Mastering in STUDIO ONE 5 - How to use the Stock Limiter in two SIMPLE Ways - Stacked & Soft Clip!

Hi folks
One of the most frequent questions I get asked is 'how do you get a song sounding louder without compromising dynamics and creating artifacts???'
In this video I show you how to get your song sounding louder using the Limiter 2 plugin which is the stock Limiter in Studio One 5.
I cover two simple ways to Limit by stacking Limiters, using one in Soft Clip mode in conjunction with the final Limiter, and then an alternative way use two True Peak Limiters.
This is a great way to get your tracks sounding louder without over-stressing a Limiter!
But Remember - LIMIT RESPONSIBLY!!!
The track used for this example is the song Billy by Nik Graveswell:
music.apple.com/gb/album/bill...
open.spotify.com/album/1fJudn...
This track is featured on the EP 'Songs to Drink to'!
If you are interested in my Mastering Services then please see the following link:
www.fiverr.com/share/BdLKd5
Or for my Mixing and Mastering Critique Service then please see the following:
www.fiverr.com/share/oB9ovx
If you like the content and would like to support the channel by buying me a coffee then please see the below:
www.buymeacoffee.com/Masterin...
Over the next few weeks i'll be aiming to release at least two videos a week so stay tuned for more content and if you have any questions then please drop me an email:
[e-mail]
I hope you enjoy the video.
All the best,
Smudge

[@ProgressiveSoundAudio]

Hi folks. Here are a couple of SIMPLE ways to use the stock Limiter in Studio One 5. Do you use one Limiter or have you tried stacking limiters?

[@castillomusic4ever]

Thank you bro✊🏼

[@ProgressiveSoundAudio]

My pleasure mate 👍

[@ElderBishopPastorReverendOssie]

OMG THOSE TOMS SOUND GLORIOUS!!!

[@ProgressiveSoundAudio]

Yes they do sound good don’t they, it was a great track to work on and thank you for watching the video.

[@AnnRayne]

This really helped! Thank you!!

[@ProgressiveSoundAudio]

My pleasure Ann and thanks for watching 👍

[@ggallin606]

Really nice video 👍

[@ProgressiveSoundAudio]

Thanks my friend 👍

[@pegtownmanproductions9106]

Awesome video. Thanks. where I'm struggling right now is mastering 3 songs in one project, 2 of which are acoustic rock songs that I have around -10 LUFS and LRA around 5. The third song is electric and more compressed / less dynamic which is around -10 LUFS but the LRA is around 2.4. How much does the LRA play into the overall sound? Should I be concerned at this level?

[@ProgressiveSoundAudio]

That’s a great idea question and I’m glad you liked the video. In short the numbers mean very little, they are there as a guide to let you know what’s going on. It’s all about the sound and whether you like the sound or not. The LRA being 2.4, okay so it’s got less dynamic range, but if it’s an in your face rock song it will generally have less dynamics as the intent is to be more upfront. So ultimately don’t be too concerned with the numbers, be more concerned with how the song sounds. Hope that helps 👍

[@EdillColon]

Thanks for the tips. Wouldn't it help if the first limiter (top) at -1.0 and the second limiter (bottom) be at -0.30?

[@ProgressiveSoundAudio]

Hi Edill and thanks for watching. No it would be the second limiter that would need to have a -1dB TP value as this sets the final render for onward distribution for the streaming platforms 👍

[@TryptychUK]

Thanks for your help on this. I am still having problems with the master input being too hot and the limiter(s) clamping everything flat so there's no dynamic range. Do I need a mastering compressor before the limiting stage?

[@ProgressiveSoundAudio]

What is your peak level of the track before Mastering?

[@TryptychUK]

@@ProgressiveSoundAudio Bouncing between around -3db and +2db.

[@ProgressiveSoundAudio]

@@TryptychUK Okay that's probably the issue. If your bounce is +2dB it's clipping before it's even hitting the Limiter, which means that if you use a ceiling of -1dB before you even move the Threshold you'll be getting 3dB worth of gain reduction. If you aim for around -3dB this should give you enough Headroom but any higher then you'll squash the mix. There's a few things to try with +2dB, one I would reduce the Master fader down so it doesn't hit your Master Channel processing so hard. Alternatively you could reduce all of the faders down/apply clip gain reduction on the individual tracks so the Master Channel isn't clipping but you'll need to just double check any processing on those tracks to ensure that any plugins are still working as you want them.

