How to Use the Waves L2 Ultramaximizer To Maximize The Loudness Of Your Song

[@FlyGuyJ]

🛒Buy Waves L2 Ultramaximizer Plugin: waves.alzt.net/Bry7L Time Stamps 1:19 My mastering chain 1:41 What Is The L2 Ultramaximizer? 2:15 Overview of the plugin 2:36 Plugin Controls - The Threshold Slider 3:03 Plugin Controls - The Out Ceiling Slider 4:03 Plugin Controls - The Link Button 4:44 Plugin Controls - The Release Controls 5:25 Plugin Controls - The Attenuation Display 5:44 Plugin Controls - The IDR Controls (Increased Digital Resolution) 6:00 Plugin Controls - The Quantize Settings 6:24 Plugin Controls - The Dither Type Settings 7:28 Plugin Controls - The Shaping Settings 8:41 Demonstration 14:01 Before & After 14:29 Recap & Recommendations

[@LosFicosMusic]

I wish I can Transport this video to 2012! Great JOB!

[@FlyGuyJ]

haha don't we all! Keep learning, there is always something new to learn!

[@paulmastermixx]

I'm a Student of Quincy Jones and Elai Tubo. Mastering is my Specialty. Malcolm X would say, "Make It Plain." Fly Guy J Productions makes it Plain! Now, I'm a Beast!!! Thank you Sir!!!

[@FlyGuyJ]

💪💪

[@Professor_Pat]

Thank you for covering the dither and shaping!

[@FlyGuyJ]

No doubt!

[@MarcusTheMC]

Man all these mixing/mastering videos I’ve watched and not none of them broke this plug-in down like you have bro. Now I understand better how to fully use it. Thank you

[@FlyGuyJ]

That's what's up! Glad you found it helpful! I'm putting together a more in depth training course on mixing/mastering from start to finish. If you're interested, hit me up on Instagram @therealflyguyj

[@RomahElMC]

That tip about the limiter being set to -1.0 for streaming was a great tip i did not know that fr fr!!!

[@FlyGuyJ]

Yessir! If you have a limiter that does "true peak" limiting, its best to use that at a setpoint of -1.0 to make sure there aren't and random over peaks above -1.

[@JimTheComposer]

This has been extremely helpful in learning how to use the L2 Ultramaximizer. Thanks!

[@FlyGuyJ]

You're welcome, happy to help!

[@itsmattgregory]

That was excellent! I definitely feel like I know how to use L2 now

[@FlyGuyJ]

That's what's up!

[@thompsonstreet]

Really well-presented! He covers it all in such a way that you go away really understanding the plugin and the whole process

[@FlyGuyJ]

Thanks Tony. Glad you found it helpful and easy to understand!

[@iamnyron]

Perfect tutorial!! Thanks bro!!!

[@FlyGuyJ]

Happy to help!

[@robert_starling]

I'm using Waves L2 on my VO demos. Love it.

[@regardless3999]

Great rundown!

[@FlyGuyJ]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@simba_guppie2588]

Hey I like the way you full explain the easy-to-understand functions and how to set them. Most videos show the plugin but assume people new to making music already know the small details. This was very heloful thank you

[@FlyGuyJ]

No doubt, I try to make it easy to understand for all. Glad you found it helpful!

[@MarcusTheMC]

Man what you said!

[@godzmic9741]

Good work bro. You explain clean and simple.

[@FlyGuyJ]

Thanks bro, glad you found it helpful!

Thank you so much! Excellent video.

[@FlyGuyJ]

Welcome!

[@demieworld]

Really appreciate your work man. I learned a lot!!!

[@FlyGuyJ]

Awesome! Glad to hear it!

[@kalitsbeats3225]

This channel deserves more attention!!! Big thanks from Russia🔥🔥🔥💙

[@FlyGuyJ]

Thanks bruh, share the vid with your music friends, much love from the US! Keep grinding!

[@bradashlock]

They need to hire you to write the user manuals, jeesh! Good stuff! Thanks.

