Multiband Limiter
It’s important to avoid overusing the
compressor in step 2 and the multiband
limiter. If each shows a dB or two of gain
reduction, the devices will help polish the
product without demolishing the product!
4. Insert a simple single-band peak limiter in
your master channel chain. This final stage
is used to establish the maximum level
(often -.3, -.5, or -1 dBFS) with the output
slider and to locate the best LUFS setting
with the threshold fader.
5. At the end of the master channel, insert
a meter that reads LUFS and True Peak
levels. Watch this meter while you adjust
the peak limiter until you see the desired
LUFS reading. This is the reading that
needs to match your target delivery
specifications, -14 LUFS for streaming,
-23 LUFS for broadcast television, -12
LUFS for a pop tune, and so on.
Bill Gibson
Teacher at Berklee College of Music Online, content
creator for LinkedIn Learning, and author of more
than forty books and videos about live sound and
studio recording. Most recent book releases: The
Ultimate Live Sound Operator’s Handbook, 3rd
Edition (IT’S FINALLY HERE!), and The First 50
Recording Techniques You Should Know to Track
Music. He also recently self-published an eBook/
Audiobook combo called Stream Great-Sounding
Audio: Guide for Streaming Church Services and
Other Events.
BillGibsonCourses.com
Loudness Meter
This link takes you to a video that shows how
adjusting the peak limiter can help you set up
for the target LUFS reading.
Single-Band Peak Limiter