The loudness maximizer
allows you to create an overall louder or fuller master by limiting the dynamic range and boosting the perceived overall level of the mix.
Note that the active or bypassed state of this module applies only to the Loudness Maximizer processor. Dither is independent of the Loudness Maximizer. When the Dither type is set to "None", there is no dither or word length reduction applied. To turn dither and word length reduction on, click the "None" button to select MBIT+, Type 1 or Type 2 as the dither type.
The Loudness Maximizer applies to the entire
bandwidth of the mix, that is, it's not a multiband effect.
Controls:
Mode: This allows you to select between three types of limiting algorithms.
Soft - The soft limiting algorithm uses the Margin (or final output level) as a guide but not as a fixed limit for the output level. It provides a natural "soft" limiting effect at the expense of allowing the level to exceed the margin.
Brickwall - The brickwall limiter, on the other hand, uses the Margin point as an absolute guide, and the final output level will not exceed this point. Either algorithm provides a natural analog limiter effect, so the choice is related more to the behavior of the limiter and the output level than a choice in sound quality.
Intelligent - This is a new processor for Ozone 3, which provides intelligent digital loudness maximization of the signal. Unlike the analog modeled limiters (Soft or Brickwall), the Digital processor is designed for neutral or transparent limiting. It does this by analyzing the source material and applying limiting in a psychoacoustically pleasing manner, reacting quickly to transients (to prevent pumping) and reacting more slowly to steady bass tones (to prevent distortion).
Note that if you are in Digital or Brickwall mode and you change the Threshold, at that moment the Loudness Maximizer may allow an output sample that is higher than the Margin setting. This will only happen at that moment as the Loudness Maximizer readjusts to the new Threshold setting.
Threshold: Determines the point that the loudness maximizer will begin limiting. Turning down the threshold limits more of the signal which in turn will create an overall louder mix. In other words, by turning down the Threshold you limit the dynamic range of the mix, which in turn allows you to increase the overall level of the mix.
Margin: Determines how much to boost the output signal after limiting. If the Margin is set to 0 dB, the signal will be boosted all the way up to 0 dB. If the Margin is set to -0.3 dB, makeup gain will be applied until the output signal is at -0.3 dB. Note that in the Soft mode, the level may be allowed to cross the Margin setting, while in Intelligent or Brickwall mode the Margin serves as an absolute "stop" point.
Release: When the Loudness Maxmizer is set to soft or brickwall mode, this is the release time for the limiting. In general, more extreme limiting will benefit from longer release times.
Character: The Intelligent limiter provides intelligent release control, so when using the Intelligent mode the release slider is replaced by a Character slider. This control allows you to modify the behavior or "character" of the limiter, indicated by the label above the slider.
Prevent inter-sample clips: This causes the loudness maximizer to examine not just the levels of each digital sample, but the levels of the analog signal that will eventually be produced by D/A conversion. This is sometimes useful, since an analog signal's peak level can exceed its corresponding digital signal's peak level by more than 3 dB! This option will increase CPU usage slightly, but if your mixes are running very hot you may want to enable it to ensure that absolutely no distortion is introduced when your audio is finally run through a D/A converter.
Loudness Maximizer Meters:
A loudness histogram level meter gives you visual feedback regarding the loudness maximizer. The height of the level meter represents the level at any point in time of the mix, while the width shows the history of the level over time.
As you decrease the Threshold, the top of the meter will become white. This indicates the range that is being limited.
By default, the range of the meter is from 0 dB to -64 dB. You can adjust the range by pressing down the Ctrl key under Windows or the Command key under OS X and clicking with the left mouse button to zoom in or clicking with the right mouse button to zoom out. Under OS X you can also Command-ctrl-click to zoom out.
Ozone also provides a gain reduction meter next to the histogram, which provides a visual and numeric decibel readout of the amount of limiting or gain reduction that is being applied.
Note: This help file is a quick reference for basic Ozone functions and controls. We have a separate "how to" guide that provides tips and techniques for mastering with Ozone. You can download this guide from http://www.izotope.com/products/audio/ozone/guides.html