Good (mid range) Analog Limiter...dbx1066???

[MoonMix]

People...

I've been preparing my mixes for red book finals; & have been using UAD-1's Precision Limiter to perform an easy brick wall at the end of the chain. PL is pretty transparent, but all digital limiters seem to flatten out the highs or just produce a lackluster stereo file in general.

If I DID decide to go the hardware route; & wanted to grab a "not too expensive" analog limiting device (since I really can't afford an STC-8 right now) & say an Alesis Masterlink to recapture at the end of the chain...

how about the dbx1066 ???

It's VCA based, has a contour switch for filtering out infrasound, does everything from smooth gain leveling to peak limiting, sports overeasy...& sounds like...well, a dbx.

If not this unit...what's around in that price range ($500-$700) that will do a nice job for analog limiting? I'd like as much transparecy as I can get ('cause I'm satisfied with the sonic quality of my mixes); & I don't want to loose any clarity on drums & vocals.

Thanks,

MoonMix

[godcity]

Originally Posted by MoonMix

People...

I've been preparing my mixes for red book finals; & have been using UAD-1's Precision Limiter to perform an easy brick wall at the end of the chain. PL is pretty transparent, but all digital limiters seem to flatten out the highs or just produce a lackluster stereo file in general.

If I DID decide to go the hardware route; & wanted to grab a "not too expensive" analog limiting device (since I really can't afford an STC-8 right now) & say an Alesis Masterlink to recapture at the end of the chain...

how about the dbx1066 ???

It's VCA based, has a contour switch for filtering out infrasound, does everything from smooth gain leveling to peak limiting...& sounds like...well, a dbx.

If not this unit...what's around in that price range ($500-$700) that will do a nice job for analog limiting?

Thanks,

MoonMix

the 1066 sounds decent and is very user friendly. and unlike the stc-8, you can reliably use the limiter without also using the compressor.
so are you going to go OTB just for limiting or are you already OTB? because there's plenty of other limiter plugs you could try first if you want to avoid an extra AD and DA. maxzim, L2, and L3 come to mind.

[MoonMix]

Originally Posted by godcity

so are you going to go OTB just for limiting or are you already OTB? because there's plenty of other limiter plugs you could try first if you want to avoid an extra AD and DA. maxzim, L2, and L3 come to mind.

OTB just for limiting the stereo master. Not really fond of Waves or Voxengo...never heard Sony. Precision Limiter is about the best I've heard, but still takes something off of the mix. All limiters do, to a certain extent...but analog retains a little more dynamic range, which leaves a little more clarity (or...so I'm told.)

I don't want to debate analog vs. digital limiting...I just want to try analog & see if it gives me what I'm looking for (transparency & clarity.) I’ve heard that dbx does that very well, that’s all.

Thanks,

MoonMix

[ArcCirDude]

Drawmer's MX-30 is a great comp/limiter in your price range. The limiter has got that same "thwack" of the more expensive Drawmer units if you push it.

[MoonMix]

Originally Posted by ArcCirDude

Drawmer's MX-30 is a great comp/limiter in your price range. The limiter has got that same "thwack" of the more expensive Drawmer units if you push it.

ArcCirDude...

Thanks.

How about transparency...does it impart a radical sonic character, or leave things alone? What exactly is this thwak thing?

You know...it's funny. Maybe I'm too concerned w/ transparency (transparency of a puny digital mix, that is.) I limited one of my problem children tracks ITB while adding some corrective EQ during the process...was all proud of it; & took it to work just to see how it would sound on my work PC's sound system...which was pretty damn good. Then, for kicks, I broke out some James Taylor Christmas CD for a quick level comparison. James was so much louder & clearer than my ITB mix I had to check them both in WaveLab...& my track had a higher peak & average RMS ?*?*? The numbers (& I checked them twice) showed my track as louder, but the commercial CD clearly had more presence & punch.

I'm so pissed off, man. I'm thinking now...screw these purists who say hold onto your dynamic range. Hold this. This was a freakin' Christmas album; & it made my mix sound puny. I would have been fine if it came in at -6dB average RMS or something...but it was hovering at -12...a decibel behind mine. I don't get it. Maybe I should just get that Drawmer & just crush the piss out of my tunes...otherwise, how in the hell will my stuff ever be competitive? Really despondent, now.

MoonMix

[De chromium cob]

The DBX 1066 sucks big hairy donkey balls and should NEVER be put on the 2 buss of any mix you want to sound good. It sucks the highs out of the sound after about 3 db of gain reduction.....

I'd suggest looking into one of the GSSL compressor clones for 2 buss stuff, but FER GAWD SAKES, keep that 1066 away from your tracks!

[robot gigante]

Originally Posted by MoonMix

ArcCirDude...

I'm so pissed off, man. I'm thinking now...screw these purists who say hold onto your dynamic range. Hold this. This was a freakin' Christmas album; & it made my mix sound puny. I would have been fine if it came in at -6dB average RMS or something...but it was hovering at -12...a decibel behind mine. I don't get it. Maybe I should just get that Drawmer & just crush the piss out of my tunes...otherwise, how in the hell will my stuff ever be competitive? Really despondent, now.

MoonMix

Wait, wait, the Christmas album was a decibel behind yours... I guess that means the the RMS of that album was a decibel higher than yours, no?

If that's the case, I think the solution is not going to be a limiter unfortunately. I would look at the mix- a good mix will sound *loud* without much limiting.

As far as the techniques to do that, well, I'd say practice and experience- don't give up though!

You could try hitting your mix with a limiter like the dbx but I don't think that is going to do it for you any more than a digital limiter will. I like analog bus compression but not because it will make mixes 'louder.'

[Brad Lunde]

Originally Posted by ArcCirDude

Drawmer's MX-30 is a great comp/limiter in your price range. The limiter has got that same "thwack" of the more expensive Drawmer units if you push it.

The DL241XLR is the one above the MX30. While MX30 is good, the 241XLR is quite a step up. Aphex 661 above that. Drawmer 1968 above that.
Brad

[lobsterinn]

Why don't you take it to a mastering facility for that kind of thing? They buy fancy pants hardware and $10,000 eqs so you don't have to.

[Robcamp]

<The DBX 1066 sucks big hairy donkey balls and should NEVER be put on the 2 buss of any mix you want to sound good. It sucks the highs out of the sound after about 3 db of gain reduction.....

I'd suggest looking into one of the GSSL compressor clones for 2 buss stuff, but FER GAWD SAKES, keep that 1066 away from your tracks!>

+1, he speaks the truth!

[MoonMix]

Aw, screw it...

I'm taking lobsterinn's advice & going the mastering engineer route. My ME uses a Crane Song STC-8 (& a Chandler LTD-2)...I think those 'll work.

MoonMix


Oh...& thanks, everyone.


BTW2-Going back to the Drawmer thing for a moment...their 241 that Brad mentioned is an "auto" compressor, whereby they combine soft knee & ratio functionality to increase the ratio over a 10dB input level range until it reaches the preset ratio setting to achieve a more natural sounding compression. These are cool for program material & sound better than the MX30?

[godcity]

you could also check out the aphex compellor and dominator. they show up cheap on ebay pretty regularly. i'd recommend the jim williams / audio upgrades mods if you do that.