How to Limit Your Mixes and Masters: Ultimate Guide to Peak Limiters

Try out Waves Limiters: www.waves.com/plugins/limiters
Understanding how peak limiters work and when to use them is critical to the final stages of music production, mixing and mastering. Learn limiting’s best practices and hear the differences between Waves’ limiter plugins.
Waves’ limiter plugins featured in this video:
L1 Ultramaximizer www.waves.com/plugins/l1-ultr...
L2 Ultramaximizer www.waves.com/plugins/l2-ultr...
L3 Ultramaximizer www.waves.com/plugins/l3-ultr...
0:00 Introduction
0:27 What is peak limiting and when should you use it?
2:10 Limiter plugins compared
2:51 How to use a limiter
3:38 Audio example #1
4:51 Audio example #2
6:54 Listen: Waves L1 vs. L2 vs. L3
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#WavesAudio #Limiter #PeakLimiter #L1 #L2 #L3 #MixingTips #MasteringTips

[@ErreGamer]

Finally, quality content from Waves, not just kids talking about how "their" 4 month career made them choose "this" plugin xD

[@JTguitarlessons]

Spoken by a kid using an "xD" face. Okay, bud. Find a different industry.

[@whatareyouselling9811]

You sound bitter

[@oxeyemusic]

Thanks a lot for using my song "Reflection" for this! Great advice :)

[@AbhiBass96]

Love the song!

[@benjaminbotson3595]

I love the song too...

[@benjaminbotson3595]

Where can I find it?

[@WhatAWasteOMusic]

Was going to ask what song this was. Great song!! Where can we get it?

[@oxeyemusic]

You should be able to find it on any streaming service by just searcing for "Reflection" by oxeye! Alternatively, on my YT channel :)

[@elliotsimon9918]

I’ve been using the L2 for the last 50 years!

[@berachahmedia3859]

Very clear and transparent... No distortion like other limiter plugins.. Yes true...

[@DevishaPlayground...]

True

[@DevishaPlayground...]

I have used last 5 yrs

[@faz0482]

For everyone: the song is “Reflection” by oxeye

[@oxeyemusic]

[@robertbroadwayrb]

Dope sound

[@AlexeySolovievMusic]

Amazing video Dan! Thank you so much for all of your amazing and informative videos

[@DaveLopezMixing]

Thanks, Dan. I've used the L2 for years but never knew you can link the thresh and out. And, honestly, never paid attention to the link button between the two. Granted, I use it primarily for mastering, but I see how linking the two parameters can help in a mix environment. Thanks for the tip!

[@parboilrice]

Looking out for more of these. This video was super useful.

[@brianvassallomusic]

Perhaps one of the best if not the best explanation on how to use and to be careful not to ruin the sound, when using limiters. Please consider doing the same thing on the other tools, like, compressors, exciters, saturation, eq, etc ..

[@miltmanmusic_BCS]

Very helpful, thanks👏🏿🔥🔥

[@jonathanstephensmusic]

Very well done videos! This helped me understand more about how to use these plugins!

[@MrMikeyGlasses]

The lovely Dan Cooper. Talented teacher and possibly the reason De-essers were invented! 🤓

[@michail_777]

Thank you for the explanation. I use it, but I didn't always understand how to work with it. Now I understand it better.

[@rojoratatatata4002]

Beautifully explained!

[@KurtenbachOfficial]

Amazing video bro!!

[@JLMIXEDIT]

Thanks in advance waves 💯

[@storiesreadaloud5635]

I like when these types of videos use a good track in the examples

[@vessray]

Thank you for the great video overview! I hope that you will also create a detailed video on L3-16 and L3 Multimaximizers. ☺️

[@dancooperwaves3685]

I’ll add it to my to do list

[@vessray]

@@dancooperwaves3685 that would be amazing! So looking forward to! ☺️

[@Freogeteknet]

Another exception to the "last in the line" rule is when you want to controll agressive spikes in the source material before it goes into another compressor. For me often used on snares and kicks. For this I allways link the the thresh and ceiling to not raise the volume into the next plugin.

[@vjmcgovern]

I personally use a hard clipper for that instead, but a limiter works just as well.

[@Freogeteknet]

@@vjmcgovern yeah I started doing it with waves L1 and I think I just like the saturation it adds to drums.

[@Byronic19134]

Sometimes I use a compressor after the limiter to bring some transients back. But I often use a tape saturation plugin as well afterwards to emulate a real analog workflow being recorded to tape.

[@bisaular5333]

this is my MOST used plugin for years now

[@Crossfire2003]

Great video! However, I'm using the FabFilter Pro-L2 (which also has the True-peak limiting function).

[@emiel333]

Great video, Dan. I own some Waves plug-ins for my iPad Pro inside Cubasis 3 (available as IAP). They’re awesome. I would love to see more Waves plug-ins for iPad. Whether it’s an IAP for Cubasis 3 or an AUv3, I will like it.

