Limiter on Master track – yes or no?

[Christian_R]

Hello!

I have always used the Limiter on my Master track. I saw it on a YouTube tutorial some awhile ago, and I just stuck with it. I have read that some people like using the Limiter on the Master track, and others don't. But is there a correct answer for this?

I am not very professional when it comes to the technical side of music production, I just try my best and eventually it end up sounding okay. But I would love to get some input on this topic so I can learn more

My Limiter is set to 2.00 dB, Ceiling is -0.30 dB, Lookahead is 3 ms and Release is set on "Auto" (probably the standard settings). The Master track volume is set to -4 dB. I use eMastered for mastering, and I found out that -4 dB works best for my songs.

I have tried to turn the Limiter off later, but when I do everything sound kind og bouncy and weird, probably because I always mix with the Limiter on. It has just always been on because I haven't really been giving it a lot of thought earlier.

I hope someone can give me som good tips here, and share their thoughts on Limiter on Master track

[Richie Witch]

It really depends on what you're working on and what you're trying to accomplish.

It can be a good idea to put a limiter on the master bus when you're composing, recording, and arranging your track. It's there just to keep a lid on things so you don't have to worry so much about your track levels.

I think it's better to eliminate it when you're mixing because if you're mixing correctly, you shouldn't get anywhere close to hitting the limiter, and if you do, it will provide a false indication of where your mix levels are.

When you're mastering, I think a professional-grade limiter on the master bus is a good idea so that you can carefully bring the overall level up to its best potential for a professional-sounding track. The settings for that limiter however will vary widely depending on the material and the genre of the music.

Just as an example, if I'm working on an acoustic or ambient electronic piece, I will strive for a level that just kisses the limiter at the loudest point of the song. If I'm working on Techno or Industrial, I will push the limiter by a few dB, trying to balance sonic integrity against perceived loudness.

It's good that you noticed the sonic difference between having the limiter off or on--it means you're listening with your ears rather than your eyes, and that's a good thing.

[jlgrimes]

Hello!

I have always used the Limiter on my Master track. I saw it on a YouTube tutorial some awhile ago, and I just stuck with it. I have read that some people like using the Limiter on the Master track, and others don't. But is there a correct answer for this?

I am not very professional when it comes to the technical side of music production, I just try my best and eventually it end up sounding okay. But I would love to get some input on this topic so I can learn more

My Limiter is set to 2.00 dB, Ceiling is -0.30 dB, Lookahead is 3 ms and Release is set on "Auto" (probably the standard settings). The Master track volume is set to -4 dB. I use eMastered for mastering, and I found out that -4 dB works best for my songs.

I have tried to turn the Limiter off later, but when I do everything sound kind og bouncy and weird, probably because I always mix with the Limiter on. It has just always been on because I haven't really been giving it a lot of thought earlier.

I hope someone can give me som good tips here, and share their thoughts on Limiter on Master track

It can work either way.

For dance mixes, it makes sense to do this especially near the end of mixing session just to give a good idea of how it sounds. That said people have different workflows and different ideas of good sound.

Light doses of limiting usually sounds better but if you are doing jazz, orchestral or folk, it might not be a good idea.


If you plan on mastering your track though I'd turn it off when exporting (and reduce level if mix is clipping), as a good mastering engineer will probably have better tools or can make better judgment on controlling peaks and getting a finalized loudness level.

[[jur]]

I'm not even talking about mixing here, but everyone should have a safety limiter on its Master by default anyway.
Otherwise you're risking damaging your ears and speakers.

[vivekkmusic]

In my Opinion, putting on a limiter on is completely ok, it would save your studio monitors and your ears while producing music, however, while mixing i would not put it on a master channel as it would not let you know how loud a sound is instead it would cut down any sound peaking the threshold, hence its good while producing but i suggest to remove the Limiter while mixing, especially when you are balancing all the volumes.