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Limita tutorial: finish a master at the right level, without distortion

2 min read · Updated

Limita is a brickwall mastering limiter with true-peak detection and loudness metering. It raises a mix's level without ever exceeding the ceiling (CEILING). Insert it last on the master, after EQ and compression, or on a bus as a safety. The numbers match the markers on the screenshot.

Step by step

NAUPLY Limita tutorial: finish a master at the right level, without distortion interface, with numbered markers for each step

  1. Put Limita at the end of the chain

    Insert Limita in the last slot of the master and open its window.

  2. Pick a preset

    For example Master > Streaming Master or Streaming -14 LUFS, or start from Init (Neutral, -1 dBTP).

  3. Ceiling and target

    Keep TRUE PEAK on and CEILING at -1 dB, then choose your goal in TARGET, for example -14 LUFS (Streaming).

  4. Raise the level

    Play the loudest part of the song and raise INPUT until SHORT-TERM nears the target, keeping an eye on gain reduction.

  5. Listen at equal loudness

    Switch UNITY on to judge the limiter at equal loudness: does the sound keep its punch? Then switch it off.

  6. Measure the whole song

    Before exporting, press RESET and play the whole song: INTEGRATED gives its final loudness. Leave DITHER Off unless exporting at 16-bit.

Ceiling and true peak

INPUT drives the signal into the limiter; CEILING is never exceeded. With TRUE PEAK, detection happens between samples (8x oversampling): the ceiling is then in dBTP, which avoids distortion when converting to MP3 or AAC. On the display, dragging the ceiling line sets CEILING, and a double-click resets it to -1 dB.

Aiming for a loudness: LUFS

Limita measures MOMENTARY, SHORT-TERM and INTEGRATED loudness (BS.1770 / EBU R128) against the chosen TARGET; the target is a guide and does not set anything by itself. Most streaming platforms normalize around -14 LUFS integrated: a much louder master is simply turned down on playback.

Under the meters, SP shows the sample peak and TP the true peak since the last reset; a click resets them.

Character and release

CHARACTER: Transparent (4 ms S-curve), Punchy (1.5 ms, denser) or Aggressive (0.35 ms, loudest, possible distortion). RELEASE sets the recovery time; AUTO REL. adapts it to the material, fast on isolated peaks and slow on sustained reduction. ST. LINK applies the same reduction to both channels.

Dither and export

DITHER (16 or 24-bit, TPDF, applied last) is only for exporting at a lower resolution; SHAPING makes the dither noise less audible. Remember to switch UNITY off before exporting. The fixed 5 ms latency is compensated by the host.

Frequently asked questions

What ceiling should I set?
-1 dBTP with TRUE PEAK on is the recommended setting for streaming.
Does the LUFS target set the level automatically?
No: TARGET is a guide. INPUT raises the level; the INTEGRATED reading tells you the result.
Should I switch on dither?
Only for a 16-bit export. At 24-bit or floating point, leave DITHER Off.

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