Best limiter plug-in?

[Gie-Sound]

Originally Posted by jdg

just use this one.
R O C K S T E R

Is it in the same ballpark as this one: -----> The amazing UNsuckPLUG ! now availible!!! <-----

[SoniA]

I have always used UAD Precision Limiter but now... I'm very impressed by the dynamic of VST Sonnox Limiter Native

[Jamzone]

Anyone else noticed weird effects in snare attacks when using the Oxford Limiter??

Not obvious at first but when you tune in on them they haunt you forever...

//Jamzone

[Hide]

Originally Posted by SoniA

I have always used UAD Precision Limiter but now... I'm very impressed by the dynamic of VST Sonnox Limiter Native

Same here.
I've completely switched to Oxford Limiter from UAD-1 Precision Limiter.

[tomasrangel]

Originally Posted by Jamzone

Anyone else noticed weird effects in snare attacks when using the Oxford Limiter??

Not obvious at first but when you tune in on them they haunt you forever...

//Jamzone

Not really, i usually use a de-esser on snares and hi hats to smooth them.

[Jamzone]

Do you use deessers to tame snares in mastering? I wanna keep it the way I've mixed it.

I'm not talking about the highfreq area but the attacks overall. It's either "choke" or a weird 'gate open' effect... Think it's got something to do with the 'enhance' function...

//Jamzone

[tomasrangel]

Originally Posted by Jamzone

Do you use deessers to tame snares in mastering? I wanna keep it the way I've mixed it.

I'm not talking about the highfreq area but the attacks overall. It's either "choke" or a weird 'gate open' effect... Think it's got something to do with the 'enhance' function...

//Jamzone

Sometimes in mastering, but the best way is doing it on the mix for sure.
I not sure but i have an impression that the enhance function produce some distortion. I use just a little this effect together with inflator before. Sometimes I dont use.

Here is a discussion about it: Sonnox Limiter Causing Distortion?

[Paul Frindle]

Originally Posted by tomasrangel

Sometimes in mastering, but the best way is doing it on the mix for sure.
I not sure but i have an impression that the enhance function produce some distortion. I use just a little this effect together with inflator before. Sometimes I dont use.

Here is a discussion about it: Sonnox Limiter Causing Distortion?

I explained this in detail in earlier threads. This one is worth reading from this page where we start discussing exactly this effect:

Sony Oxford (Sonnox) still good? =>now with Paul Frindle replys :D

I hope this helps :-)

[dione]

Did anyone of you experts try the Barricade Pro from Jeroen Breebaart ? And if you did,what did you think of it ?

Jeroen Breebaart | Home

[Addact4G]

I have the precision Limiter from UAD and love it. Not free but worth money if your doing mastering often

[defjamm]

PSPaudioware.com - audio processors and effects plug-ins in VST, DirectX, MAS, AudioUnit, RTAS format for Mac and PC

xenon

it can be very transparent and clean but also very loud with good transients (and still quite clean compared to other limiters with the same high gain).

[LPK]

For me it's the PSP Xenon.

I compared it with MPL, Elephant and Sonnox. The Sonnox was the closest, but the Xenon could still give me nearly one db RMS more by providing the same "lightness" on the signal.
And imo it sounds a little bit more "swinging"/"musical"/"fluid" than the Sonnox.

If you're searching for the BEST, you should definetly check it out!

[Jorg]

Instead of just using one limiter I like using 2 in a row and each of them only limit a little bit. I really like the UAD-1 Precision Limiter and the L2.

[DesertDawg]

Free? He said he wants free... the best free one I've come across is called BuzzMaxi, but you have to find version 2 - version 3 isn't as transparent.

Although I have Sonnox, Elephant & a few others, I use the BuzzMaxi across the 2-buss from start to finish while tracking to protect from any overs, because it's so CPU-lite and it's clean as hell. He could definitely mix & "lite master" with this limiter.

[JPeters86]

Originally Posted by LPK

For me it's the PSP Xenon.

I compared it with MPL, Elephant and Sonnox. The Sonnox was the closest, but the Xenon could still give me nearly one db RMS more by providing the same "lightness" on the signal.
And imo it sounds a little bit more "swinging"/"musical"/"fluid" than the Sonnox.

If you're searching for the BEST, you should definetly check it out!

Amen to that. Beautiful plugin.

[gundam]

Originally Posted by SoniA

I have always used UAD Precision Limiter but now... I'm very impressed by the dynamic of VST Sonnox Limiter Native

I've got both and it was the opposite for me.

UAD prec limiter = very transparent and no digital artifacts
Sonnox = stereo image shrinking a bit, loss of highs, and sounded a bit grainy.

Another thing. I had to crank the input gain almost twice as much on the Sonnox to get the same level of perceived loudness.

[Energie]

PSP xenon is my favorite right now

Does not shrink the stereo feild imo, keeps the low end nice and round and in tact, very full sounding, and does a great job of being more transparent.

[MattGray]

Originally Posted by Boomshanka

And I knew that you knew.
And now Ben knows that we know that we know what he knows.
And if only everyone knew, nobody would need to ask.

Look what you've started Ben a MON--STER... What started off as a piss take on the loudness wars has become a source of genuine discussion... ahhh! Quick moderators lock this thread.

[Paul Frindle]

Originally Posted by MattGray

Look what you've started Ben a MON--STER... What started off as a piss take on the loudness wars has become a source of genuine discussion... ahhh! Quick moderators lock this thread.