[@IndyVisuals]

This was very helpful

[@rojoratatatata4002]

You coincidentally used the exact limiters I needed a tutorial on. Can't thank you and god enough

[@johnjhonny646]

L2 is still golden. no gain reduction. just use that color

[@clivesaunders5576]

nice one Dan!

[@jasonfanclub4267]

By the way - Waves Tools are super awesome! ❤️

[@bach8849]

Never knew what the arc meant thanks for eating that up

[@000matjaz]

Thank you.

[@xyanide1986]

You'd think these would get little interface reworks over the years but they look identical since I first touched them in like 2006. Great video btw!

[@MrSpencerMcIntosh]

I think producers are leaning in to that style bc the emulations of real life equalizers and other plugins already have that "old school" look to them. So this is like the digital version of that. I personally can't imagine the L2 for example looking any different than it already does.

[@walkingdeadlands]

@@MrSpencerMcIntoshI ageee. They could just make the coloring nicer, maybe a sort of metal brass type look. That’d be cool

[@CautiousKieran]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="340">5:40</a> great tip, cheers

[@rubenrojano78]

Very good video

[@garyshirinian]

Thx for sharing

[@jasonfanclub4267]

Great Video!! Please check that your plugins work on Linux as well, our AI enhanced audio Studio is transitioning from Windows to Linux 🙂 DAW there are also getting better

[@sPARk108Ling]

Infinitas gracias

[@slmtz2458]

I think the l3 sounds the cleanest

[@jingleskhanaudioproductions]

very helpful facts

[@honkytonk2010]

I say good show old boy thank you so much for sharing your awesome! Video 👏👍👌🤘

[@rojoratatatata4002]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

[@RAGVMUSIC]

thanx waves

[@Harshit4Music]

Thank you

[@warnutztheloser]

cool tutorial I need to buy one amma get the L2, because L3 only comes in a bundle. How much it cost?

[@waves]

L2 is $29.99 right now: www.waves.com/plugins/l2-ultramaximizer

[@komamusica88]

Best best👌

[@pajarodebarro]

Thaaaaanks... !!

[@GTSongwriter]

Does Waves Audio have their own orchestra plug-in?

[@pablorabinovich]

Hello! I would like to know if the Waves limiters use oversampling. Thank you!

[@davi5music521]

No

[@Numocron]

Wow interesting

[@jerms9694]

Song at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="218">3:38</a> is so fire

[@oakdalewoodz]

Awesome video ❤️👑 What is the song in the video? It is Amazing 💯

[@oxeyemusic]

Thanks oakdalewoodz! This is my song "Reflection" :)

[@crunchb3rry]

@@oxeyemusic Thanks, just bought the track. Your comment should be pinned or added to the video description.

[@huberttorzewski]

Waves never had good limiters for mastering actually - but for mixing to smooth out the peaks a lot they're good and I use L1 quite often

[@xyanide1986]

What would you recommend?

[@huberttorzewski]

@@xyanide1986 Weiss MM1, Ozone 10, Pro-L2

[@glenchaos9]

Is this gonna make the beat loud & crisp after exporting 😩

[@ryantheliving]

Is the L2 suppose to brick wall at the out ceiling? I find that it lets peaks through some how. If I wanted to true peak max at -1 I would need to set the output ceiling to -1.3 roughly. I use it last in the chain other than a meter after it to check what it is doing.

[@grantgibbs4803]

you have to have true peak on if you want it to brick wall........ also if it sounds fine, we cares if peaks come through

[@ryantheliving]

@@grantgibbs4803 how do you turn on brick wall on the L2

[@grantgibbs4803]

@@ryantheliving techincally every limiter is a brickwall limiter but I think you mean true peak...... there is a littel true peak botton on the bottom you can turn on and off....... there also nothing wrong with turning that ceiling down beacuse it will leave room for things like soundcloud to encode to mp3

[@ryantheliving]

@@grantgibbs4803 I will look into said switch. I have been trying to dial in the peak max to -1.1 because at 1.0 the yoolean meter calls it clipping. I reviewed my first two releases on Spotify and the integrated LUFS was a little higher than 14. So for the next couple release gunna focus on keeping the integrated LUFS @ 14. A by-product of that is the true peak ends up being a little lower like 1.3ish. If I was DJing myself, I would juice the gain to match, roll off a bit of the highs and get on with it.

[@grantgibbs4803]

@@ryantheliving fair enough..... I think its also imporant to keep in mind that clipping isnt always bad...... 99% of the time you wont even notice.... there are a ton of track I love that after encodiung clip like 4db..... overall if it sounds good dont worry about the numbers on the screen no one can see them but you

[@bangalibabu7124]

What was the tip for level matched limiting he was talking about? Couldnt catch it

[@1AugustBlack]

Linking the out ceiling and threshold controls at the same time

[@GTSongwriter]

I guess I missed that buy 2 get 2 special. I just couldn't afford it. I wonder if they'll be another deal like that? I get paid Friday.

