I used the other limiter, not the adaptive limiter
Works also, the "Limiter" is a rather simple and clean tool. The "Adaptive Limiter" is more powerful, it has a different sound. And it introduces a lot of latency. It is thought for the last stage and after the mix is basically done. Therefore it can be called a mastering tool. Nobody can forbid you to use it somewhere else of course
It worked, my beat is louder now and it doesn't peak, but I was wondering what that actually does? What does the gain being at -1.0dB mean?
The gain setting says nothing on itself, it depends on your signal levels and dynamics. In this case (the Logic limiter) -1 dB just says that you made the input signal of the limiter 1 dB quieter because it fittet to your other settings. The louder the input is, the earlier the limiter jumps in and the less dynamic will the sound be.
I realize that you do not know what limiters and compressors actually do, I can give you a brief introduction.
The upper limit of digital sound is 0.0 dB and you cannot change this. It's simply the level where all data are on their technical maximum. Fully on is fully on, there is no way to make it fullier on. Everything above will not come out louder but distorted in an unpleasant way.
If your average signal level is at -12 dB but you have one single peak that reaches 0 dB, you cannot make the whole music louder because if you raise the overall level you bring the single peak above 0 db and destroy the sound by clipping:
In the drawing above, the overall level is raised by 8 dB and brings the peak above zero which is forbidden in digital world and sounds terrible. What to do in this case? Basically: make the single peak quieter and turn everything up.
We have many possibillities to reduce the volume of a particular peak and there are two common automatic ways: a compressor or a limiter.
A compressor brings the maximum level down by an adjustable ratio. And of course everything below to a certain amount, this is built into the electronic circuit or the used algorithm. You tell the compressor how much it should compress, this is the ratio (1:1.5 up to 1:10 are usual ranges). And you tell the compressor at which level it should jump in, this is called threshold. The lower the threshold, the more of the sound will be compressed, will be
quieter.
Quieter? Oops? ...
... yes, compressors and limiters make the sound quieter, not louder! And they make it less dynamic because they reduce the difference between low and high levels. After this process you got room above your peaks and can turn everything louder than it was before. Most compressors have a "Make-Up" or "Gain" knob at their output (!) which is used to make the output volume louder after the signal got compressed.
A compressor with an infinite ratio is called a limiter. It does not compress by a certain amount but tries to block everything above a certain level, regardless how much compression it needs. The upper level is called the "ceiling". Some very high peaks may however go through due to technical reasons. A limiter that blocks everything at its ceiling level, like a brickwall, is called a brickwall limiter. But even this species can fail for fast transients.
The drawing below shows what compressors and limiters do, we do not need to differentiate between the two breeds:
As you see, the peak curve lost height and it was possible to turn everything up by 8 dB without clipping. Everything sounds much louder now, but dynamics are reduced. You either love this or have to accept it.
I think, now you understand what my quick 'n dirty suggestion in the other post was all about. I told you to set the ceiling to -0.1 dB, just a tiny bit below the clipping point, then turn the input up to the maximum but before clipping, and finally bring the whole sound up and let the limiter take care of the upper limit.
Compressors and limiters affect the whole sound, not only peak volume.
There is one thing you should be aware of and this is important in todays music: Look at the two lower green circles in the second drawing and compare these areas to the original sound. You will notice that the average sound at the beginning and the end of the dampened peak are no longer smooth but also pushed down. This is normal and the cause why most compressors have settings for the attack and release time.
Attack and Release
Attack determines how fast the compressor starts to compress and release says how fast it lets the sound return to its normal level. These settings have a high impact on the sound. They are creatively used because a long attack time lets you hear the full attack of a guitar string, although the whole guitar is compressed. Attack time can make a snare clashing or dull. Both time settings change the rhythmical feeling, the groove. They can make a tune swinging or pumping or breathing. And - if you set them wrong at a high compression ratio, they punch "holes" into your sound. You may like that or not.
Limiting without a limiter?
Manually of course. But if you want to tame your peaks automatically and prefer a smoother sound without "punched holes", you can think about tape saturation instead. The best tool for that is - surprise! - an analog tape machine. But there is also some software available and Logic has a pretty good plugin you can "misuse" for tape saturation: the Tape Delay (turn the delay time to zero).
The basic difference between a limiter and tape saturation is that saturation does not reduce the level by pushing it down. It's just that the tape refuses to take more than it can and it does it gradually. The highest levels get a bit distorted but in a way we like.
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This was the theory, but before you throw a compressor or limiter on everything and make your music flat, think about the source of an offending peak. Where does it come from, is it intentional or an unwanted effect which you have neither played nor programmed?
If the high peak level
is intentional, you have to think about your music. In a classical piece you might want to leave it is as it is and not make everything louder at all. In a rock tune the peak may be played but a little overdone and although you lose dynamics you would reduce it in favour of a compact sound. In Hip-hop or some electronic styles where "sausage-like" waveforms are usual, you definitely want to get rid of this peak.
If the peak is
not intentional, search for the source. Here are the most common problems and their solutions:
- Offending peaks are seldom produced by the master channel itself
If you experience offending peaks in your master channel or output, do not automatically start to fight them there. This can change your whole sound in a way you've never planned. Very likely the peaks are caused by one or several mix channels. If you see bad peaks in your last mixing stage, first go back, find their origin and try to solve the problem there.
- Two instruments play in the same frequency range at the same time, they build up and the summed signal produces a high peak.
(note the order of the suggestions ...)
Change the arrangement. Don't let them play that loud simultaneously or let them play in different octaves.
Use volume or filter automation to bring the peak volume down. An elegant and very musical way is fader riding (you need a good fader and quick fingers for that).
Check the EQ's and readjust them to bring the two instruments a bit apart.
Make one or both of the sounds quieter by EQ, dynamic EQ or multiband compression (perhaps with automation).
Try to flip the phase of one instrument (for drums the whole drumset). If this helps, check the whole song because a similar build-up could now occur in another place.
Edit the waveform, make single peaks quieter.
Use a compressor or a limiter
(As a side-note: Panning can help to bring two peaking instruments apart but don't forget about mono compatibility.)
- You have very low frequencies which deliver high levels but are not audible.
Check your low range with an analyzer and look for frequencies below, let's say, 30 Hz. There might be some bass, kick drum or a synthesizer, but 15 Hz are definitely not audible on a common sound system. They can however produce remarkable voltage and must be suppressed. With an EQ, use a peak filter if it is just one frequency and a low shelf or low cut if your low bottom end is generally too dense.
I hope this short description helped you to understand the basics of compression and limiting.
I have no idea about this and I haven't been able to find any tutorials that explain it well. Thanks very much for your help!
If you want more information in understandable form, get the book from Michael Stavru:
Mixing with your mind.
It contains many tips and tricks for recording and mixing. You have to order it directly from the author, via the website. It may contain a lot you do not need for your music but tells about the most common and some less known techniques. Alone the chapter about setting up compressor's is unique and worth the money - it will save you days of your live sitting in front of knobs and turning them in a random manner
. The book is available in English only.
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Hey, admins! ;-)
Doesn't this thread rather belong to "Studio Techniques"?
There is very little of Logic in here.
