The L-18 is a pristine all-analog limiter, useful for a variety of mixing styles.

The L-18 Limiter is designed to be the most transparent dynamics device ever created by McDSP. The L-18 offers up to 36 dB of limiter gain, limiter knee shape and release controls. The L-18 makes use of the same patented technology found in the McDSP ML4000 multi-band and dynamics processor plug-in, but in an all-analog implementation. A color control provides a subtle high frequency correction before the digital to analog conversion, and can be completely bypassed if desired.
Features
  • All analog limiting and saturation stages

  • Variable limiter knee control

  • Pre-analog stage high frequency correction

  • Sample accurate automation of analog processing

  • Additional surround support including LCR, LCRS, Quad, 5.0, 5.1, 6.0, 6.1, 7.0, 7.1, 7.0.2, and 7.1.2 formats

  • Included with APB hardware purchase
Formats
  • AAX Native, AU, VST3
Mastering
The ideal use of the L-18 Limiter is the final mix. The all-analog algorithm is designed to maximize signal levels while introducing minimal processing artifacts, using patented McDSP technology. The Color control is perfect for correcting tone of the final tracks. The Knee and Release controls can adjust limiter response to best fit the material going through it.
Vocals
Vocals often have a wide dynamic range, and pulling a great performance together without sounding over processed is a real challenge. The L-18 Limiter sounds great on vocals, and its variable Knee control allows the vocal to be dialed into exactly the preferred level, but in a way that does not sound limited at all. A Knee control value between 50 and 100 will give a ‘soft-knee’ response, but the L-18 will still operate like a limiter.
Acoustic Guitar
Strumming or picking, single note phrases or thick chords - the L-18 Limiter can handle it all, and with great transparency. In this application the Color control will also prove useful for getting the right amount of ‘sheen’.
Metering
The L-18 Limiter offers two 3-way VU meter that can show signal level input (IN), signal level reduction caused by the limiter (GR), and signal level output (OUT).
Knee
The size of the transition between no limiting and full limiting. Produces a result akin to a ‘soft-knee’ compressor, but does not cause the limiter to miss any signal peaks.
Peak
Maximum signal level output from the limiter.
Release
Rate at which limiter action stops once signal peaks are no longer detected. May be enabled for user control, or disabled and an automatic release value is calculated.
Gain
Amount of signal level boost applied to the input during limiting.
Color
High frequency adjustment applied pre digital to analog conversion. May be be enabled or disabled.

An important aspect of any APB plug-in is that the plug-in is primarily a controller. The APB plug-in takes the input audio signal, combines it with a control signal, and sends both along a Thunderbolt connection to an APB unit for processing. The control signal sets up the analog components to do the selected algorithm with all the parameter values, and the audio signal is converted to the analog domain. The analog version of the audio signal is processed in the analog domain, and then converted back to the digital domain.

By operating the APB hardware from an APB plug-in in this way, all user controllable parameters are recallable and can be saved as presets. Furthermore, because the control signal is married to the input audio signal, parameters can be updating during playback with sample accurate automation.
Sound Examples
Drums
Female Vocal
Rap Mix
Rock Mix
Soul Mix
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