KVR Audio

empphryio · Post by **empphryio** » Wed Jun 03, 2020 1:52 pm

This may fit better under the beginner subforum. I had been having trouble getting limiters to work. Tried some of JS stock ones in reaper and also loudmax and limiter no6. Also just using a high ratio on many compressors. But peaks kept getting through. Or partially through.

I was bouncing/rendering all my tracks to a wav file where the peak would be -6db to -10db. And then adding master eq and compression (sometimes a bit of saturation and reverb first) and finally a limiter. I turn off any gain for each plugin and then just turn the volume up so I get a new rendered wav that usually got a peak of -2db. Then normalize that and render again.

This was resulting in stuff getting past the limiter... yet it seemed like the limiter was doing something.

So instead I took the limiter off and rendered and normalized (brought the peak to -0.1db. And rendered again. And then use the limiter. And it works perfectly. However much I want it to cut off it does exactly that. And then I have normalize and render again.

So what the hell is going on? Am I also messing up compression? How can I make this more efficient?

Should I first be normalizing up to -0.1 db. And then adding eq and compression and the limiter all together? I've been doing this wrong for an embarrassingly long time. Read a book or two on mastering that didn't address it.

thecontrolcentre · Post by **thecontrolcentre** » Wed Jun 03, 2020 1:59 pm

Why are you normalising?

Googly Smythe · Post by **Googly Smythe** » Wed Jun 03, 2020 2:26 pm

I've yet to find a true brickwall limiter. I use a clipper (either the IKM or SIR) after the limiter. (I know the limiter should be last, but I make the rules in my studio.

)

Boone777 · Post by **Boone777** » Wed Jun 03, 2020 2:36 pm

Get a brickwall limiter and or limit on individual tracks and busses to get the heavy lifting done before hiting the masterbuss. A tool that you should look into also is a clipper. Like free GVST GClip or this one: https://www.kvraudio.com/product/free-c ... venn-audio

Also a good cheap limiter Barricade saves me once in a while when the others don't work for some reasons. You can get it for free with a copy of CM computer music plus a ton load of other usefull freebies.

Unaspected · Post by **Unaspected** » Wed Jun 03, 2020 2:37 pm

Boone777 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 03, 2020 2:36 pm Get a brickwall limiter and or limit on individual tracks and busses to get the heavy lifting done before hiting the masterbuss. A tool that you should look into also is a clipper. Like free GVST GClip or this one: https://www.kvraudio.com/product/free-c ... venn-audio

This.

Was about to write similar: Address the peaks at source.

empphryio · Post by **empphryio** » Wed Jun 03, 2020 2:38 pm

I have the same issue using the JS soft clipper and the JS event horizon master limiter. And a few others all which have brickwall settings.

empphryio · Post by **empphryio** » Wed Jun 03, 2020 2:42 pm

thecontrolcentre wrote: ↑Wed Jun 03, 2020 1:59 pm Why are you normalising?

Because I want the final version up at the right volume. I could just turn the track volume exactly the right amount. Shouldn't make a difference but normalizing is slightly easier.

Boone777 · Post by **Boone777** » Wed Jun 03, 2020 2:43 pm

Limiters as I learn with time is a crucial element in a good mix. When you NEED it that is. In my case I often prefer the clipper it tends to be more subtle and add pleasant harmonics. If you don't buy a good one at least get to know all the freebies.

Boone777 · Post by **Boone777** » Wed Jun 03, 2020 2:45 pm

Simply turning up the volume is not the same. Do a search on peaks vs RMS also might as well check into LUFTS.

empphryio · Post by **empphryio** » Wed Jun 03, 2020 2:47 pm

Again I have literally used about ten limiters/brickwall limiters/soft clippers and I did get it to work right finally. But wondered am I supposed to be rendering over and over and normalizing each time....? Doesn't seem efficient.

empphryio · Post by **empphryio** » Wed Jun 03, 2020 2:51 pm

Boone777 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 03, 2020 2:45 pm Simply turning up the volume is not the same. Do a search on peaks vs RMS also might as well check into LUFTS.

Are you familiar with the normalize function in Reaper? I'm pretty sure it works exactly the same as turning up the volume.

Unaspected · Post by **Unaspected** » Wed Jun 03, 2020 3:03 pm

empphryio wrote: ↑Wed Jun 03, 2020 2:47 pm Again I have literally used about ten limiters/brickwall limiters/soft clippers and I did get it to work right finally. But wondered am I supposed to be rendering over and over and normalizing each time....? Doesn't seem efficient.

Forget normalising for this task.

empphryio · Post by **empphryio** » Wed Jun 03, 2020 3:34 pm

Unaspected wrote: ↑Wed Jun 03, 2020 3:03 pm
empphryio wrote: ↑Wed Jun 03, 2020 2:47 pm Again I have literally used about ten limiters/brickwall limiters/soft clippers and I did get it to work right finally. But wondered am I supposed to be rendering over and over and normalizing each time....? Doesn't seem efficient.
That's how I got it to work correctly. I think I'm done asking for help here lol.

Forget normalising for this task.

That's how I got it to work correctly. Locking thread now as this is a waste of time.

Mastering limiter question... etc