How do you limit your tracks?

[Domesty]

Hey!

I'm so curious to ask, how do you limit your tracks. Does it the athmoshpere that your aiming matter to you, when you do you limiting? I'v heared that pros are so fed up that they have to work on overcompressed and limited tracks all the time, and that really eliminates the dynamics to play around whit.

So my question to you is, how do you do it? Do you prefer fast really punchy limiting or soft and gentle. And how deep you usually go whit the limiting on numerical levels (offcourse it debend on what kind of elemnts your working whit). As i tend to like more soft limiting, but still some tracks need to be limited pretty fast.

It would also be nice if you would mention the limiters that your using (;

[thijsje]

In my oppinion mastering is something up to your own taste.
Yes, it kills atmosphere (at least dynamics) but it's definately not wrong to have a loud track. Try to find your own balance in it


I mainly use the Golden Audio Channel from Kjaerhus... though I believe it's not available anymore.
I also use the UV22 HR, which is a standard Cubase plugin for dithering and to cut the final peaks slightly off.

[Domesty]

In my oppinion mastering is something up to your own taste.
Yes, it kills atmosphere (at least dynamics) but it's definately not wrong to have a loud track. Try to find your own balance in it


I mainly use the Golden Audio Channel from Kjaerhus... though I believe it's not available anymore.
I also use the UV22 HR, which is a standard Cubase plugin for dithering and to cut the final peaks slightly off.

Yeah, but that was my question. What do you prefer?

Do you want to leave that little headroom to play whit, or do you always go for more agressive "commerical" level style of compression and limiting.

Or how much it differs genre vise, and general direction of your different tracks.

Main question was like whats your "general direction" whats your going for. Like mine is little bit softer, gentlier comp/limiting.

[asteski]

It's hard to say really, depends on what result you want to get, I always try to use soft and gentle limiting, but I try to compress a track first to make it more aggressive and "into your face" if you know what I mean, and maybe add a tiny bit of distortion/enhancer on top of it to make it more clear. But the best way to find the best result is to experiment.

[Rodri Santos]

i don't use a limiter on the master , doing this sucks. Compression for the kick,bass and sometimes some multiband on percussions. I master my own tracks (although shouldn't) and people say the mix is clean and loud enough so i don't feel the need to over compress my tracks slamming a limiter on the master.

[aki]

Limiter=destructor so I don't use it. compression on bassy elements is OK, but just that + a subtle multiband compression compression chain is more than enough.

[asteski]

Obviously you master your tracks by yourself just for your own purpose to play live or to play on radioshows, but you'll be asked for unmasterd version by labels anyway, because they'll just make it better.

[Domesty]

Thats true, if you feel that your mix is clystar clear, you shouldnt over compress/limit, but nowadays most of the commerical music ARE under heavy compression and limiting.

We all have our own taste and we do not need to follow any pattern. But most of the "sound engineers" have their favourite setups/settings where they start to experimenting whit.

They even "teach" in schools using limiter on -5 to -6 db level, depending on various genres (very clear mixes), to make it sound punchier.

[thijsje]

Yeah, but that was my question. What do you prefer?

Personally I usually make chillout/psychill music, which I prefer to have stable but including soem good dynamics.
When I produce techno, I like to have it way louder

[Halon]

Limiter=destructor so I don't use it. compression on bassy elements is OK, but just that + a subtle multiband compression compression chain is more than enough.

Limiter= Destructor ? If you are talking about Fruity Limiter (Or any limiter in general), its great if you want to make your track louder. I always use it on my Master channel, and turn the Gain up between 6 to 8 DB.

[Domesty]

Limiter=destructor so I don't use it. compression on bassy elements is OK, but just that + a subtle multiband compression compression chain is more than enough.

I dont get this reference either. If you have clear mixes, its simply boosts up the song. You can make it a lot lauder, lot punchier, and lot pumping for your own taste.

[aki]

takes away dynamics, causes (harmonic) distortion = sounds like shit

People also have volume knobs you know, and if you have something at THE LOUDEST POINT (0DB) ALL THE TIME YOU WON'T NOTICE ANY EXTRA POWER AS ALL IS THE SAME, LIKE WITH ALL CAPS, ONE WORD ALL CAPS GIVES EMPHASIS, MORE IS DISTRACTIVE, EVERYTHING ALL CAPS IS JUST UNREADABLE & ANNOYING AND ITS THE SAME WITH SOUND; PEAKS IN SOUND GIVE EXTRA EMPHASIS, BUT CONTINUOUS 0DB IS HARD TO LISTEN TO.LIKE ITS HARD AND ANNOYING TO READ ALL CAPS


hope i made my point clear.

[Rodri Santos]

Obviously you master your tracks by yourself just for your own purpose to play live or to play on radioshows, but you'll be asked for unmasterd version by labels anyway, because they'll just make it better.

Thats partially true because a lot of labels won't remaster the track i've seen this happening , they ask you for a wav but sometimes they only want it to sell the wav or they do a filty unprofessional one that doesn't make any difference.

A professional mastering that really makes a difference can cost up to 100$ and most tracks won't do that money so their procedure it's quite understandable.