Unlock
Your Mix's Full Potential with Limiter Plugins

Understanding What is a Limiter Plugin?

Limiter plugins are essential tools for audio engineers, designed to control a signal's highest peaks and prevent clipping, thereby maintaining a balanced and polished sound.

Unlike compressors, which affect the entire signal, limiters focus on preventing signals from exceeding a set threshold (the 'ceiling'), making them invaluable for mastering and final mix stages. They often have a ratio of at least 10:1, or even infinite, effectively preventing any signal from passing the threshold.

Brickwall Limiters: The Standard

The most common type, brickwall limiters, allow you to set a maximum output level (ceiling), typically between -1 and -0.1 dBFS.

When the audio signal exceeds this ceiling, the limiter prevents it from going any further, ensuring no clipping occurs. They help increase perceived loudness.

True-Peak True Peak Limiters: Preventing Digital Clipping

True peak limiters account for the potential for audio to peak *after* digital-to-analog conversion (D/A process). Reconstruction can create true peaks that exceed digital sample values in the DAW.

A true peak limiter and its metering ensure that no clipping sneaks past your mix bus.

Free Best Limiter Plugins

Here are some of the best free limiter plugins available:

Kilohearts Limiter: Simple, easy-to-use with input/output gain, threshold, release, resizable GUI, and presets.

VladG Limiter No.6: Versatile with peak, true peak, clipping, and high-frequency limiting options, along with M/S and multiband modes.

LVC-Audio Clipshifter: Clipping-style limiter for subtle dynamic control. Features, like frequency-specific limiting, are paid-only, but the free version has plenty to play with.

Sonic Anomaly Unlimited (Windows only): Limiter and loudness maximizer for stereo and 5.1 surround with loudness metering.

LoudMax VST: Designed for brickwall loudness maximization while maintaining the original character of the mix.

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Limiters are essential tools for audio engineers, designed to control a signal's highest peaks and prevent clipping.

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Paid Best Limiter Plugins

Consider these paid limiter plugins for professional results:

T-RackS Classic Clipper: Employs peak clipping for a transparent process, ideal for mastering engineers. Can be used as end-stage level control or harmonic saturation.

FabFilter Pro-L 2: Industry-leading true peak limiter with extensive metering options, known for its loudness and transparency.

Oxford Limiter: Delivers maximum loudness, density, and presence while maintaining transparency.

Waves L1 Limiter: An industry standard for nearly three decades, offering limiting, level maximizing, and re-quantization.

Nugen ISL 2: A precision true peak limiter for mixing, mastering, post-production, and broadcast, for true peak compliance across formats.

Master Elevate Your Audio with Limiters

Choosing the right limiter plugin is key to achieving professional-quality mixes and masters.

Experiment with both free and paid options to discover the tools that best suit your workflow and sonic goals. Happy mixing and mastering!