[@TryptychUK]

@@ProgressiveSoundAudio Sorry I'm rather new to this, but doesn't putting a limiter on the insert mean the fader has no effect on the output as the effect is pre-fader? I ended up putting a compressor before the limiter and taking it down about 2db, so the limiter(s) would not have to work so hard and just flatten out the really fast transients. Thank you again for your help here. I have always had issues getting my head around dynamics processing.

[@ProgressiveSoundAudio]

@@TryptychUK Personally I would recommend reducing the fader and then bouncing the track before any Master Processing and then starting the Mastering session from scratch. That way there would be no issues with pre and post fader processing and you'll come at things with a fresh perspective. In terms of compression before the limiter I would not recommend this as a limiter is a compressor with a very high ratio, so you'd effectively be compressing an already compressed signal. I'd recommend start by finishing the mix and aim for a Peak Level of around -3dB, bounce the track out and start a fresh session, and then start with the Limiter first, that way you can listen to hear if you need to add additional compression along the way. If your limiter has a threshold dial make sure this is set to the lowest it can go (i.e off) as this will increase any compression the Limiter is applying.

[@paulgoldfinch7936]

Hello. what determines the release time in limiter?

[@ProgressiveSoundAudio]

Hi Paul, with this particular plugin you can adjust the release manually which is not always the case with Limiters. In this video I can't recall the specifics but I've just checked Studio One and the release is still manually adjustable.

[@torbjrnlund903]

My problem is where to place the limiter. Can't find any explainations on that issue. Shall one place it on the last Mix FX channel in the mixing section, or on the project master section where there is two possible places: one under 'inserts' (for the song) and one under 'inserts' for "Master". Placing it under the "Master" the limiter becomes placed on all songs in the project. Why is that? And when stacking limiters; where to place them? Under the Mix FX channel and also under "Master" there is a small section called "Post". What is this section meant for? Grateful for replies, thanks, cheers.

[@ProgressiveSoundAudio]

That’s a great question. I would not recommend placing the Limiter on the Mix Bus as ideally you’d want to keep the Mixing and Mastering sessions separate to give you a different listening mindset. In terms of the Project Page I would recommend adding it to the song insert so you have individual control over the loudness and dynamics of each song. It doesn’t make sense to Limit all songs at once as each will have their own needs, except….. You may want to place a Limiter on the Master insert if you’re using automation as you’d want a safety net if any automation may cause clipping. The post section I generally use for any analysis plugins, loudness meters etc, as this section will be after any final limiting so to get an accurate reading you’d need to measure the loudness post master processing. Hope this helps but if you need any clarification then let me know.

[@torbjrnlund903]

@@ProgressiveSoundAudio - Thanks a lot for the answer and the very rapid response. I think I now understand it a little better.

[@ProgressiveSoundAudio]

@@torbjrnlund903 if you need anything else then just let me know.

[@torbjrnlund903]

@@ProgressiveSoundAudio - Thanks (Suscribed) 👍🏼

[@oldnewbreed]

Ok I have the version that comes with the 24c. I cannot find the limiter or how to add to main. Find lots of videos with good tips, no body shows how they found and activated. If in other video please point it out haven't really recorded in 10 year everything is new to me now. Click path someone please? Or did I have a bad install or not include with version I have?

[@ProgressiveSoundAudio]

If you have Studio One Artist with the 24c then you should have the Limiter. When you installed Studio One did you select the activation tab to activate your copy of the Artist version? I wonder if your copy is still shown as Prime.

[@oldnewbreed]

@@ProgressiveSoundAudio Greatly appreciated, Will try and see, I think I see what you mean. I thought was deployed by default.

[@oldnewbreed]

Ok issue seems to be registration. I built my id can login. But when try to validate registration I never receive the confirmation email to confirm. I tried to download the artist version and when enter the key on the page, responds like it was not correct. Using chrome going to try Firefox.

[@ProgressiveSoundAudio]

Try that and if that still doesn’t work then email support through your My Presonus account and they will sort it all out for you, they’re good folks so will work it out for you 👍

[@oldnewbreed]

@@ProgressiveSoundAudio this is going to sound terrible I can’t send a message to support because it says I’m not registered. I tried going to website. Sent email into sales. I hope they forward because site say go to support for support questions. If not registered which I am.

[@oinkooink]

So what are you on, around -9lufs there or what?

[@ProgressiveSoundAudio]

I tend to be between -10 and -12 but every song is different. The Integrated reading will not be accurate as the song needs to be played from start to finish for an accurate reading. But it depends on what the song needs and can handle.

[@oinkooink]

@@ProgressiveSoundAudio Gotcha