LOL at this comment :-)

What we are all trying to do in fact is to provide ways of getting the loudness the industry thinks it needs - but with the minimum trashing of the musical quality. It's a technical challenge to be sure - and we keep trying new and novel ways to get it :-)

[lydpik]

[QUOTE=Paul Frindle;

What we are all trying to do in fact is to provide ways of getting the loudness the industry thinks it needs - but with the minimum trashing of the musical quality.[/QUOTE]


Exactly, like it or not...!! I own nearly every limiter there is (for the Pro Tools platform) I don't know about other styles of music, but for hard pumping rock where loudness is all there matters, Oxford is the one I trust. Never been fond of the enhancer function, but as a limiter, with attack and release time all set to zero it's unbeatable. IMMO!

Peter

[soundseeker]

Originally Posted by Bob Yordan

Hiya

I have the UAD Prec Limiter, as I understand the Oxford Lim is a big
challenger to it. Is the diffenece between these two major/minor?

TIA

Second this question.

Please give order of pref for:
UAD Precision / OXFORD / OZONE

[Hide]

Originally Posted by Bob Yordan

I have the UAD Prec Limiter, as I understand the Oxford Lim is a big
challenger to it. Is the diffenece between these two major/minor?

I think the big difference is Oxford Limiter has "ATTACK" control but UAD-1 P.Lim doesn't.

[Bob Yordan]

Originally Posted by soundseeker

Second this question.

Please give order of pref for:
UAD Precision / OXFORD / OZONE

LOL, I have actully used the Sonnox Limiter for a while now, since it was released as a native plug for PC plattform. It is a very different kind of plug IMO. The Sonnox plug has options to add coloring to the mix. You can get a more 'radio sounding' output. It can also be kind of neutral.
The UAD PL is more neutral. A work horse that makes an excellent job at the end of the chain. These two together with my Weiss DS-1 are my gotos in my mastering room at the moment when it comes to limiters.

[jinksdingo]

I wouldn't call it mastering using a limiter for optimising gain across a mix bus but I to do it from time to time.
Just recently sent a rough mix to a lead guitarist in another city and a drummer in another city. Handy too for mp3 listens on my Nokia or too quite in the ear buds.
I too have tried the W1 and it isn't as good as the L1.

I got put onto this little beauty the other night and I like it for the above purposes as it has some extras you can tweak.

www.Tin Brooke Tales.com

Click on the archive button and open the "old vst folder" The Maximizerr is in there.
The "new vst folder has a couple of vintage emulations which are usable. I haven't tried all plugins available but plan to as you never know when you'll find a gem.

[peeder]

Well thank goodness everyone's music isn't going to sound the same.

[kragg]

I have already posted that kind of question on the other "best vst limiter thread", but didn't had any reply yet :

Has anyone tried the JB Barricade Pro plugin ?
I find it very smooth, and it allows rather deep tweakings for a cheap price, but how fine do you think it works on transient-fueled material ?
During my subjective tests, i thought it was smoothing it a little bit (even with short enveloppe times), and not preserving all the punch...
On the other hand, i liked the way it was dealing with bass : not making it too strong too quickly.

Could anyone confirm ?

Which limiter would you then suggest for beat-orientated music (no dongle or Uad card, please)?

[jacko]

Originally Posted by SoniA

I have always used UAD Precision Limiter but now... I'm very impressed by the dynamic of VST Sonnox Limiter Native

I just started my demo last night. I compared it to some other limiters (Xenon, L2) - and for my mixes where I am after the beefness and punch from drums, Oxford Limiter is the shit! This is what I have been looking for and I didn't know it existed. It is great with its clipping capabilities and non-brickwall attack setting.

[tomasrangel]

Originally Posted by peeder

Well thank goodness everyone's music isn't going to sound the same.

Nice point !
It will depend of the other stages/skills of our kind of mastering. There are some good options/ideas here for almost every type of mastering.

[niklas_sn7]

Don't know what it is with that loudness discussion but I try to use a limiter in the digital domain for one reason only: Cutting the highest peaks before clipping (on the sum mostly). Mastering should care for loudness if at all.
Level adjusting could be done by moving the faders and compressors whenever liked. Of course I do limit guitars, bass and stuff while seeking for a special sound. To the point:

Elephant 2 - couldn't stop thinking if there would be any of the more expensive tools to beat it, so I tried...

Sonnox - made the distortion experience while enhancing, but it seems natural that it does, as P. Frindle explained, so carefull usage prooves to be very satisfying.

L2 - what to say, if there wasn't an alternative available it worked out just fine - better than any embedded plug-in in one of the major DAWs.

Nomad Factory Brickwall - ehm, simple as hell, if for peaks only I would use it again on single tracks.

Somebody tried the Chandler Limiter already? Or is it just nostalgia?

Can't wait to use the Xenox...

[jdjustice]

Originally Posted by niklas_sn7

Don't know what it is with that loudness discussion but I try to use a limiter in the digital domain for one reason only: Cutting the highest peaks before clipping (on the sum mostly). Mastering should care for loudness if at all.
Level adjusting could be done by moving the faders and compressors whenever liked. Of course I do limit guitars, bass and stuff while seeking for a special sound. To the point:

Elephant 2 - couldn't stop thinking if there would be any of the more expensive tools to beat it, so I tried...

Sonnox - made the distortion experience while enhancing, but it seems natural that it does, as P. Frindle explained, so carefull usage prooves to be very satisfying.

L2 - what to say, if there wasn't an alternative available it worked out just fine - better than any embedded plug-in in one of the major DAWs.

Nomad Factory Brickwall - ehm, simple as hell, if for peaks only I would use it again on single tracks.

Somebody tried the Chandler Limiter already? Or is it just nostalgia?

Can't wait to use the Xenox...

the chandler is wonderful but it is more of a compressor than a limiter per se
i like L316, Sonnox, McDSP ML, Flux limiters the best fwiw