should I limit each individual track?
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- KVRist
- 69 posts since 30 Aug, 2011 from moruya nsw australia
Hi, I just have a question. Should I put a limiter on every track? Or should I only limit the master fader? I have a few good limiters and compressors, my favorite limiter being sir elliots mastering limiter, which I use on my main fader to push up the loudness. But some times if I push it too far the mix can get fatigued. I use compression on most of my tracks but usually leave limiting for the master fader. Would I benefit better if, say, I used this plugin on individual tracks? I'm going for a 'loud enough' mix but not too loud. Any help would be great, Thanx.
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- Banned
- 2033 posts since 19 Jun, 2011 from a world of Black Thunder chocs
Hi
Yes.
Now, all of the above is a popular way of doing things - so please feel free to stick a limiter on each track if you so wish. However, as you have noted, this tends to fatigue the overall song and in some ways is counter-productive to what you actually want to do.
Sound on Sound are far better than me in explaining loudness / dynamic range, so take a gander down some of the articles on this page:
http://www.soundonsound.com/search?Keyword=loudness
Cheers
No.dandmkirkwood wrote:Hi, I just have a question. Should I put a limiter on every track?...
dandmkirkwood wrote:...Or should I only limit the master fader?
Yes.
This is best.dandmkirkwood wrote: ... I use compression on most of my tracks but usually leave limiting for the master fader...
Now, all of the above is a popular way of doing things - so please feel free to stick a limiter on each track if you so wish. However, as you have noted, this tends to fatigue the overall song and in some ways is counter-productive to what you actually want to do.
Sound on Sound are far better than me in explaining loudness / dynamic range, so take a gander down some of the articles on this page:
http://www.soundonsound.com/search?Keyword=loudness
Cheers
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- KVRAF
- 14740 posts since 19 Oct, 2003 from Berlin, Germany
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- KVRAF
- 8563 posts since 2 Aug, 2005 from Guitar Land, USA
Stick them dawgs on your shizzler!
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- KVRAF
- 7119 posts since 22 Jan, 2005 from Sweden
You can put a compressor/limiter on every track if you like.
A reason to do that might be that the coloring of that plug is to your liking. It might do what tubes do - add some warmth etc.
I mean putting a limiter there does not mean you actually limit anything.
That depends on the setting you use.
But should you exercise limiting on every track - absolutely not.
Unless you want a lifeless mix that is.
A reason to do that might be that the coloring of that plug is to your liking. It might do what tubes do - add some warmth etc.
I mean putting a limiter there does not mean you actually limit anything.
That depends on the setting you use.
But should you exercise limiting on every track - absolutely not.
Unless you want a lifeless mix that is.
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 69 posts since 30 Aug, 2011 from moruya nsw australia
Thanx so much for replies. I use M analyzer to check my loudness and found that a compressor on each track, a multiband on each group master ( guitars, drums etc) each only just clipping off the peaks, and finally a multiband and a mastering limiter on the main fader gets the mix just loud enough without fatiguing the mix. So thank you guys for your help, all the best, Damien.
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- KVRian
- 1416 posts since 27 Nov, 2008 from uk
You only limit tracks when there are peaks you want to limit. If that is on every track then so be it!
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- KVRAF
- 8740 posts since 24 May, 2002 from Tutukaka, New Zealand
No
Yes
No
The more limiting you do, the more distortion you have. Compression will distort a little, but far less than any aggressive limiting. Distortion builds up, especially if you have it on every single channel. It's a really bad idea to limit every channel.
Personally I think you're overdoing it with a multiband comp on every buss too. Multibands are capable of quite heavy compression by their nature, so there should rarely be a need to use one on every buss. I have no problem with liberal use of compressors on multiple channels, but it also depends what you're doing with them. Some sounds benefit from having dynamics, and if you kill all your dynamics your track is more likely to sound dull and lifeless (depending to some degree on the type of music).
Compressors are really useful things, but you don't always have to use them just because you have them. You can get extremely loud mixes with just a multiband and limiter over only the master buss. Possibly, if you're finding you need to use compressors so much, you're possibly not using them properly over the source. I can see maybe the point in having a multiband over a drum buss (although a straight wideband comp should be enough to tame transients to get volume, or to get snares to ring etc), but no way should instrument busses need multiband comps.
As always, you can do whatever you want, but you're adding extra steps that really aren't necessary. You want loudness - you don't need multiple multibands to get loudness.
Yes
No
The more limiting you do, the more distortion you have. Compression will distort a little, but far less than any aggressive limiting. Distortion builds up, especially if you have it on every single channel. It's a really bad idea to limit every channel.
Personally I think you're overdoing it with a multiband comp on every buss too. Multibands are capable of quite heavy compression by their nature, so there should rarely be a need to use one on every buss. I have no problem with liberal use of compressors on multiple channels, but it also depends what you're doing with them. Some sounds benefit from having dynamics, and if you kill all your dynamics your track is more likely to sound dull and lifeless (depending to some degree on the type of music).
Compressors are really useful things, but you don't always have to use them just because you have them. You can get extremely loud mixes with just a multiband and limiter over only the master buss. Possibly, if you're finding you need to use compressors so much, you're possibly not using them properly over the source. I can see maybe the point in having a multiband over a drum buss (although a straight wideband comp should be enough to tame transients to get volume, or to get snares to ring etc), but no way should instrument busses need multiband comps.
As always, you can do whatever you want, but you're adding extra steps that really aren't necessary. You want loudness - you don't need multiple multibands to get loudness.