Does live have an input limiter?

[eaverell]

Anyone know if it's possible to put a limiter before the input stage?


Ed.

[slirak]

You can always use a track just as an input, slap any insert effects you like to it, then set its output to a second audio track and record to that second track instead of to your input track. Make sure to pick Post f/x when you set the input source for the second track. This way, any effects you insert in the first track will be recorded to the second track. You're gonna have to set input monitoring to In rather than Auto on the input track for this to work.

If you want more flexibility, instead set the output of your input track to "Sends only" (you can't turn it off), then pick your input track as the input of the second track. This way, you can record whatever comes into your first track in to any other audio track.

But if your incoming signal's too hot, this would all be pointless. To avoid digital distortion, you must limit the signal before it gets digitized - that is to say, before it enters your sound card's analogue inputs. That's why some (Emu comes to mind) sound cards have a built in analogue limiter that operates before the signal gets digitized.

[eaverell]

thanks for the reply, but that's what i was meanin...

I was curious if there was a was to set a limiter pre-input... just incase the input to the soundcard gets too high.

[H20nly]

But if your incoming signal's too hot, this would all be pointless. To avoid digital distortion, you must limit the signal before it gets digitized - that is to say, before it enters your sound card's analogue inputs.

yeah, watch out here.

its better to take a clean, albeit low, volume signal and compress it or use other tricks to increase volume on it then to push your input too hard and take the loss of quality at the input level... because then you create a situation where you are trying to clean up a track vs. beef up a track... I'd rather add effects to help then use effects to fix/repair.

just my .02

[eaverell]

cheers guys...

Reason i ask is.. A friend of mine is a Dj (using decks) and i'd like him to start using live to record his sets. Unfortunately, as you may know, DJ's can get a bit saucy with the gain level throughout a set.. He doesn't have a soundcard with a limiter at the input stage.

I was curious if i could stop his signal gettin above 0db before it hits live.



Ed.

[fishmonkey]

I was curious if there was a was to set a limiter pre-input... just incase the input to the soundcard gets too high.

to keep it under control if the signal is too hot for the soundcard, you would need to put a hardware limiter between the mixer and the soundcard.

[Khazul]

thanks for the reply, but that's what i was meanin...

I was curious if there was a was to set a limiter pre-input... just incase the input to the soundcard gets too high.

By the time a DAW sees an audio signal its way too late to do anything about it - sticking a track in with a limiter on it is not going to help at all - its too late by then - clipping has allready happened.

Only fix here is to turn down the level on the output of the device that is driving your soundcard (mic preamp, guitar peamp, synth or whatever).

Next option is a limiter that operates on the analog signal between your sound source and sound card - but TBH - unless its a very very good quality compressor/limiter (or one that does something bad, but still desirable desireable to the signal) that is also well setsup for the material, you will get a much better result to work with simply by turning the level down.

[eaverell]

Only fix here is to turn down the level on the output of the device that is driving your soundcard (mic preamp, guitar peamp, synth or whatever).

Next option is a limiter that operates on the analog signal between your sound source and sound card - but TBH - unless its a very very good quality compressor/limiter (or one that does something bad, but still desirable desireable to the signal) that is also well setsup for the material, you will get a much better result to work with simply by turning the level down.

yeah i know, just curious if it was possible to do it in live... no probs.. Cheers!

[H20nly]

thanks for the reply, but that's what i was meanin...

I was curious if there was a was to set a limiter pre-input... just incase the input to the soundcard gets too high.

you don't have to worry about this (running tracks in the red is okay) with Live if your signal is coming in clean (which you would handle from the soundcard). Too loud can be turned down on the track level and you can't hurt Live or the Mix unless its your meter on the Master track thats in the red.

Its really a balancing act, but turning down the volume from the soundcard and/or mixer should solve your problem nicely.

garbage in, garbage out
or in this case
garbage from the ins, garbage on the Master.

[slirak]

cheers guys...

Reason i ask is.. A friend of mine is a Dj (using decks) and i'd like him to start using live to record his sets. Unfortunately, as you may know, DJ's can get a bit saucy with the gain level throughout a set.. He doesn't have a soundcard with a limiter at the input stage.

I was curious if i could stop his signal gettin above 0db before it hits live.



Ed.

I kinda figured it was something like that, but it's like we all said. The only way to fix a signal that's too hot is to do it before it gets digitized. And unless you have a sound card with a built-in analogue limiter that's physically routed between the analogue input and the A/D converter, the only way you can do this is by using an external limiter. This isn't a limitation of Live, no audio software can do what you ask because it's simply not possible.

[eaverell]

I kinda figured it was something like that, but it's like we all said. The only way to fix a signal that's too hot is to do it before it gets digitized. And unless you have a sound card with a built-in analogue limiter that's physically routed between the analogue input and the A/D converter, the only way you can do this is by using an external limiter. This isn't a limitation of Live, no audio software can do what you ask because it's simply not possible.

Yet!

[eaverell]

Thanks for the info chaps.

I'm sure it'll be possible soon.

Ed.

[eaverell]

Although.. i'm not missing your point. A bad input at the soundcard stage will still be a bad input into live.

[eaverell]

now that i say that back to myself, i don't even know why i asked!

[H20nly]

^ its possible now... just use the volume/gain knobs and turn it (the source material) down. Record and treat tracks to taste. You're all set.