I do but it is usually more like 2:1 with a pretty relaxed attack and release. Like 1 or 2 max dB of reduction and manual gain compensation. I have Peak limiter, Dynamic EQ, Comp, Parametric EQ, Final limiter/maximizer usually in a generic chain.losthighway wrote: Tue May 13, 2025 2:20 pmDo you ever have an ordinary compressor working across the whole track. Like, is a mixing style 3:01 with 0-5db reduction a thing in mastering?MoreSpaceEcho wrote: Tue May 13, 2025 10:38 am FWIW I almost never have two limiters going, but a clipper before the limiter is pretty common. The clipper is just shaving off the biggest peaks, which if you zoom way in you'll find that a lot of these peaks are literally fractions of a millisecond long, i.e. real fucking short. That stuff can be clipped very transparently and it'll ease the burden on the limiter.
Basically, short percussive peaks can be clipped no problem (up to a point obviously). Where clipping gets super nasty is when it hits sustained sounds: piano, pedal steel, vocals, organ, etc.
But as has been said, the idea is that it usually sounds better with a few things all doing a little bit rather than one thing doing a lot. I don't really want my limiter swinging wildly from moment to moment, I want it just kind of tickling along, knocking peaks back a db or two. Modern limiters can do way more GR than that and still sound good, and sometimes that's what I do but generally I find it works best to smooth things out as much as possible before they get to the limiter. I.E. Don't rely on the limiter to fix problems, fix them before they get there, Just use the limiter to hit the peaks and bring up the overall level.
Re: The Mastering Thread
82Sure. More like 1.5:1 (sometimes as low as maybe 1.2:1) doing a db or so, slowish attack, fastish release, I vary the release times a lot more than the attack time.losthighway wrote: Tue May 13, 2025 2:20 pm Do you ever have an ordinary compressor working across the whole track. Like, is a mixing style 3:01 with 0-5db reduction a thing in mastering?
3:1 would usually be more on like a singer/songwriter vocal and guitar track where the vocal's jumping around a lot. That'd be a lot faster attack time, more gain reduction, sometimes a surprising amount, but whatever's needed to get the track to congeal nicely. TDR Kotelnikov works great for this.
Some stuff comes in hella compressed already, other stuff comes in wildly dynamic. Sometimes on the same record....
Re: The Mastering Thread
83This is one of the best compressors there is and it's free. If I only had one compressor plugin to use it might be Kotelnikov.
Re: The Mastering Thread
84Thanks for the tip! I just tried it out for 2 minutes and instantly liked it on the 2-buss in a "preserve the mix, just make it louder" way. I'll try out some of the drum smashing settings later..Kniferide wrote: Wed May 14, 2025 3:25 pmThis is one of the best compressors there is and it's free. If I only had one compressor plugin to use it might be Kotelnikov.
Re: The Mastering Thread
85TDR's free EQ and the other little compressor they have are also very good. The Kotelnikov is kinda the go to I want an FMR Really nice compressor style plugin that you can make really invisible.penningtron wrote: Wed May 14, 2025 3:45 pmThanks for the tip! I just tried it out for 2 minutes and instantly liked it on the 2-buss in a "preserve the mix, just make it louder" way. I'll try out some of the drum smashing settings later..Kniferide wrote: Wed May 14, 2025 3:25 pmThis is one of the best compressors there is and it's free. If I only had one compressor plugin to use it might be Kotelnikov.