Hi. I'm currently mastering a song, and I'm using Channel EQ, Multipressor, and then the Adaptive Limiter on the Output track. The Adaptive Limiter is set with an output ceiling of 0.0dB, and I'm watching it to make sure that the 'over' lamps don't light up on the output. My understanding is, therefore, that the track should be being mixed at as close to 0.0dB as its possible to get without going over 0.0dB. Despite this, however, the level meters on the Output track show that the levels are going into the red, i.e. over 0.0dB. I don't understand why the track level meters show the levels as going into the red when I'm using the Adaptive Limiter to get them right up to 0.0dB _without_ going into the red. Please could someone be kind enough to explain to me why this is happening? Many thanks in advance for any help that is provided. Kind regards. Matt.

> Despite this, however, the level meters on the Output track show > that the levels are going > into the red, i.e. over 0.0dB. This is not completely correct; red means the signal EQUALS 0.0dB. On digital outputs, there's no such thing as "over 0.0dB" because the DA-converters cannot produce anything over 0dB, nor can it be the outcome on the 24-bit digital side. (On the inputs this is of course different, it's easy to drive a led whenever the input signal goes above what your AD-converters can handle). So, whether you are really overloading and digitally clipping, OR using the adaptive limiter to peak at EXACTLY 0dB (which means no clipping), the meter on your output hardware can't tell the difference. What you want to be looking at is the indications in the Logic environment on your screen; the little numbers in the channel faders indicate their highest peak and you'll see they indicate 0 (red as well). Now if they would read any positive number, the signal would have clipped. It is however common practise to peak at -0.3dB rather than 0dB to counter for dodgy CD-players/amplifiers that clip before they reach 0dB, and for side-effects in analog equipment that could still cause overloads. Maurits.

--- In logic-users@yahoogroups.com, Maurits van de Kamp <maurits@...> wrote: > This is not completely correct; red means the signal EQUALS 0.0dB. On > digital outputs, there's no such thing as "over 0.0dB" because the > DA-converters cannot produce anything over 0dB, nor can it be the > outcome on the 24-bit digital side. (On the inputs this is of course > different, it's easy to drive a led whenever the input signal goes > above what your AD-converters can handle). > > So, whether you are really overloading and digitally clipping, OR > using the adaptive limiter to peak at EXACTLY 0dB (which means no > clipping), the meter on your output hardware can't tell the > difference. What you want to be looking at is the indications in the > Logic environment on your screen; the little numbers in the channel > faders indicate their highest peak and you'll see they indicate 0 (red > as well). Now if they would read any positive number, the signal would > have clipped. Thanks Maurits. To clarify: the output is going no higher than 0.0dB in the Adaptive Limiter, yet the numbers above the channel meters are going well above 0.0dB into the red. For example the numbers are red at the moment and they are saying '1.2'. So either the Adaptive Limiter is lying, or the numbers above the channel meters are lying. Cheers. Matt.

> To clarify: the output is going no higher than 0.0dB in the Adaptive > Limiter, yet the > numbers above the channel meters are going well above 0.0dB into the red. Aha, I thought you were talking about the leds on your hardware. > For example > the numbers are red at the moment and they are saying '1.2'. So > either the Adaptive > Limiter is lying, or the numbers above the channel meters are lying. Well if the output object goes over 0.0dB, then it's not lying but you simply must be missing something. I'm guessing there is another plugin after the limiter (note that a reverb or eq will also increase levels), or that the channel fader of the output object is set over 0. Anyway your assumption was correct, when the AdLimiter has a ceiling of 0dB, there will be no signals over 0dB leaving the AdLimiter. I've seen what you see several times, and each time I missed something that still increased the level :o) Maurits.

--- In logic-users@yahoogroups.com, Maurits van de Kamp <maurits@...> wrote: > Well if the output object goes over 0.0dB, then it's not lying but you > simply must be missing something. I'm guessing there is another plugin > after the limiter (note that a reverb or eq will also increase > levels), or that the channel fader of the output object is set over 0. > > Anyway your assumption was correct, when the AdLimiter has a ceiling > of 0dB, there will be no signals over 0dB leaving the AdLimiter. > > I've seen what you see several times, and each time I missed something > that still increased the level :o) You are absolutely right. I spent some time looking at the output object but there was definitely nothing wrong there, so I went into the environment and discovered another thing called Master Volume which for some reason was set higher than zero. After I'd set that to zero everything was fine. Many thanks for your help on this. Cheers. Matt.

Maurits van de Kamp wrote: > > Anyway your assumption was correct, when the AdLimiter has a ceiling > of 0dB, there will be no signals over 0dB leaving the AdLimiter. > > I've seen what you see several times, and each time I missed something that still increased the level :o) > Hi Maurits and list, The one thing missed here is the master fader. Once that's set at 0 or below then there won't be any clipping (assuming the Ad-limiter is the last plugin in the chain). Steve Chandler