FM | KNOWLEDGE
UNDERSTANDING: Limiters
WHAT ARE THEY? Compressors even out a signal’s dynamic range or shape its dynamic response, but can’t always act quickly enough to catch the fastest peaks. A limiter is a compressor that reduces the fastest peaks via a very fast attack, release and a ratio of 10:1 or higher. Designs vary depending on attenuation: analogue-style ‘limiting amplifiers’ are simply heavy-handed compressors, and add flavour; a digital ‘brickwall’ limiter, a transparent design with infinite ratio, gets its name from its output ceiling that acts as an absolute barrier.