Signal & Gear

Limiter

A processor that stops a signal from exceeding a set ceiling, preventing clipping.

A limiter is a fast, aggressive form of compression that clamps any signal trying to go above a threshold. Many mixers and DJ apps include one on the master output.

Why it matters

A master limiter is a safety net that catches level spikes before they clip, which matters when you are pushing a system and riding gains live.

Related terms

Gain Headroom Clipping

More in Signal & Gear

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Frequently asked questions

A limiter is a processor that hard-caps the output signal so it cannot exceed a set ceiling, typically 0 dBFS. When the audio hits that ceiling, the limiter instantly reduces the level to prevent clipping. On most modern DJ mixers it is a built-in safety feature on the master output.

No. A limiter is a safety net, not a gain management tool. If the limiter is working hard constantly, it is squashing the dynamics of the music and can make the sound pumped or fatigued. Fix your gain structure so the limiter barely activates, and let it catch only the occasional unexpected peak.

A limiter is a compressor with a very high ratio, typically 10:1 or above, acting more like a hard brick wall. A compressor at lower ratios smooths out dynamics gradually across a wider range. In DJ contexts, the master limiter is always the hard-wall type meant to stop runaway peaks, not to shape the overall dynamics of the music.

Hey, it's Ben Modigell 👋

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I DJ and produce as so I so — downtempo, minimal, dub house, tech house, and techno (releases on Spotify and SoundCloud, links above). Everything I write here comes from my own gigs, studio sessions, and library cleanups: the rules I follow, the failure modes I've actually hit, and the workflow I use when nobody's watching. If a technique didn't earn its place in my own sets, it doesn't make it into a tutorial.

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