Then, the audio is attenuated to prevent clipping. The limiter uses a lookahead technology which buffers the incoming audio so that it can “see” where the waveform is “going”. I’ve been using the L1 plug-in for over three years now, and I’m spoiled by it. Noise is extremely low, and the transparency of the converters is audibly better than “prosumer” 24/96 converters such as those found in the Delta 1010 and Gina 24 which I used as a reference point. The L2 offers one of the best-sounding front-ends to any digital system ever offered, certainly on par with any other audiophile converters. The A/D input stages and converters are pristine. I spent some time with the L2 in my gear rack, trying it on various applications, and have found it to be easy to use and good-sounding. A BRC wordclock connector is also provided for syncing to other units with wordclock. L2 allows balanced +4 connections on ¼” TRS or XLR for its analog I/O, as well as S/PDIF and AES/EBU digital I/O. For almost all of your applications, you will use one knob (the Threshold control).īack-panel connections are straightforward. While these controls seem to indicate a relatively complex design (especially for a limiter), in reality, operation is pretty much set-and-forget. The three numerical meters indicate the Threshold, Output Ceiling, and Release Time. The bargraph meters offer visual indication of the input level, output level, and gain reduction. Once you understand that you lower the threshold to increase the gain, everything else makes perfect sense. The knob controls the Threshold level, indicated by the numerical display. If your source material had peaks at –8 dB, then you would be getting 4 dB of gain reduction on the peaks.Ĭonfusing at first: the bargraph display indicates the left input level. So, for example, if you were to dial in a threshold of –12 and an output ceiling of –1, then the unit would automatically add 11 dB of gain, and limit your peaks at –1 dB. The L2 operates by automatically increasing the gain of the signal so that the level indicated by the Threshold level corresponds to the level indicated on the Output Ceiling. If you’re familiar with conventional limiters, the controls will seem a little unusual. The other knobs control the unit’s threshold, output ceiling, and release time. Bypass and peak reset buttons perform their usual functions. A link button links the right channel to the controls of the left channel so that the unit works in either true stereo or dual mono modes. And finally, two buttons are provided to select from among several dither and noise shaping options (more on that later).Ī trim control is provided to match the unit’s analog inputs to your analog source. A quantize button allows the user to select the output bit depth: 16, 18, 20, 22, or 24 bits. Two buttons allow the user to choose sample rates of 44.1, 48, 88.2, or 96 KHz.
The user may choose to sync to the L2’s wordclock input, S/PDIF input, or its own internal clock. An input selector allows the user to choose from among S/PDIF, AES/EBU and analog inputs. The left side of the unit provides options for input source, sync, and processing. I for one will no longer subject myself to dinky 2-line LCD displays and 4-button navigators, and I’m glad the L2 provides a useful user interface. Although it is a purely digital processor, care has been taken to provide it with a user interface that makes it “feel” like a piece of analog gear. The L2 is housed in an attractive 2-space rack unit. The L2 Ultramaximizer is a stereo digital peak limiter that boasts high-quality 24/96 conversion, digital I/O, and a 48-bit digital signal path. Now, Waves has released a hardware version of the L1, the L2 Ultramaximizer. It is a very transparent limiter that doesn’t overshoot, allowing it to be safely used as proof against digital clipping. The Waves L1 Ultramaximizer plug-in has earned respect from virtually everyone who has ever used it. Please visit the home page for our latest content. We will not be making any updates to the article. It first appeared on in July 2000, contributed by then Editor-in-Chief Rip Rowan. PLEASE NOTE: This article has been archived.