[@FlyGuyJ]

Appreciate you, glad you found it helpful!

[@tomasbrun8242]

Great presentation of the L2! Thank you!

[@FlyGuyJ]

Thanks Tomas!

[@ghosttype1219]

Dude, no bullshit this is a super informative and helpful video. Thank you!

[@FlyGuyJ]

Glad you found it helpful!

[@MrRogerJeffs]

Crystal clear explanation!

[@FlyGuyJ]

Glad you found it helpful!

[@VideoManFL]

Very good presentation 👏

[@FlyGuyJ]

Thanks!

[@IvoBRodrigues]

Perfect explanation of what the plugin does. Thank you!

[@FlyGuyJ]

Thanks, glad you all are finding it helpful!

[@subzeroonthebeat3902]

bro keep the same energy your channel its very interesting and theres things that i can learn i appreciate it dont stop make this type of content #subzeroonthebeat

[@FlyGuyJ]

thanks bruh

[@timsuber6550]

Best video by far on how this plugin works! Thank you!

[@FlyGuyJ]

That's whats up, glad I could help you out!

[@darrellroseborough7275]

Fly Guy your channel is on point. Really appreciate all you do for the recording community. I stumbled across your site looking for some insight of the Waves L2 Ulramaximizer and you knocked it out the park. Waves should hire you . You actually explained things plain and clear for even the most challenged audiophile. I mean every detail how and why of the plugin. I myself is somewhat of a newbie doing my own mastering. So this is one of the the best plugins that don’t break the bank? Can this plugin be used on other tracks or do you mainly prefer to use it as the last plugin on your mastering chain? I’m now subscribing after the end of this sentence. Thanks in advance, D’LikeFuL Productions

[@FlyGuyJ]

Thanks bro! That would be dope to make content for @waves full time! I only use this for final plugin in my mastering chain (sometimes 2nd to last plugin if I am using the Waves WLM plugin, which I would put as final plugin on my chain to monitor the loudness level and set the True peak limit) I would suggest using the L1 Limiter on other individual tracks and use the L2 for mastering

[@zaccelindermusic]

Golden!

[@FlyGuyJ]

💯

[@PlankManAndBigOwl]

Excellent explanation!

[@FlyGuyJ]

Thanks, Im glad you found it helpful!

[@dc4707]

song hit hard bro

[@jhallibeats]

This is an amazing video and easy to understand!! Thank you!

[@FlyGuyJ]

Glad you found it helpful! Thanks for the feedback!

[@borispetlov1324]

That's actually a really good tutorial! Thank you man, appreciate this! :)

[@FlyGuyJ]

Thanks Boris, glad you found it helpful!

[@Sool101]

'none' dither comes in when your sounds and/or your daw is in 24 bit. 24 bit has no need for dithering. And when you print your mix for mastering, you don't use dithering either. But then it's not recommended to use the L2 or any brick wall at all. Nice tutorial by the way. Oh and, if you really want to get the most out of the L2, use 2 instances of mono in stead of 1 stereo plugin. It does open up the sound, which is nice.

[@FlyGuyJ]

I'll have to try the dual mono L2 and see how that sounds in comparison. Thanks!

[@Jahk-mode876]

2 instances of any mono limiter, or it's just sauce for the L2?

[@Sool101]

@@Jahk-mode876 any will do basically. You see Waves sells hardware L2 limiters. Those come as one package of 2 mono L2 limiters. That's how the idea came to use 2 instances of L2 software, one for each channel. And, it sounds nice. But OTT etc. will produce the same result by widening your stereo field and giving more room to breathe since less information has to pass through one compressor. It's a bit of a niche but adds to that last 10% of improvement you're after.

[@Jahk-mode876]

@@Sool101 gotcha 👍🏾

[@dampfhamma]

@@Sool101 Thanks for this tip! I'm a beginner, how exactly does it work with the 2 mono instances on the master bus? If I use two L2 mono in a row I get a mono signal.

[@SALT9]

Best description of this plugin. Can I ask what settings for mastering to vinyl.