[@virgilhughes7837]

they run tons of deals. I think they got a 40% off now.

[@GTSongwriter]

@@virgilhughes7837 yeah..I though that was normal as every time I visit they always have something on the 40% off sale.

[@CATEYEZ9LIVESENTERTAINMENT]

Why does it seem like my ceiling is too high even when everything is level right why

[@MahmoudNader]

Next , please release a clipper

[@zone7rizzo]

Should you ever stack these on a master track ? Or just pick 1 out of the 3?

[@zone7rizzo]

Basically I mix and record in a template . Then transfer to a master template . That has almost all 3s and it always sounds too much . Am I supposed to only use one ?? 😊

[@virgilhughes7837]

@@zone7rizzo In most cases, one or two limiters is enough ;) Start with one and work your way from there

[@dimebagd3442]

What about the lufs level?

[@cprsbandmusic]

I think u use a metering plugin (after, since its just metering not a "coloring" plug) Waves has some that read LUFS.

[@spadeguzman6001]

Do u add limiter to the mix bus? Or master bus in protools??

[@sigurtsigurt549]

What a joke transparent and clean l2 :)

[@6stringbeats397]

Now the dithering debate can rest now lol 😂

[@380stroker]

Actually no. Any slight change you make to any audio Whether 16 or 24 bit needs to be dithered.

[@GoodxJ]

👀

[@Claptoncheekstv]

What’s the name of the song?

[@KevDecorMusic]

L2 GANG 4 LYFE

[@txddyfarquh3916]

I swear, so many Artists want their sh×t ridiculously loud af without understanding how comfortably "loud" music can be as opposed to "should be"

[@Agent56000]

Learned this the hard way

[@sayaranisamewati]

L2 mono links sending bhai

[@stelthtenau]

L2 was on 0.3 the other 2 where on 0.5

[@birasantana2695]

Latency???

[@Goat.Herder]

I stick maximizers on everything, I'm mental 🤪

[@808lockheart]

But what's the song tho 🙎🏻‍♀️

[@oxeyemusic]

Hey! The song is my song "Reflection" :)

[@fresherssquad9617]

Sir can you mix my track ??

[@brwnn3336]

Plis subtitles in spanish

[@ThiagoCamposOfficial]

I wouldn't call the L2 clean. It has a vintage girth to me.. L1 sounds more modern and crisp IMO.

[@CarcPazu]

I've heard someone calling the L2 the snare killer.

[@estudiobetamax421]

Damn, you are right about that@@CarcPazu

[@luv-tsa3692]

No "True Peak" button why?

[@virgilhughes7837]

These are not true peaks limiters. the only one that Waves has is WLM+

[@illvillerecords7143]

These limiters have no attack settings. Not sure why you would use one of these without these settings. There is no advanced control.. hmmmm

[@aLeg3ndaryGamer97]

Dude your like an older version of (in the mix)

[@Noone-of-your-Business]

Why do Waves plugins still look like Windows 98? Also, Waves is the only manufacturer that clutters my VST list with a ridiculous number of multiple instances of every single plugin. Everyone else manages to combine _variations_ of the same basic functionality into ONE plugin with _several controls_ for these variations, so I can do all that *from the same place.*

[@SN-bb9jo]

They still look great, much better than new plugins and daws with no design at all, only a text and sliders over a gray background

[@Niedvin_hq]

I think -2 lufs is enough, no reason for going higher 😇

[@genejas]

"L2" "Transparent" lmao no

[@Nova_Afterglow]

This "good housekeeping" of worrying about True Peak is bad advice. It will take beginners a long time to ignore this advice because so many "engineers" push the nonsense. Check out "Mixing Loud With CTZ ep 23". Baphometrix puts this terrible advice to rest. I hope you can stop pushing this advice and leading beginners towards bad habits.

[@Studio22mix]

@Nova_Afterglow thanks for the tip, got me subscribed to Baphometrix. What a great resource, really appreciate it ❤

[@hajoherz7728]

Could you please speak slowlier and bring up your voice in your videos? I guess Waves has the one or other tool to reach this goal 🙂

[@MadACeTeeMack]

You could have used a bass or transient heavy modern song as an example such as EDM, Hip Hop or R&B instead of soft pop smh.

[@ronmoes42]

Lol when the vocal is the most dynamic part in the mix haha. Nobody cares about th drum kit ;-)

[@kacemaireche1689]

Misleading thumbnail...

[@caspermaster-com]

Waves actually have the worst limiters on the market but yeah