SAMPLED

Mixing and mastering · updated 2026-08-16

LIMITER

A compressor with an extreme ratio and a brick-wall ceiling, used at the end of a master to control peaks.

A Solid State Logic Matrix mixing console with channel strips, faders and pan pots — the desk layout behind the gain, EQ and balance terms in this section.
Mixing and mastering — A Solid State Logic Matrix mixing console with channel strips, faders and pan pots — the desk layout behind the gain, EQ and balance terms in this section.

Photo: Solid State Logic (SSL) Matrix Mixing Console at Audio Mix House, Studio C (opens in a new tab) by Audio Mix House (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons — CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab)

Key takeaways

  • A compressor with an extreme ratio and a brick-wall ceiling, used at the end of a master to control peaks.
  • It is the last stage of a master chain and the thing that decides how loud the release lands.
  • Two limiters each doing 2 dB usually sound cleaner than one doing 4 dB, especially on percussive material.
  • Watch out: using a limiter to fix a mix balance.
  • Sits under mixing and mastering in this glossary, with 2 primary sources below.

Quick checklist

  • Can you define limiter in one sentence without looking?
  • Can you point at limiter in a real session, mix or contract?
  • Have you tried the practical move above at least once?
  • Would you catch the common mistake before it costs you a take?
  • Have you opened one of the primary sources below rather than a forum thread?

LIMITER IN DEPTH

A limiter is a compressor with a very high ratio and a hard ceiling, usually with look-ahead so it can catch transients before they arrive. It is the last stage of a master chain and the thing that decides how loud the release lands.

How it works in practice

Two limiters each doing 2 dB usually sound cleaner than one doing 4 dB, especially on percussive material.

The mistake people make

Using a limiter to fix a mix balance. Anything pushing the limiter hard should have been controlled on its own channel first.

WHERE LIMITER SITS

Limiter belongs to mixing and mastering in the Sampled music glossary. The processing vocabulary, plus the loudness standards streaming services actually measure you against.

TEST YOURSELF

0/3 answered · 0 correct

3 quick questions on limiter. Answers are marked instantly — nothing is sent anywhere.

  1. 1. Which statement best describes limiter?

  2. 2. What is the mistake people most often make with limiter?

  3. 3. In practice, which of these applies to limiter?

Ready for the full thing? Take the 25-question terminology test and get a certificate with your name and score.

SOURCES AND CITATIONS

Free, primary references for limiter — standards bodies, manufacturers, government offices and university course material. Each one lists the line of this entry it backs up.

  • Apple Digital Masters guidelines (opens in a new tab)

    Primary reference · apple.com

    “A compressor with an extreme ratio and a brick-wall ceiling, used at the end of a master to control peaks.”— the claim this source supports

    Why it counts: Published by the organisation responsible for the thing being defined, so it is a first-hand source rather than a summary of one.

  • Ableton Live manual (opens in a new tab)

    Manufacturer learning resource · Ableton

    “A limiter is a compressor with a very high ratio and a hard ceiling, usually with look-ahead so it can catch transients before they arrive.”— the claim this source supports

    Why it counts: A free, hands-on explainer from a DAW maker — useful for hearing the concept rather than only reading it.

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