Guys...dont hurt me..(limiting&comping)

[-Loco-]

Right..it took me a few tracks and a while to think of if i actually wanted to ask this without getting noob bashed.

right so limiting is like compression with an infinite ratio?

so why not just compress and raise the ratio to something really high

and why would you limit on top of compression?

can someone please explain the difference in a really non-technical way because while i was searching i was just getting confused as fuck...do you want to limit only when you have a group channel or master bus, and just compress individual elements? thanks:Smokedev:

 

[chonchball]

limiting is a form of compression essentially. you can compress with the intent to limit, or you can limit with the effect of compression. the difference is that compression is making your overall dynamic signal smaller, and limiting is creating the illusion that the dynamics are louder by raising the lower elements of a sound into the higher area of the sound.

the reason there's a difference BASICALLY is because a limiter does not have as many controllable functions and is used to make something seem louder while attempting to not peak past the headroom. compression is BASICALLY having the means to adjust timing and feeling of dynamics in order to keep them tamed.

you can compress with the intent to limit, and you can limit with the intent to compress. it's not clear cut and it is still confusing until you just get used to rolling with it on a case by case basis. kinda like being married.

 

[-Loco-]

i think i get you....if i raise the attack in a compressor say on a snare..will that increase the volume of the transient i.e the 'crack' of the snare?

 

[AdamWathan]

Yup, slower attack times means louder transient as compared to the sustain of the drum. Basically a manual transient designer.

 

[-Loco-]

wait..you said slower attack times..ok i suppose that makes sense...so lowering the attack time kind of spoils the dynamic a bit? what about the release..?

 

[Pablo333]

Limiting for >> keeping a bass or drums or whatever at a set level that it cant go above (brickwall limiter)

Compression for >> smoothing out the peaks in a less obvious way on bass/gtrs/drums etc - increase attack time to allow more punch through - fast release so the Gain reduction gets back to 0dB before the next hit or peak - slow release brings out more of the sustain of the instrument.

Basically - compression will change the tone/dynamics in a more controllable way - sometimes for the worse!!
Limiting - not for the tone but to keep peaks/levels in check.

 

[DanLights]

you asked why put a limiter after a compressor. Sometimes you want to tame a bit the dynamics in a track, and after putting it through a compressor there are still some wild peaks that bother you, so you put a brickwall limiter with the threshold in the level where those annoying peaks are, cutting out those peaks only and leaving the rest of the signal lightly compressed like you wanted

Is that a good example?