[@FlyGuyJ]

Thank you, I would reach out to the manufacturer you are going to work with for cutting the record to vinyl and see what format and levels they suggest you send your audio file to them at.

[@JasonFarnham]

very helpful thank you!

[@FlyGuyJ]

Welcome!

[@ChrizzeyChreyBeatoli]

Thoroughly explained.

[@FlyGuyJ]

🙏💪

[@AVIONNEFLY]

While downloading it said that it isn’t compatible with iMac. Is this true ?

[@FlyGuyJ]

I use mac and have no issue. Check your OS version

[@kalibkliniske1727]

I have watched so many videos on music crap and this is so refreshingly bullshit free

[@FlyGuyJ]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Jahk-mode876]

Fact

[@inlovingmemoryofdouglasmul5216]

Another great video. What about LUFS? Do we need to adjust this manually before putting on certain streaming sites??????

[@FlyGuyJ]

There are a number of different techniques and preferences for finding a final loudness level. I prefer to use Waves Loudness Meter to see where my levels are at before bouncing my final audio file. You can upload your track to loudness penalty . com to see where it will sit at the streaming sites.

[@Udomljavanjepasa]

where do you put this plugins i dont have studio rack, guess on output channel? i use studio one 4...and why did the chain and L3 give that meaning to combine together into L3 and L2?

[@FlyGuyJ]

Not sure I fully understand your question, but hopefully this is the response you are looking for... You would put these plugins on the Master Output channel (or a sub-master aux bus if that is where you are "mastering" your audio) I am using the L3 ahead of the L2 so that I can limit the audio incrementally in smaller steps. Rather than using one limiter working hard to do all of the limiting, I like to use 2 limiters to do a little bit of work each. Also, the L3 is a multiband limiter which allows me to control limiting on certain frequency ranges first (for example tame peaks in the low end), and then use the L2 for final limiting which affects the entire frequency range. Hope that makes sense!

[@Udomljavanjepasa]

@@FlyGuyJ Thanks for the reply, I prefer this direct way of mastering than the way the mix export as a wav stereo file and then I import it again and subsequently master it

[@Udomljavanjepasa]

@@FlyGuyJ yes, that's the answer i was looking for, it would be interesting to see a video of how you do it with two limiters i always put one limiter l3 CeIling I put at 0.1 and threeshold at 6.1 other default

[@FlyGuyJ]

@@Udomljavanjepasa It is much quicker to handle any changes to the mix if you master it in the same pro tools session. For example, an artist could come back later and want to make a change, or do a remix, or need a radio version. Much quicker to make that happen if everything is in one session

[@Udomljavanjepasa]

@@FlyGuyJ I agree, I like your channel, you explain the production very well, a lot of success in further work

[@toliveforbeats]

Fire !! Can you plz make a tutorial in how to make your drums sound hard af using only waves plugins.. I got tons of waves plugins.

[@FlyGuyJ]

Yes, I will try to get to this one soon

[@toliveforbeats]

@@FlyGuyJ thanks 🤙🤙🤙🤙🌊

[@michaelsinclair1509]

Please do a full mix with a dry vocal to a 2 track beat from start to end.

[@FlyGuyJ]

Hey thanks for the feedback Michael! I may start a patreon or offer a course soon for this level of information.

[@AshleyEWyatt]

Nice job

[@FlyGuyJ]

Thanks!

[@MONEY4G]

cavallo

[@lobossproductions8852]

Dope Video Bro!!!! I'm Sold!!

[@FlyGuyJ]

Glad you found it helpful!

[@clutchmicrobe8468]

Muchisimas gracias amigo!

[@FlyGuyJ]

You're welcome !

[@srmd3516]

Is it possible to use a parallel compressor om the bus when i put the L2 at the end to fitmy vocals perfecty in to the beat

[@FlyGuyJ]

The limiter is what I would use on my master bus. I would send my lead vocal to a separate bus that is doing the parallel compression. Both the original lead vocal and the parallel processed vocal would then be routed to another separate bus. All of my vocal busses and instrumental busses would then be routed to the master bus where my limiter would reside, and it would be the last plugin on the master chain. I hope this wasn't too confusing for you.

