Soundable has offered a limiter called Pure Limit for free during limited promotions. A limiter is the last stop for most tracks, so getting it right matters. This primer explains how limiters work, how to set one safely and how to avoid the loudness mistakes that ruin good mixes. It does not claim details about Pure Limit's own feature set, so check those on the developer's page.
What a limiter does
A limiter stops the signal from going above a ceiling. Everything that would exceed it is turned down instantly. Once peaks are controlled, you can push the input gain and the track becomes louder without clipping.
Where it sits in the chain
- Mix bus processing: EQ, gentle compression, saturation.
- Limiter last, with a true-peak safe ceiling.
- Metering after the limiter to check loudness.
Setting it step by step
- Set the ceiling to around minus one decibel. This leaves room for conversion to compressed formats such as MP3 or streaming codecs.
- Play the loudest section of your track.
- Raise the input gain or lower the threshold until you see one to three decibels of reduction on peaks.
- Adjust release until the sound is smooth. If drums sound smeared, lengthen or shorten it and compare.
- Listen for distortion, especially on kick and bass.
How loud is loud enough?
Streaming services adjust playback loudness, so pushing a mix extremely hard often gains nothing and costs dynamics. Loudness targets differ between services, so check each platform's current recommendations rather than trusting a fixed number from memory. In general, a mix that keeps some dynamics and punch often sounds better once normalised.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Kick loses punch | Too much limiting | Reduce gain, or compress the kick separately |
| Distorted low end | Bass peaks hitting the limiter | Control bass level before the limiter |
| Sounds flat | Constant heavy reduction | Lower input, leave dynamics |
| Clipping after export | Ceiling at 0 dB | Lower the ceiling to minus one |
Fix the mix first
A limiter is a finishing tool, not a fix. If the mix is muddy or the levels are wild, limiting makes it more obvious. Our gain staging guide shows how to keep headroom throughout the project so the limiter has less work. Also check your drums with a well-set compressor; the compression tutorial is a good start.
Reference and compare
- Import a professionally mastered track in a similar style.
- Match its loudness to yours by ear, or with a meter.
- Switch between them and compare the low end, brightness and punch.
Mistakes to avoid
- Mastering on headphones only.
- Chasing loudness against every other song.
- Stacking several limiters in a row.
- Forgetting to check the result on small speakers and a phone.
Installing safely
- Use the developer's official page and keep your licence details.
- Avoid unofficial copies.
- Rescan plugins after installing. For more free tools to try, see the free VST collection.
Practical exercise: three limiter passes
- Export your mix with no limiter and note how loud it is.
- Apply the limiter with about two decibels of reduction and compare at matched loudness.
- Push to about five decibels and listen for what breaks.
Doing this once teaches you where the line is for your own material. Different genres tolerate different amounts: dense electronic tracks often handle more, acoustic recordings less.
Mastering environment tips
- Take a break before mastering; tired ears mislead.
- Listen at moderate levels.
- Check in mono to make sure nothing important disappears.
- Export at full quality, then create lower-resolution copies for other uses.
Limiter or clipper?
Some producers place a soft clipper before the limiter to shave the fastest peaks so the limiter works less. This can keep drums punchier at high loudness, but it adds distortion, so use it sparingly and only if your tools support it. For beginners, one well-set limiter is plenty.
Exporting for release
After limiting, export a full-quality file and listen through it once, start to finish, on a different device from your studio monitors. Note any spots where the limiter seems to grab, then go back and fix the source problem instead of adding more limiting.
Key takeaways
- A limiter caps peaks; use it last.
- Set the ceiling near minus one decibel and take only a few decibels of reduction.
- Fix the mix before mastering.
- Confirm Pure Limit's availability on the official page.
FAQ
Is Pure Limit by Soundable still free?
It might not be. Promotions end, so verify officially.
Should I master my own tracks?
You can, and it is a valuable skill, but a fresh pair of professional ears helps for releases.
What ceiling is safest?
Around minus one decibel is a common choice for streaming.
Can a limiter make a bad mix good?
No. It only makes the mix louder.
