Using a limiter:

Gene H. Brown · Post by **Gene H. Brown** » 8 Mar 2004 12:44 am

When most of you record in the studio, if you use a limiter, is it best to use one while the signal's going to tape or afterwards? Seems to me that if it's being used as your laying down the track, it would tend to take away from some of the attack of the notes you are playing, is this right in thinking or not?
Thanks
Gene

Dave Boothroyd · Post by **Dave Boothroyd** » 8 Mar 2004 5:07 am

Turning the problem around, and looking at it from the recording engineer's point of view, you would use a limiter going to the recorder at the recording stage if:-
a:- the player's control over dynamics was a bit erratic, and/or they were likely to crank up the volume during the take.
b:- there was a big dynamic range in the track, and in order to get a good signal level on the quiet bits, you had to be too close for comfort to clipping on the loud bits.
c:- you are recording a drummer.
You would be much more likely to do this on a digital recording than an analogue taper recording. Analogue gentle clipping sometimes sounds good, digital clipping always sounds evil. (unless you are recording a drummer where evil is what's needed)
At the mixing stage, limiting, or any other type of conpression, is a way of pulling quiet tracks, or the quiet sounds on a track, up to the front more.
Thirdly, if you are mastering the track to CD, or even more so, for Radio, someone at that stage will use both frequency specific compression and limiting.
It always reduces the dynamics, but to modern ears, it does sound better, because you can set the average level higher.
Has anyone noticed on American Idol, how few singers can Rock? they have grown up on hypercompressed pop artists breathing through songs in a whisper, and have no idea how to sing full voice.
Cheers
Dave<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Dave Boothroyd on 08 March 2004 at 05:11 AM.]</p></FONT>

Jay Fagerlie · Post by **Jay Fagerlie** » 8 Mar 2004 6:44 am

Another take on limiting....
"Good" limiters are transparent and are typacally used as a safeguard against track overload (analog or digital). Compressors can be dialed in to act as limiters, but the detection circuitry usually is not as fast as a stand alone limiter. If you ever 'hear' a limiter during tracking, you need to make some adjustments somewhere.
Limiters are usually used in inserts right after a channel input amp.
I hope this helps

Jay

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 8 Mar 2004 9:36 am

Dave doth speak words of wisdom

carl

John Floyd · Post by **John Floyd** » 8 Mar 2004 9:40 am

Jay Also.