Ableton Forum

So I'm just day dreaming in work and was wondering does anyone use a multiband limiter for mastering instead of live's built-in limiter?
Basically what I imagine is using the multiband dynamics tool with all the thresholds set to 1:infinity.

Does this have any benefits over using a single band limiter?

Not sure I'd see a benefit myself. The whole point of a mastering limiter is to ensure you NEVER go above 0dBFS, so I'm guessing you'd have any easier time with only one band for that kind of thing. I guess if you wanted to seperate clip each band just for volume or aggression you could mimic this with a multiband limiter with each ratio set as high as possible. NOt sure I'd want to, but possible.

Yes, L3

1. Create effect track
2. Create 3 chains, name them low, mid and high.
3. 1 multiband dynamics per chain, assign crossover points on each to a macro so: macro 1 (low-mid x-overs), macro 2 (mid-high x-overs)
4. 1 limiter per chain, use 6 left over macros to control them (e.g. threshold, gain per limiter)

= native multiband limiter rack... and totally pointless as you can do all this with multiband dynamics anyway, as per OP... OR DO THEY SOUND DIFFERENT? You decide, 2012.

Thanks for the replies, I think I'll definitely try it out since I can't seem to get my mixes as loud as commercial songs.
I know I'm only adding to the "loudness wars" but at parties the volume always dips when my tunes come on so as long as it's not a noticable dip I'll be happy.

garyd7 wrote:So I'm just day dreaming in work and was wondering does anyone use a multiband limiter for mastering instead of live's built-in limiter?
Basically what I imagine is using the multiband dynamics tool with all the thresholds set to 1:infinity.

Does this have any benefits over using a single band limiter?

personally I tend to avoid multiband limiting/compression when mastering
there is simply reason, when mix sounds good, multiband can break it and mess with ballance,
so I prefer 1 band compressor/limiter,
although there are rare situations, when multiband limiter could comes in handy...
when the mix has problems, and mixer cannot re-do it, multiband compression or limiting could be the cure

If your are going to do your own mastering by far the best i have used is the Waves L3 16

there is a good video on Youtube of Umek using it. (futuremusicmagazine)

Very loud and precise and can also be very warm sounding

http://www.waves.com/content.aspx?id=3173

Check it out

Alex