Waves L3 Multimaximizer Plug-in

Take Your Mixes to a New Level!

The Waves L3 Multimaximizer is the world's first multiband auto-summing limiter! With the L3 Peak Limiter, Waves has created an entirely new all-in-one final mastering tool. Like its predecessors, the acclaimed L1 and L2 limiters, the L3 is destined to become an indispensable tool for professional mixing and mastering by offering unprecedented control over multiband peak limiting.

Related Videos: L3 Multimaximizer Plug-in

• New intelligent Peak Limiting Mixer divides audio spectrum into five bands
• User-controllable Priority Control allows you to adjust tonal character across a wide range of frequency bands
• 12dB boost or cut per band acts as linear phase EQ
• Individual controls allow emulation of classic limiters
• Includes L3-LL low-latency plug-ins

The key to the L3's power is its patent-pending Peak Limiting Mixer (PLMixer) engine. The L3 differs from conventional wide band and multiband limiters in several ways. Unlike wide-band limiters, the L3 first uses linear phase crossover filters to divide the audio spectrum into five bands. The PLMixer then uses psychoacoustic criteria to intelligently decide how much attenuation to apply to each band so that all available headroom is used. The result is that intermodulation is minimized and overall loudness is maximized, while brick-wall limiting is still maintained - all while retaining the simplicity of a single master threshold control.

Unlike traditional multiband limiters, the PLMixer doesn't require a wide-band peak limiter to catch overshoots generated by individual band adjustments. Instead, the PLMixer automatically controls the gain relationship between the bands.

The L3's Priority control allows the user to control the relative limiting of each band. This unique control lets users adjust the tonal character of the L3 over a wide range, while maintaining brick-wall limiting.

The L3 allows a 12dB boost or cut in each band in addition to the limiting applied to each band. In effect, this feature functions exactly like a linear phase EQ placed before the limiting section of the L3, making the L3 an all-in-one final mastering tool. The L3 also features a linear phase crossover which doesn't introduce phase distortion between the frequency bands. The crossover points are user-selectable.

While the technology of the PLMixer allows the L3 to be extraordinarily transparent, additional controls allow it to emulate the color and character of vintage limiters. The Separation control, for example, adjusts the independence of each band. When set to 0, the bands do not react separately, and so the L3 functions - and sounds - like a wide-band limiter. The Master Release alters the L3's Adaptive Release Control (ARC), offering warm, scaled, aggressive and manual tonal options in addition to the standard ARC setting. Rounding out the L3's feature set is the acclaimed Waves dithering and noise shaping section, which delivers the highest perceived quality of sound after quantizing.

The L3 Ultramaximizer bundle includes the L3-LL, a multiband peak limiter that lets you maximize your mix, track by track, instrument by instrument. Including the same versatile presets that made the L3 the favorite of engineers the world over, the L3-LL extends the capabilities of the L-Series by leaps and bounds. Plus, its low latency opens up a new world of multi-track possibilities, making it an indispensable tool for mixing and mastering engineers alike.

• Unique multiband peak limiting
• PLMixer automatically controls gain relationship among bands
• Boost and cut controls for each band act as linear phase EQ
• User-configurable separation and master release controls to emulate vintage limiters
• Waves dithering and noise shaping