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Topic: Hard Limiter (Read 4545 times) previous topic - next topic
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Hard Limiter

Hi there,
    Can anyone tell me what the 6dB hard limiter is/does in the Vorbis plugin for Winamp? Please tell me 'newbie' talk as I don't know that much about technical sound stuff.

Thanks
Spadge_123

Hard Limiter

Reply #1 –
Yes, I would like to know that, too
I downloaded the 1.2 final plugin for Winamp now from http://www.blorp.com/%7Epeter/  and it uses the new vorbisgain tags, should I disable the hard limiter and clipping prevention now? I guess both are useless since all my vorbis files are replaygained, or am I wrong there?

Thx

oops I almost forgot:
Ogg Vorbis 1.0 final rulez!
Thx to all developers
I will  re-rip my 192k/-aps mp3 albums with -q6 from now on, and convince my friends to do the same.

Hard Limiter

Reply #2 –
Interesting question, I have no answer for you but it is related to my Ogg clipping question.
Ogg Vorbis & clipping thread

Hard Limiter

Reply #4 –
Quote
Originally posted by sony666
Yes, I would like to know that, too
I downloaded the 1.2 final plugin for Winamp now from http://www.blorp.com/%7Epeter/  and it uses the new vorbisgain tags, should I disable the hard limiter and clipping prevention now? I guess both are useless since all my vorbis files are replaygained, or am I wrong there?


They aren't useless, they're even directly from the replaygain proposal on www.replaygain.org

They address the problem that happens when ReplayGain indicates a file should be played back louder, but the decoder can't do that without causing clipping.

If clipping prevention is enabled, the player will play it as loud as possible, so that it just doesn't clip (and it may not be loud enough to get the full boost ReplayGain asked for)

If the hard limiter is enabled, the player will play it as loud as ReplayGain demands, and use dynamics compression to prevent clipping.

If nothing is enabled, the song will clip. (Though this doesn't happen much, because ReplayGain generall _lowers_ the volume)

--
GCP

Hard Limiter

Reply #5 –
Thanks for all the information. I just have one more question...(for now anyway). Does the hard limiter affect the quality of the playback? The words "dynamic compression" sound like they would make the music flat or something...but maybe I'm totally wrong.

Spadge_123

Hard Limiter

Reply #6 –
Quote
Originally posted by Spadge_123
Thanks for all the information. I just have one more question...(for now anyway). Does the hard limiter affect the quality of the playback? The words "dynamic compression" sound like they would make the music flat or something...but maybe I'm totally wrong.
Spadge_123


Yes. The music gets less dynamic (less difference between loud and less loud parts).

It will only kick in as the signal gets > -6dB, and it's rather smooth unless the signal is very near to clipping.

It's a matter of preference whether you use clipping prevention or the hard limiter.

--
GCP

Hard Limiter

Reply #7 –
thx for the cool info

is it possible to add a switch to vorbisGain that prevents it from making tracks "louder"?

I loved that feature of mp3gain, since a lot of albums have a very soft opening track that SHOULD be low volume, and now I have to check the vorbisGain tags manually to delete the ones with GAIN > 0.

Greetz

Hard Limiter

Reply #8 –
Quote
Originally posted by sony666
thx for the cool info

is it possible to add a switch to vorbisGain that prevents it from making tracks "louder"?

I loved that feature of mp3gain, since a lot of albums have a very soft opening track that SHOULD be low volume, and now I have to check the vorbisGain tags manually to delete the ones with GAIN > 0.

Greetz


You should just use album/audiophile replaygain. Differences in loudness of tracks of the same CD are conserved. i.e. if there are intentional volume differences such as silent intros, those don't get touched.

--
GCP
 

Hard Limiter

Reply #9 –
Quote
Originally posted by Garf


You should just use album based replaygain. Differences in loudness of tracks of the same CD are conserved.

-- 
GCP


nah I don't like album gain, since I play my 3000+ tracks in shuffle mode most of the time and all have to be "equally" load

Garf are you the guy that programs VorbisGain? I love you if you are..

*cough Integrate VorbisGain into OggEnc cough*