PRODUCTION INSIGHT: TRUE PEAK LIMITING OR NOT

Hey fam,

end of last year I got a question of a Patron about my opinion on "true peak limiting" (such as on Fab Filter L2 f.e.) and what is it all about. I figured this actually is an interesting topic and answer for all of you. So I am more as happy to share it with my whole fam here.

To start with, what is true peak limiting precisely?

Well, true peak limiting is like peak limiting a type of audio processing that is used to prevent audio signals from exceeding a certain level. It is typically used to prevent digital audio signals from going above the maximum level that can be accurately represented by the digital audio system, which can cause distortion and other audio artifacts.

It is generally considered to be a more sophisticated and effective way of limiting audio signals than traditional peak limiting though, as it takes into account the inter-sample peaks that can occur when converting an analog audio signal to a digital format.

Situations true peak limiting is often used in are situations where the audio signal needs to be maximized without exceeding the maximum allowable level, as f.e. this might include situations where the audio is being broadcast over a loud speaker system, or when the audio is being used in a professional recording or production environment. 

I personally do not really use true peak limiting in my louder and more dancefloor orientated productions, usually not at all. And let me tell you why. I simply do not like how true peak limiting sounds when enabled on the Fab Filter L2! It imo sounds  bad and imo has a negative effect on the signal.

And let me try to explain you why it can sound bad. While true peak limiting can be effective at preventing audio clipping and distortion in general,  especially on the louder and more dancefloor orientated stuff (when the limiter usually has to work a little more) it can also produce unwanted side effects, such as changes in the timbre and character of the audio, and in some cases, even a loss of perceived loudness and impact. True peak limiting can also introduce inter-sample peaks, which are peaks that occur between two samples in an audio signal and can't be accurately represented by the digital audio system. Inter-sample peaks can cause audible distortion and other audio artifacts, and are particularly problematic when the audio is being played back on systems with a high sample rate or bit depth. 

Soooo, long rant short, when true peak limiting on the Fab L2 f.e. is enabled I personally do not like how it sounds and it feels to me unwanted, like a loss of control and like something the sound of the track imo does not benefit from. 

I hope this did also make sense to you all.

I am working on more fancy stuff for the next month for you. There will be a new crazy sound pack, a new "Sound Design with" insight, also a new Production Livestream, a new PHACETIME episode etc. Stay tuned fam. Much <3

Flo