation. Would it make sense to add a limiter before a compressor when dealing with a drum bus for example?
There's no simple answer for that, but yes, ideally any peaks are mitigated on the individual drum tracks so the bus compressor can just be concerned with groove and glue. Hope that helps.
Subbed brother. Nice stuff.
One thing I'm having a little issue with is my Subs.
I have 4 "B52's" and 4 "18' floor subs by behringer. The b52's are powered by an external PA and the floor subs are powered on their own.
I've been messing with these two.. the comp and limiter. My comp in the xedit for xr18 digital deck mixer has WIDE ranges, so I don't believe I need a "limiter" since it obtains the same concept.
I also run them through AUX. 52s on aux 5, floor 18's on aux 6. I noticed I don't need much of an EQ except for a lowcut at 20hz and maybe not even that since I play a lot of EDM through the DDJ800 dj board that's fed through channel 15-16 linked and panned. I also post fader the AUX sends of those 15-16 channels to feed the aux channels 5&6.
With that being said, are there any tips for managing the resonance of the booms? Or is it just the nature of some production value tracks vary in?
Because some tracks (all are high quality through Tidal and streamed through that) but some tracks have really awkard sounding bass hits that mimic the sound of subs in the back of an intrepid and it's trunk is rattling LOL!
I just want some opinions. From you, or anyone in the channel.
Really appreciate the time if you have it!!
-Johnny
Hard to say without hearing the resonance. First thing would be to check it on other systems with good subs if you can. You probably already know this, but make sure you're not saturating the sub FQs. Try automating your high passes on the worst resonant notes to see if they smooth out when high passed at 25 or 30 hz. Also make sure your HP slope is 12db or less. Then use an oscilloscope to see what the vibrations are doing. Good luck. Welcome to the channel!
@@AudioMountain777 Thanks for the reply! I actually figured out a majority of my issues were stemming from spacing my subs. I moved them together in a line underneath my booth. The stage we have is elevated so they fit nicely under there with only a thin cloth sheet in front of them.
It eliminated the power alleys I was experiencing while out on the dancefloor and also made me realize I could reduce the volume on the knob located on the back of the sub. I use to have them at 12 oclock but turned them down to about 10 and it really cleared up some of the boominess. Might seem super simple, but sometimes it's those small adjustments that add up. Learning that quick ha. I'm just beginning my 2nd year of sound engineering, so I'm a youngin in regards to experience. The only thing helping my pace is TH-cam channels like this and having played guitar/vocals for 13 years in a metal band. Oh how I wish I knew what I know now though. Shows would have been 10x better sound wise and Techs would have liked me a lot more xD
Ty again!
Nice! So was the proximity of the cabinets causing phase issues?
Great explanation. Can you use limiters on individual drum tracks to control the peaks before they hit the drum buss? For instance I use the API vision channel on the individual tracks and set the compressor to infinite and adjust the threshold until I get about 6dB of gain reduction. Then I only need to use a compressor on the drum buss.
Absolutely! And the more peaks you attenuate prior to bus processing the better. You may prefer a clipper over a limiter on individual drums. I'm going into that more in the next video.
@@AudioMountain777 I look forward to that video.
👍
I posted a video on clippers that you might enjoy.
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👍
Always heard over 10 to 1 ratio that’s where limiting starts?
I have heard 10 as well, when I was in college I was told 20, but the attack time was also a determinant factor, not sure if there's a technically correct answer, but I wanted to stress that either way a compressor is not designed to do the job of a limiter. Thanks for the feedback!
limiter is an infinite ratio. anything that's not infinite is not a limiter..... in my book.
I can see that. Thanks for the input!
Great info but your vocal gate was distracting lol
Thanks for the feedback, it's helpful to know so I might tweak some knobs 👍
Yo he's right I just saw the text.
Limiter all the way.
I can get by without a comp...
By using a bunch of limiters.
Just crank the Threshold until the wave is consistent
Not till it distorts
th-cam.com/video/NuPXTxCnSFQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=Il8khYUnnCDDdbiw
Nice! And don't hesitate to use a compressor after the limiter if need be.
@AudioMountain777 I mean....lol
I think the same rule applys with distortion.
A lot of people use distortion after the comp and you can depending on the sound but I perfer compression, then limiting.
I rush a lot of stuff...but I know that once you get a sound the way you want it, sonically, the limiter will just square those transients up. So I eq and compress first, and if it needs to be squared up, I would limit the sound the way it is to compress the sound the way you want it.
Ha ha i have 100s of songs that were compressed incorrectly Ha ha Some you can squash the shit out of but you can't crank the Thresh All the way everytime.
Not every song or sound needs a limiter.
I don't like limiting "White Noise " or anything that's already square by nature.
👍
Why not use a clipper in this context instead of a limiter?
Yes, clippers are great in this context as well, which I mention at the end of the video. My goal here was to help people understand when to reach for something else other than a compressor for managing dynamic peaks. Thanks for the comment!
@@AudioMountain777 would you please share a comparative breakdown of clippers vs limiters similar to this compressor vs limiter video?
I'm planning on doing that soon!
It sounds like your description of a limiter is a brickwall limiter. Even the Fairchild is a limiter. I'm not sure about how you compare, your settings, like your limiter was not even limiting (theshold) for seconds in a row.
Correct. The topic was using limiters for dynamic peaks. Did you watch all the way through?
Your title mention limiter vs compressor. If you talk about catching peaks, a different subject, you should go into peak vs RMS. .The last time you have the limiter on , its not really working, catching the peaks. look at the gain reduction meter, it doesnt turn red for a while. If you wanna catch the peaks with the 1176 , set it to fast attack, it’ll do it but its not a clean compressor/limiter…
I see what you mean- valid points. In hindsight I wish I had spent more time flushing it out for a better demonstration. I was focusing on the limitations of most compressors compared to limiters with peak reduction, and I can see how the demonstration could have been more thorough. Thank you for the feedback!
So, what I'm getting out of all of this is that many people should be grabbing a 1176 instead of an L2. Am I right???
I love L2's on transient peaks, the point was simply to encourage the use of limiters when needed. Hope that helps. Thanks for watching!
@@AudioMountain777 Don't get me wrong, the L2 has it's place. It just may have been over used at times.
I can see that. There's so many great limiters out there these days.
you prefer Studio One?
Yes, I just need to learn it inside and out, which is going to take a little time.
I use studio one and I have already heard mixcraft 10 I don't know if they are very different.
I'm still learning studio one but I'm really liking it so far.
1 little thing ( because I want this channel to grow so that you wont stop making the videos ) - please use AI or anything more graphical in thumbnails, will save you time and don't have to spend hours just on something like this if this part dosent interest you ( for reach , not guys like me, for guys like me the content knowledge or information matters ; other things are just 2nd on the list ).
The mode that Molotok was set to when you used it "as a limiter" is NOT reacting immediately to the peaks.
Please check the manual to better understand the modes!
And Molotok is specifically designed NOT to do clean gain reduction.
Overall your video leaves something to be desired. You are basically comparing different audio plugins, none of them being representative of "limiters" or compressors overall.
I had it set to Beta mode with a 93 ms release. Am I missing something? I'll be the first to admit that I don't know everything about compression, and I'm always learning, so any feedback is very appreciated.
I find that Molotok doesn't seem to perform as well as a limiter on high transient peaks, so I believe the overall message of the video is accurate and helpful, but I really appreciate your input. Thanks!
how is the studio one limiter not a limiter?
maybe you didn't watch the whole video.....
I believe the studio one limiter is a brick wall limiter.