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Old 08-08-2022, 02:54 PM   #1
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Default how often you put limiter on single tracks and why? thanks

how often you put limiter on single tracks and why? thanks
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Old 08-08-2022, 06:44 PM   #2
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You might do it to "tame" extreme peaks, for example to put a ceiling on how loud the hit of a percussion instrument should be allowed to go, or, less commonly, on a vocalist with extreme dynamics (opera singer? ), again to limit maximum vol

In both cases, for me anyway, this would be a last line of defence, so to speak. I wouldn't expect it to be engaged routinely.
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Old 08-10-2022, 03:45 PM   #3
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Same, I’ve used a limiter on drum tracks, but overall I’ve found it best to avoid a limiter when mixing and tame unwanted peaks through traditional compression. These days I only use a limiter when mastering as a final step
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Old 08-10-2022, 03:51 PM   #4
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I guess it depends on the limiter you use some limiters are specifically designed for the last mastering processing, adding dither etc. I use realimit now on some percussion tracks and I like it because it is quite easy to use.
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Old 08-10-2022, 10:19 PM   #5
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I guess it depends on the limiter you use some limiters are specifically designed for the last mastering processing, adding dither etc. I use realimit now on some percussion tracks and I like it because it is quite easy to use.
Try toggling the limiter off and on though while mixing. I’ve found that, often, using a limiter on drum tracks during the mixing process leads to “weaker” sounding drums during the mastering process (which usually doesn’t involve much beyond final eq, MAYBE some gentle dynamic compression, and a final limiter… anything beyond that and something needs to be fixed in the mix)
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Old 08-10-2022, 10:42 PM   #6
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Depends on the kind of music, what instruments and what vibe one is going for. Some weeks there will be one lightly on almost every track, even after a compressor, other weeks none at all except for something at the end of the master track. If it's going to a mastering process then not even that. And then the next time it might be on almost every track and not lightly. Whatever makes it work.

I tend to be very liberal with track limiting, if it's that kind of music, because I love parallel processing with dry, so smacking it down and then backing the wet off and dry up is my habit. Sometimes I'll bring the balance down to 20/80 rather than bypassing it. Depends what mood I'm in
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Old 08-11-2022, 03:44 AM   #7
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Pretty much every time I use Reaktor. Some Reaktor ensembles are notoriously out of control and large volume spikes can be frequent when changing patches. I use the the limiter simply to stop the spikes getting to the speakers or my ears.
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Old 08-12-2022, 08:15 AM   #8
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how often you put limiter on single tracks and why? thanks
A snare in rock music often needs to be up front. As in pushing at the top of the dynamic range to begin with. Shaving off stray peaks that would otherwise clip at this level is common.

I had a steel drum band a couple months ago where the contact pickup on one of the drums had one of the notes about 20db louder that the whole rest of the thing. That was an obvious job for peak limiting! (It was a live show with already 30 inputs. There just wasn't time to start taking someone's unique pickup system apart right before the show!)

Compression and limiting become much more obvious and straightforward if you start by putting the mix element where you want it to sit in the mix and then respond to any peaks that are too hot.
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Old 08-15-2022, 04:43 PM   #9
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Default On wayward drums, but that's probably it.

I find limiters a bit too, erm, limiting, for use on most tracks when mixing. But drums can be very dynamic; a snare with a big transient sometimes benefits from a hard limiter on it, for example, especially if you want that snare to sound up front in the mix.

Otherwise, I limit my limiters to the Master really. Use sparingly for nice more dynamic sounds. or, if your taste is to squash the nuts out of everything in an ongoing loudness wars kind of way, drive that brickwall right up. Your mix -- don't let me tell you what to do...
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