Best software mastering limiter? L2, Sonic Timeworks or PSP Vintagewarmer?

[matucha]

Don't forgetabout Voxengo... their Elephant etc looks and sounds interesting.

[DanV]

If I had to chose only one - the db audioware package is the cat's meow.

[audiomaster]

Excellent. thanks - I will check out the demos for both of these. Are they as good (or better) than the more expensive ones I have already picked out?

[manning1]

others.......all sorts of comp/limiting and effects built into
all sorts of other pkges powertracks,magix music studio,
as examples a lot of stuff/demoes/shareware/links at hitsquad.com
i used the magix one in this song to punch it a bit
soundclick.com/bmanning >>>>> key lime pie
i used the old cool edit 96 on some others on some others.
peace

[Jesse Skeens]

Sonalksis compressor is awesome.

[Yannick]

The Voxengo mastering suite is great - high quality, even if you would decide to kill all dynamics

For those mastering to -2 dBFS rms, Elephant2 is out

Yannick

[Bang]

If you want to do software you have to get two things. The first is T Racks VST --JUST FOR THE CLIPPER PLUGIN, don't use the other junk. So compress the mix with a compressor of your choice, Sonalksis, Renn Comp, etc.. then go to the clipper and push it up 4db, then all you should need is a tiny bit of peak limiting. Use an L2 or the Sonic Timeworks.
Steve
www.bangrecording.com
www.blacklinerock.com

[oceantracks]

The Sony Oxford Inflator is wonderful on lots of pop and rock stuff. Gets louder, gets WAY bigger. Like a big FAT switch. Demos available, I think.

[tee boy]

I use L2 and PSP Vintagewarmer. In my eyes they are quite different beasts - I use L2 to boost gain as transparently as possible, and Warmer to compress and colour. They are both very useful plugs, so I highly recommend checking the demo's.

[Teacher]

if your looking for as clean as possible loudness in plug world i've found the combo of the sonalksis comp and the timeworks mastering compressor to be hard to beat...if you want some grit/mush switch the sonalksis with PSP vintage warmer

[norman_nomad]

I've used a large variety of plug in compressor/limiters: L2, Sony Inflator, Voxengo Elephant, Timeworks, PSP Vintagewarmer, Naitive Dex, DB audioware.

Here's quips from my recent experience using each on the master channel of a rock song, and doing direct A/B comparisons.

(listed in order of preference)

1. Voxengo Elephant - cleanest, most versatile, excellent quality
2. Sony Inflator - great plug unless pushed hard - high end takes on a fizzy quality
3. L2 / Timeworks - both handle transients in a similar fashion, ugly when pushed hard.
4. Native Dex
5. DB - Audioware - nuetral sound, pumps when pushed.
5. PSP Vintagewarmer - sounds ok.. never really sold me.

(on a side note, it's also worth checking out the kurzweil mangler or ksp8 for the compressor algorithms.. I've used the mangler for mix compression a variety of times and have always been pleased with the results!)

My 2 cents.

[aapee]

Hi!

I recommend you to check out iZotope Ozone 3 limiter. I have liked it a lot. I do have also Elephant 2, Wintage Varmer, X3, Ren Comp. Ozone 3 is very clean and the limiter section is very good one.

Respect,

AaPee

[Bang]

Originally posted by norman_nomad
I've used a large variety of plug in compressor/limiters: L2, Sony Inflator, Voxengo Elephant, Timeworks, PSP Vintagewarmer, Naitive Dex, DB audioware.

Here's quips from my recent experience using each on the master channel of a rock song, and doing direct A/B comparisons.

(listed in order of preference)

1. Voxengo Elephant - cleanest, most versatile, excellent quality
2. Sony Inflator - great plug unless pushed hard - high end takes on a fizzy quality
3. L2 / Timeworks - both handle transients in a similar fashion, ugly when pushed hard.
4. Native Dex
5. DB - Audioware - nuetral sound, pumps when pushed.
5. PSP Vintagewarmer - sounds ok.. never really sold me.

(on a side note, it's also worth checking out the kurzweil mangler or ksp8 for the compressor algorithms.. I've used the mangler for mix compression a variety of times and have always been pleased with the results!)

