Sonnox Oxford Dynamics - Manual (Page 28)

5 LIMITER
5 Limiter
From a level profile perspective, a limiter is essentially the same as a compressor with its
ration set to infinity. However, the use of much faster attack times with a somewhat
different dynamic behaviour allows faster and more effective reduction of peak
levels.
Historically, limiters were developed mainly for radio transmission systems where
absolute limits on modulation were needed. In this situation, simple saturation was not
useful, since the HF energy produced by signal clipping could still breach modulation
limits. The earliest limiter designs were mostly fast attack slow release types, designed to
minimise audibility problems.
Since then many different designs and much more complex methods have been
developed. And more recently, using limiting and its side effects has almost become an
artistic exercise in itself, being partly responsible for the recent trends for absolute
maximum modulation and loudness, currently favoured amongst producers and
broadcasters of popular music. As a result of this expanding trend for stylised dynamic
control, the demarcation between limiting, compression and even EQ has become
increasingly blurred, as an increasing number of ever more complex devices become
available that make use of all of these functions in a quest to produce impressive
results.
The Oxford plug-in limiter, however, is presented as an entirely separate and direct
process that is designed and optimised specifically for highly efficient and musical peak
limiting functionality. Despite being simple and intuitive to understand and operate,
superior results can be obtained from highly accurate level and timing behaviour, making
optimal use of look-ahead processing that acts on signal peaks prior to their arrival at the
gain control element.
Although the limiter is designed to complement the compressor section of the plug-in, it
can be equally well used as a stand alone application for enhanced peak level control and
programme modulation maximisation.
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