[@pestipetobeatz023]

Man what kind of headphones you will recommend for mixing (and maybe mastering) ; that they are not to much expensive? . Peace! - Great video

[@FlyGuyJ]

I use Sennheiser HD280 Pro's ($99) but I always finish my mix on studio monitors and check how it sounds in car and iphone as well. You can do a fair amount with headphones, but I wouldn't advise mixing/mastering complete in headphones only.

[@pestipetobeatz023]

@@FlyGuyJ Thnx, I have Alesis monitors, my "problem" is that they are in my living room.. I dont have good aucustic room specificly for studio.

[@FlyGuyJ]

@@pestipetobeatz023 Work with what you have, but definitely make sure you are listening back on speakers and maybe even other devices like car/phone before calling it finished

[@pestipetobeatz023]

@@FlyGuyJ OK. I will, thnx man.

[@FlyGuyJ]

@@pestipetobeatz023 No problem! Happy Mixing!

[@vykunthmusical8459]

Are Other Waves Limiters are good too??? why do we have different limiters then like L316, L3 maximiser, etc?

[@FlyGuyJ]

Yes, but they can be used for different reasons, or just preferences. Some are also a low latency version of the plugin. For example the multimaximizer allows you to limit specific frequencies differently, versus all frequencies in one. I like to use L1 on individual sounds such as a kick or snare some times, but the L2 Ultramaximizer is what I use to get the final loudness level of the master.

[@marshallmathers2740]

See my late Netflix, she my late night flecks

[@FlyGuyJ]

😂😂😂

[@zabavno2112]

hello,, I experimented a bit with the l2 limiter and I liked the final sound but I don't know if it's the rule since I haven't seen anyone do it like this: at the output channel I put two limiters both L2 one was set threshold at 7.1 a ceiling at -0.3 and next l2 I put both threshould and ceiling on -2.0 and I set it last in the chain, is that correct even though it sounds good to me? do I choke a lot of frequency if we lower the ceiling a lot?

[@FlyGuyJ]

It's fine to use two limiters, I would just do it in a way where they are both doing less work, instead of having one do most of the work and then the other one not doing much. Also, I would suggest your last limiter be set at the highest ceiling. I would cap that at -1db as some streaming platforms suggest a -1db true peak limit. At the end of the day, as long as it sounds good and you reach the volume that you are trying to achieve, then do what works... but those would be my suggestions.

[@zabavno2112]

@@FlyGuyJ you suggest last limiter 0,1 db or 1db peak limit? What about the threshold,in last limiter can it be equal to the peak

[@FlyGuyJ]

@@zabavno2112 I suggest l limiter set to ceiling of -1db Threshold amount will change for each song, just lower it until you reach the loundess level you are aiming for and listen to make sure you aren't distorting or killing too many transients in your mix. I like to use Waves WLM Plus meter in combination with the limiter so that I can see how loud my mix is in LUFS while im lowering the threshold on my limiter

[@zabavno2112]

@@FlyGuyJ thx, how many LUFS do you prefer in your songs, so far I haven't watched LUFS but RMS and I tried to make the song about 10-8 RMS because it's a kind of commercial volume in my country although everyone strives for less RMS in newer production

[@zabavno2112]

i put wlm plugin and with my settings says :short term:-9 long term -10 ,range 8 , Momentary -5.6 ,true peak 0,4 it is ok? if it not which one would be relevant ?

[@mhzbaby6481]

I use none for dither when I use it on vocals

[@FlyGuyJ]

Yeah I only use dither on the master

[@vykunthmusical8459]

Good jOb ...

[@FlyGuyJ]

Thank you

[@menelik23dedon]

none on dither iz if you using a harmonic plug pre dither, that already introducing noise

[@FlyGuyJ]

🙏🙏

[@Udomljavanjepasa]

Whay deesser on mastering chanal?

[@FlyGuyJ]

Its there as a safety net, but honestly don't really need it for most mixes.