My 2 cents.

I found the L2 and the Timeworks limiter as far away sonic wise as limiters can be. Timeworks you can push hard and because it has a clipping stage, you don't really hear much of any artifacts till you start get -8 and on. Its a wonderful limiter when combined with the T Racks clipper.
Steve
www.bangrecording.com (down till tomorrow)
www.blacklinerock.com

[JeffSanders]

My favorite it the Voxengo Elephant 2.

[Brad McGowan]

I'm favoring Elephant followed by the Sonic Timeworks Limiter these days. I personally don't feel that L2 is anywhere as transparent as these two. It leaves too much of a sonic fingerprint for my tastes.

Brad

[bigbaby987]

Originally posted by Jesse Skeens
Sonalksis compressor is awesome.

i second and third that one

[Jupiter]

i think the master x3 and the voxengo elephant 2 are a good couple.

[jazzius II]

Another one is Scrollworks Peakslammer......butt-ugly interface but useful.

[J.C. Scott]

I thought maybe it was just me, but I do like Elephant 2 a whole lot. In fact, I originally thought PSP Warmer had the edge but I've really come to like the results I've been getting from doing a bit of work with Vox. Elephant 2.

[wynsmth]

Anyone tried either version of the new Waves L3?

[Stick]

Originally posted by wynsmth
Anyone tried either version of the new Waves L3?

Yeah. It's cool. Check out my reply in the Software Forum.

[bloodstone]

Originally posted by aapee
Hi!

I recommend you to check out iZotope Ozone 3 limiter. I have liked it a lot. I do have also Elephant 2, Wintage Varmer, X3, Ren Comp. Ozone 3 is very clean and the limiter section is very good one.

Respect,

AaPee

I downloaded demos of most of the things mentioned on this thread. The Ozone suite is pretty impressive. A dangerous set of powerful software tools in the wrong hands. The visual/functional design is very intelligent, too.

The Elephant demo didn't really wow me that much, but maybe I should trial it some more. It's not the most user friendly thing in the world.

I still think there's a place in the world for Waves L1 Ultramaximizer+. If you don't abuse it, it does the job well without audible "artifacts". My 2c.

[Bang]

I find that one of the highlights of a mix is to have your snare toms and kick punch out of the speakers. I've coined this term "punchy". The problem with the L1 is that as soon as you move the slider threshold down. it takes away ALL punch and impact. When you don't move the threshold down at all, it sounds fine albeit your mix doesn't get any louder.

I've tried a lot of these software limiters and the ONLY one that really just makes your shit louder without making your snare sound like someone slapping a plastic bag is the Sonic Timeworks.

BUT, as I've said before, if you want real transparency in software land, buy T Racks VST and use the clipper to boost 3.5 db and then use the Timeworks to -3. It works.
Steve
www.bangrecording.com
www.blacklinerock.com

[bloodstone]

Originally posted by Bang
I find that one of the highlights of a mix is to have your snare toms and kick punch out of the speakers. I've coined this term "punchy". The problem with the L1 is that as soon as you move the slider threshold down. it takes away ALL punch and impact. When you don't move the threshold down at all, it sounds fine albeit your mix doesn't get any louder.

I've tried a lot of these software limiters and the ONLY one that really just makes your shit louder without making your snare sound like someone slapping a plastic bag is the Sonic Timeworks.

BUT, as I've said before, if you want real transparency in software land, buy T Racks VST and use the clipper to boost 3.5 db and then use the Timeworks to -3. It works.
Steve
www.bangrecording.com
www.blacklinerock.com

Good points. I guess I'm so wowed by the L1s ability to make something louder that I haven't really considered what it's doing to my kick & snare. The music I write isn't really kick/snare oriented, and I tend to mix in a more "old Skool" pop style that doesn't feature the drums most of the time.

I'm going to try your combo and do some A/B mastering and see what I come up with.

[bassmac]

Using two (or three) L1's - taking off just a little on each, will get you louder with less unpleasant stuff.

[Innominandum]

I personally believe that iZotope and Z-Sys have the best digital limiter on the market. Well, that was until L3 came out. I'll have to find someone who has it, to decide if it is better.