Why software limiters?

[kingtoad]

Analogue (as opposed to outboard; you could have an outboard digital limiter) limiters simply aren't capable of the type of brick wall limiting that is typically desired at the end of a mastering chain - there will always be some overs. Software limiters are capable of look-ahead, which allows them to see the audio before it happens and prevent clipping. Although it's technically possible to implement something similar with an analogue compressor the sound would generally be much more coloured.

Put simply, digital limiters generally sound more transparent than analogue ones, and transparency tends to be the characteristic that MEs most desire in a limiter.

[Babaluma]

exactly, digital look ahead/memory/delay. you can't do that in analogue hardware (well, you could use a tape or BBD device, but it would be extremely lo-fi).

[huejahfink]

Plus, digital limiters are there to overcome the digital "limitation" of full scale.
It makes sense to me that the process is done in the digital domain.

[grandmasters]

Originally Posted by GregR

There's clearly no lack of cash for top-notch analog gear in this forum, yet software limiters seem to be the norm. Am I missing something here? Why not hardware given the huge outboard budgets?

Analog peak limiters exist and are used extensively by mastering engineers.

MPL-2
Pendulum PL-2 JFET/MOSFET Analog Peak Limiter
Peak Limiter TM115

[Joe_caithness]

Originally Posted by grandmasters

Analog peak limiters exist and are used extensively by mastering engineers.

MPL-2
Pendulum PL-2 JFET/MOSFET Analog Peak Limiter
Peak Limiter TM115

the TM115 has a release of 0.5 seconds to 3s? that's wayyyy too slow, am I missing something?

[Rossd25]

whatever works. that's my philosophy. there are countless threads where people discuss x limiter being better than y, but think about it? what really counts? the equipment, the ideas, or what you do with it?