how to use the optimaster limiter?

bosone · Post by **bosone** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 1:51 am

hi!
since i don't have a lot of experience in mastering (an my productinos are hobbyst...)
i often use the optimaster in "wizard" mode, setting the amount of compression with the wizard knob.

but in this way the limiter is not used.
so, i'm looking at some advice: how and when the limiter should be used?

for example, i suppose that if i'm mixing a sampled orchestra playing a classical piece... the limiter (and also optimaster in some cases) should not be used.
but if im trying to get a powerful metal sound, the limiter could help me in adding some dB to my mix...

any comments on this subject?!

Immanuel · Post by **Immanuel** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 3:06 am

I have only played with optimaster a few times. I do acoustic recordings, and I am too picky about tonal balance to use a multiband compressor. Also, I am kind of insecure about it, because of the many settings and my inferior monitoring system. I did however find, that with factory presets, the sound would often be better if I did not feed it 0dB - turn the input level down a bit, and it sounds better (IMO).

voidar · Post by **voidar** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 8:58 am

My matering chain usually consists of a multiband comp -> stereo comp. Perhaps I will add a tad of EQ in between the two.

Best way to get most "loudness" out of your mixes is to start with the mix. Use a lot of hipass to remove much of the sub-bass in guitars and even drums. EQ stuff a bit clearer.

I own the OptiMaster, but I have used Fina Liza the most. I might have a go at OM again as I had no idea what I was doing back when I tried it.

Either you use OM or FL I would add a stereo Vinco compressor after it. The Vinco is an essential plug ot own imo. It has an RMS mode which will really help beefing up your mixes.
Experiment with attack and releases setings to get some of that nice pumping going on at the right places.
I prefere this setup against the Waves UltraMaximizer L-stuff. You can squash the mix considerably while it remaining smooth yet punchy and without digital distortion.

Proper gain-staging is important, as the poster above says.

[ This Message was edited by: voidar on 2005-04-13 09:59 ]

Post by **hubird** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 7:00 pm

I have very very good experiences with the wizzard of the Optimaster.
The Optimaster is absolutely fantastic, no pumping atefacts, and a warm sound.

I'm just exploring the limiter for the first time, as I was used to the Waves limiter.
The L1 has the best interface, as it's so easy and clear.
But I've come to the conclusion that I never will use it anymore.
The sound of the L1, even placed right after a (good sounding) Vintage Warmer, is so 'cold' compared to the Optimaster, that I know I will have to use its limiter.
Even without actually have the L1 limiting, it changes the sound negatively.

So i wish I could tell you more precisely of what I'm thinking of it, but may be I will come back here soon.

Anyway, at least I can say, a limiter really cuts away the peaks that are louder than the output volume admits (get -0,3 db).
How much db you will cut depends of two things:
the threshhold you choose, and
the volume you offer the input.

It can be handy to look at the audio file that has to be mastered.
Check the peaks, see how many there are, how long in time they are (preferrable a few (hundreds of) samples or ms), and how much db they peak compared with the global audio level.

Often you'll see one or a few extreme peaks, you could keep them outside the calculations.
If they are short enough, you won't want to let them define the zero db level.

Then route the audio through the (compressor and) limiter.
If your file isn't already upto 0db, give it a shot with the channel fader.

If you're satisfied with the compressor part, pull the threshhold of the limiter slowly down, view the meters and listen to what you get.
At some point you will loose some punch, and in normal cases I will stop here.

You can learn alot about the process if you compare the unlimited and the limited file in a good audio editor.
Switch between the two, whyle listening and whatching the files.
Works great

Elektronic music often wants you to keep attacks hard, happyly the peaks in it are mostly short and clean, so there's excellent limiting conditions

Quite different it is with microphon recordings, classical music, etc., so it depends of type of music, and taste

[ This Message was edited by: hubird on 2005-04-13 20:17 ]

oldaudio · Post by **oldaudio** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 9:43 am

Hello All: Is there a "link" function with Optimaster? I have a very simple mix with harmonica mostly on the left and guitar mostly on the right with the vocal up the middle. As I am recording this thru the Optimaster and Vinco, I see that the output is maximized or normalized on the right channel, I suppose because the guitar is louder. The left channel is much softer, as the harmonica doesn't hit as hard as the guitar. Can I link these two channels together to get a better level balance ?
Thanks

