Ableton Forum

When I have a track limited to -0.3db and mixer channel level set to 0.db does the master channel clip? I sometimes have to turn the channel fader down as much as 4db to prevent the master clipping.

Do you just have the one track?

Yes. It's not a build up of volume from other tracks or anything. Same with Limited loops etc

I'm wanting a reply from the Ableton Team to explain exactly why this happens really..

is there anything on the master track, like devices, fx. is the master set at 0db?

Warping.

nah.

a warped clip with a limiter on will not clip the master

i had some weird stuff going on with the limiter as well, came with one of the last updates. basically until 8.2.5 or so I had no clipping ever with limiter set to -0,3 (as expected), then suddenly I saw my meters go red sometimes, after upgrading. sorry I didn't report anything, but I am just too busy with other stuff. just wanted to mention that I noticed something that might be related.

just for the record my image above is from version 8.2.6 , because I've not got around to updating to whatever the latest version is yet.

I thought he meant that he had previously limited the tracks, and not that he was using a limiter in real-time. If it's the former and he still has auto-warping on as default, it's possible to see your signal level great than what the track was limited to. Especially with Complex and Complex Pro warp modes.

Tarekith wrote:I thought he meant that he had previously limited the tracks, and not that he was using a limiter in real-time. If it's the former and he still has auto-warping on as default, it's possible to see your signal level great than what the track was limited to. Especially with Complex and Complex Pro warp modes.

That's exactly what I meant. Pre Limited. Tracks and sounds from Beatport, Sample Packs etc..
So basically if I'm going to warp a Pre limited track in either mode I should be inserting a limiter at the end of the track which isn't ideal or lower the fader until it doesn't clip? So warp modes increase volume, basically forcing you to compress or limit again to know the exact gain coming out the channel

Thanks for this post. I had a quite similar question and luckily I found exactly what I wanted, in this post.

Just lower the volume fader, no need to compress or limit again.

Tarekith wrote:Just lower the volume fader, no need to compress or limit again.

+1

If you play out with a limiter on it will really kill whatever dynamics are left of the track. Sounds like total shit, although most of the people listening won't care. They don't know anything..

edit: that is if the limiter is being pushed all the time or even from time to time. best bet is to have good headroom on the master and turn up the system's amp.

it's not a problem… make the limiter attack faster if some quick transient is getting pass..