 |
FabFilter Pro-L 2 - True peak Limiter with Surround SoundA true peak limiter is an essential tool for every mastering or mixing engineer. Are you looking for a professional, feature-packed limiter that is loud and transparent at the same time, equipped with extensive loudness metering? Then FabFilter Pro-L 2 is your weapon of choice! |
Exploring Extreme Clipping Techniques for Bold Sound Design
In the world of audio production, rules are often meant to be broken—especially when you're chasing bold, aggressive textures that defy convention. In this episode of Unnatural Limiting, sound designer Eric takes FabFilter Pro-L 2 to its absolute limits, showcasing how creative misuse of this popular limiter plugin can open the door to entirely new sonic landscapes.
What Happens When You Push a Limiter Too Far?
Most producers use FabFilter Pro-L 2 to transparently control peaks and maximize loudness. But what if you don't want transparency? What if you want grit, character, and raw energy?
Eric’s approach flips the script: instead of avoiding clipping, he embraces it—on purpose. By pushing input levels to the extreme and tweaking advanced settings like oversampling and lookahead, he transforms Pro-L 2 from a precision limiter into a creative distortion tool.
Key Takeaways from the Experiment
🔥 1. Clipping Can Be Musical
Rather than producing harsh or unpleasant distortion, extreme limiting in Pro-L 2 can result in rich, harmonically dense sounds—especially when applied to drums, basslines, and textured synths.
⚙️ 2. Oversampling Matters
Eric demonstrates how higher oversampling rates can soften artifacts or, conversely, reveal new layers of detail in clipped material. This step is critical when sculpting your desired character.
🎧 3. From Mastering Tool to Sound Design Weapon
By turning off safety nets like true peak limiting, the plugin becomes unpredictable—in a good way. You’ll hear transient smearing, aliasing, and unique resonances that are rarely found in typical processing chains.
Use Cases: Who Is This For?
-
Experimental electronic artists looking to break the mold
-
Sound designers creating for games, film, and abstract media
-
Producers seeking dirty, loud, or unconventional textures
If you love plugins that reward creative abuse, Pro-L 2 is more than just a mastering staple—it’s a playground.
