PRECISION LIMITER

PRECISION LIMITER - Sony Oxford Dynamics

PRECISION LIMITER（精密限制器）是一个用于母带处理的限制器插件，它模仿了索尼牛津动态处理器的限制器部分。可提供精确的峰值控制，以避免数字削波和失真。增加音频的音量、密度和存在感，同时尽量保留瞬态和动态信息。AUTO GAIN（自动增益）功能激活了一个额外的长期增益校正，可以自动控制动态范围较宽的信号的增益。SQUEEZE（挤压）功能为信号添加压缩，根据你调节的程度来增加冲击力和驱动力。

The Behringer Precision Limiter is a mastering limiter which is an emulation of the Sony Oxford Dynamics limiter section. The Sony Oxford Dynamics is based on the impressive Sony Oxford OXF-R3 digital console. The original purpose of the limiter is to “control peak levels and increase the volume, density, and presence of musical programme without an excessive loss of transient and dynamic information”.

One of my favorite parts of this limiter is the output gain which is better thought of as a max output level of the Precision Limiter. The level that the output gain is set to will set the overall output from the limiter, making it that no matter how loud or over-compressed your mix is, it will never go above this level on the output of this plugin.

控制

• Input Gain（输入增益）：The Input Gain sets the gain going into the Limiter of up to +18.0dB. Control allows for adjustment from 0.0dB to +18dB in increments of 0.5dB.
• Auto Gain（自动增益）：Sets the gain reduction & makeup to compensate for a wider volume dynamic range in the program signal. Allowing for less drastic changes in the short term.
• Out Gain（输出增益）：The Out Gain sets the output of the limiter. This is post compression. Control allows for adjustment from 0.0dB to -18dB in increments of 0.5dB.
• Squeeze（挤压）：Increases the overall loudness and presence of the program material. Control allows for adjustment from 0% to 100% in increments of 2%.
• Knee（拐点）：Gives an adjustment for the knee of the limiter which allows for a softer limiting threshold. Control allows for adjustment from 0dB to 10dB in increments of 1dB.
• Attack（启动时间）：Attack sets the attack time on the limiter. Control allows for adjustment of 0.05ms to 1.0ms in a very fine logarithmic scale.
• Release（释放时间）：Release sets the release time on the limiter. Control allows for adjustment of 20ms to 2000ms.

使用技巧

The ‘Input Gain’ knob primarily controls the Precision Limiter, as it doesn’t have a conventional ‘threshold’ setting. You’ll use the input gain to raise the program level until compression begins. I usually set the ‘Out Gain’ at -0.5dB when working with this plugin. I typically use this plugin for scenarios where I must maintain a strict upper limit on the output, such as online streaming, recording feeds, or video recording feeds.

Insert Delay When you employ the Precision Limiter, it introduces a 1.75ms latency to the audio, but Smaart measurements confirm that the phase remains consistent across the entire frequency spectrum.

Input Gain As previously mentioned, the Input Gain constitutes the primary adjustment for the Precision Limiter, where you determine the desired volume boost. You can increase it by up to +18dB, which proves ample for most audio material. Keep in mind that as you raise the volume in this setting, you’ll experience increasingly greater gain reduction.

Auto Gain Enabling the Auto Gain setting provides a more consistent attenuation across a broader spectrum of input volumes. If your program material exhibits a wide range of volume changes within a short timeframe, it’s advisable to activate Auto Gain, as it will average the attenuation more effectively during that time compared to keeping Auto Gain off.

Out Gain The Output Gain controls the final volume level at the limiter’s output. It operates post-compression. It’s important to note that the Behringer Wing’s metering uses dBFS, where 0dB represents console clipping, and -18 dBFS corresponds to unity gain.

Squeeze The “Squeeze” parameter is designed to elevate the overall loudness and presence of the program material. Based on measurements using Smaart, I observed that you can apply a maximum of +4.97 dB of gain when the Squeeze setting is at 100%. Here is a list of the squeeze settings:

10% = +0.66 dB 20% = +1.27 dB 30% = +1.83 dB 40% = +2.35 dB 50% = +2.85 dB 60% = +3.30 dB 70% = +3.76 dB 80% = +4.18 dB 90% = +4.55 dB 100% = +4.97 dB Knee Modifying the knee setting enables a smoother shift from an uncompressed state to a compressed state. If you desire a gentler transition, consider raising this level from 0dB to a range of 4-6dB.

Attack The attack setting on the limiter determines how quickly the limiter responds to limit the signal. A longer attack setting permits more transients to pass through the limiter, allowing a greater amount of high-frequency content to come through. Conversely, a shorter attack setting restricts more of the transients, compressing the high-frequency elements in your program material.

Release The release setting on the limiter determines how quickly the limiter decreases the attenuation of the signal once it has crossed the threshold. A very fast release time can result in a pumping sound, rapidly transitioning from limited to unlimited. Conversely, an excessively long release time will keep the material compressed for an extended duration, reducing the dynamic range and making it sound thin.

Base Settings Using the Precision Limiter can be approached in several ways, and one or more of these methods will produce favorable results for your music. Experiment with all of them to determine which one works best, as it may vary depending on the specific material you’re working with.

Getting Transparency

This setup is designed to deliver the cleanest sound possible from the Precision Limiter and is ideal if you seek a highly transparent limiting effect.

Input Gain: +5dB Out Gain: -0.5dB Squeeze: 20% Knee: 4dB Start with a slower attack time (around 0.4ms) and adjust to taste. Start with a slower release time (around 126ms) and adjust to taste. Hardwall Limiting

This setting is intended for those who want to heavily compress the signal and configure the Precision Limiter as a Brickwall Limiter.

Input Gain: +5dB (adjust to taste) Out Gain: -0.5dB Auto Gain: ON Squeeze: 50% Knee: 0dB Start with a faster attack time (around 0.1ms) and adjust to taste. Start with a faster release time (around 60ms) and adjust to taste. Maximum Loudness

This setting is going to give you the loudest impact for your program material.

Input Gain: +14dB (adjust to taste) Out Gain: -1.0dB Auto Gain: OFF Squeeze: 40% Knee: 4dB Start with a medium attack time (around 0.4ms) and adjust to taste. Start with a medium release time (around 126ms) and adjust to taste. Regardless of the approach you choose, it’s important to customize the input gain and squeeze settings according to your preferences. If you aim for increased limiting and a louder signal, raise both the Input Gain and the Squeeze.

Where would I use this?

I sometimes use this on the Matrix sends for my PA or the LR Bus. However, it’s best suited for your Stream output. This is an ideal effect to enhance the overall volume of your Live Stream feed when broadcasting on platforms like YouTube, Facebook, or your website.