[ This Message was edited by: oldaudio on 2005-04-30 10:45 ]

alfonso · Post by **alfonso** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 9:53 am

On 2005-04-30 10:43, oldaudio wrote:
Hello All: Is there a "link" function with Optimaster? I have a very simple mix with harmonica mostly on the left and guitar mostly on the right with the vocal up the middle. As I am recording this thru the Optimaster and Vinco, I see that the output is maximized or normalized on the right channel, I suppose because the guitar is louder. The left channel is much softer, as the harmonica doesn't hit as hard as the guitar. Can I link these two channels together to get a better level balance ?
Thanks

[ This Message was edited by: oldaudio on 2005-04-30 10:45 ]

Don't forget what you want to hear. If levels are so different between sounds, it could be that they should stay so...it's a bit a strange stereo image the one you made for my taste, if the recording is made only of these 3 sounds you could consider to pan the guitar more to the center to balance the two channels...Personally I would put all in the middle playing mostly with stereo ambience and reverb to have some space....

oldaudio · Post by **oldaudio** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 10:20 am

Alfonso : Thanks, for your quick reply. Yes that would be the "normal" thing to do. But, the artist is going for a "live" sound without any reverb. I am just trying to balance the two channels to get onto a cd. The mix was brought to me as a two track. I have dialed in the PAN
to help a little.
Thanks, Again, Mike

Post by **garyb** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 12:48 pm

don't forget that a room IS about reverb. a live sound has reverb, just not as an effect.

astroman · Post by **astroman** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 1:55 pm

I'd center cancel the vocals, handle the left and right with emphasis on each instrument individually, the same for the center part (focus on vocals), and then mix the 3 files together, probably with ambience parts of the sides to center or even to the opposite channel.
If the impression gets too artificial I'd use the original as fundament and add the 3 aux files gradually.

cheers, Tom

[ This Message was edited by: astroman on 2005-04-30 14:56 ]

firubbi · Post by **firubbi** » Sat May 21, 2005 3:52 am

Yes Planetz should have a section of How to use optimaster or other fx. so that all cw user can put their experience there.

now i need to know how to get the most of it(optimaster) and actually what wizard is doing? does it analyze the particular track and added compression? + how to use normalize? so should i go for wizard or preset and do some with my taste. somehow i got this felling preset is better than wizard. what should be there in mastering chain. yesterday i'd used : soft_clip>phycoQ>optimaster>dither. what do you use in your mastering chain?

Does it add distortion if I raise the drive of soft clip to something like 90%-100%? (keep the level -1dB) Should I use softclip in mix or master?
Thanks

Wired · Post by **Wired** » Thu May 26, 2005 9:45 pm

another question might be too, is, how about the crossovers?, some of the presets use different ones, ...i heard that in beta testing, everyone used different rooms, and that was the explanation of different crossover freq's for the presets. How about why you can't solo the different bands?, ..maybe thats an old observation, however it should be said techsupport hasn't been doing all their homework on the opti.

symbiote · Post by **symbiote** » Fri May 27, 2005 6:38 am

Soloing bands works fine here.

wayne · Post by **wayne** » Fri May 27, 2005 7:49 am

yep, use "bands on/off" buttons.

The solo button will solo the selected effect (comp, exp, limit)

Post by **hubird** » Fri May 27, 2005 4:53 pm

Wired · Post by **Wired** » Fri May 27, 2005 8:00 pm

the solo next to bypass in the comp section, ...i'm not sure how that works, i thought you could solo the low, medium, high bands seperatly, but i think its just the comp, limiter, expander? and not the different crossover freq's, as that is in the crossover section

symbiote · Post by **symbiote** » Sat May 28, 2005 10:07 am

If you are talking about the low/mid/high+all interface thing on the left of the Bypass button, that's not a solo section, it's to choose which band to edit. Activating "all" will let you edit the transfer curves for the 3 bands at the same time (i.e. apply the same settings to all 3 bands.) It's all pretty well explained in the manual =P.

The soloing thing is in the crossover section, and it works fine. If you absolutely must hear a single component does in a single band, you can solo that band in the crossover, and activate bypass on the components you don't want to hear.