Specifications

Digidesign Plug-Ins Guide80
Using Maxim
Following are suggestions for using Maxim most
effectively.
To use Maxim:
1 Insert Maxim on the desired track.
2 Select the portion of the track containing the
most prominent audio peaks.
3 Loop playback and look at the data displayed
by the histogram and attenuator meter.
4 Select the Link button to link the Threshold
and Ceiling controls. You can then adjust these
parameters together proportionally and, using
the Bypass button, compare the audio with and
without limiting.
5 Adjust the Threshold downwards until you
hear and see limiting occur, then bring the
Threshold back up slightly until you have
roughly the amount of limiting you want.
6 Periodically click and clear the attenuation
meter to check attenuation. In general, applying
2 dB to 4 dB of attenuation to occasional peaks
in pop-oriented material is appropriate.
7 Use the Bypass button to compare the pro-
cessed and unprocessed sound and to check if
the results are acceptable.
8 Avoid pumping effects with heavier limiting
by setting the Release slider to longer values.
9 When you get the effect you want, deselect
the Link button and raise the output level with
the Ceiling slider to maximize signal levels with-
out clipping.
In general, a value of 0.5 dB or so is a good max-
imum ceiling. Don’t set the ceiling to zero, since
the digital-to-analog convertors on some DATs
and CD players will clip at or slightly below
zero.
Maxim and Mastering
If you intend to deliver audio material as a 24-
bit audio file on disk for professional mastering,
be aware that many mastering engineers prefer
material delivered without dither or level opti-
mization.
Mastering engineers typically want to receive
audio material as undisturbed as possible in or-
der to have leeway to adjust the level of the ma-
terial relative to other material on a CD. In such
cases, it is advisable to apply only the limiting
that you find creatively appropriate—adding a
little punch to certain instruments in the mix,
for example.
However, if you intend to output the material to
DAT or CD-R, use appropriate limiting and add
dither. Doing so will optimize the dynamic
range and preserve the activity of the lower, or
least significant bits in the audio signal,
smoothly dithering them into the 16-bit output.
If you are using Maxim on an output mix
that will be faded out, enable the dithering
options you want to improve the signal per-
formance of the material as it fades to lower
amplitudes.