Why the sound hurts when using a limiter｜6 things to fix before increasing the sound pressure

The deeper you apply the limiter, the harder and more painful the song may become. In addition to limiting the performance of the limiter, if large peaks or unbalanced low frequencies remain in the previous stage, the burden will be concentrated on one unit.

1｜Adjust instantaneous peaks first

If a snare, kick, or plosive sticks out for just a few milliseconds, the limiter will push the entire song down. Trim only the protruding parts first using clip gain, light clipper, and transient processing.

2｜Check the length of the low range

If the sub-bass or kick has a long lingering sound, the hard-to-hear low frequencies will continue to use headroom. Before turning down the volume, review the envelope, sidechain, and unwanted ultra-low frequencies.

3｜Controlling sibilance and cymbals

Limiter may make short high frequency peaks noticeable. The vocal de-esser, overhead dynamic EQ, and reverb high range are done in the first stage.

4｜Don't raise it too much with just one unit

If you divide the roles into light bass compression, soft clip, and limiter in 1-3dB increments, it will be difficult for specific processing to respond strongly. Check the distortion and changes in the low range at each stage.

5｜Match the release and style to the song

Release that is too fast will result in low-frequency distortion and roughness, and release that is too slow will lead to pumping. Listen to see if it returns naturally after the kick, including the auto setting.

6｜Make sure to compare at the same volume

If the image remains large after processing, it will be difficult to notice the deterioration of details. Lower the output to the same perceived volume as when bypassed, and compare the consonants of the vocal, the angle of the snare, and the depth of the reverb.

The final sound pressure will vary depending on the genre and distribution destination. Don't just follow the numbers; perfection is when there is density even at low volumes, and you don't want to turn your ears away even when the volume is high.