From the course: Audio Mastering Techniques

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Understanding limiting

Understanding limiting

From the course: Audio Mastering Techniques

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Understanding limiting

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A Limiter is a compressor with a very high compression ratio and a very fast attack time, so it's able to catch the fast peaks of an audio signal. In order to understand how a Limiter works in mastering, we have to understand the composition of a typical music program first. In general, the highest peak of the source program, a song in this case, determines the maximum level that can be achieved in a digital signal. Because many of these upper peaks are very short duration, they can usually be reduced in level by several dB with minimal audible side effects. By controlling these peaks the entire level of the program can be raised several dB resulting in a higher average signal level, that's what we use a Limiter for. Most digital Limiters used in mastering or brick wall limiters, this means that no matter what happens the signal will not exceed a certain predetermined level, and there'll be no digital overs. A brick wall limiter is usually set anywhere from -1 dB to as high as -0.1…

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