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How to Use the Massey L2000

The Massey L2000 functions as a brick wall limiter, a type of audio dynamics processor that looks ahead in the song and adjusts the volume to not allow any sound to reach above a certain volume level. Brick wall limiters are a unique product of the digital era as they can look ahead in the music to maintain the "ceiling" of sound levels. It comes as a ProTools plug-in and is thus usable in any ProTools recording environment. This is for anyone who has set up and played back basic tracks in ProTools.

Instructions

    • 1

      Click on the pair of vertical arrows above the panning sliders in the channel strip to a apply a plug-in. Select the Massey L2000 from the specified folder.

    • 2

      Play the track back while adjusting the "Threshold." The numbers listed next to the knob ascend from right to left, because you are adjusting the "sound ceiling." When the knob is set at "0," then the sound is allowed to play freely. When the knob is at "3," then the sound is "limited" or does not get louder than three decibels lower than the loudest possible sound.

    • 3

      Adjust the "Threshold" to somewhere around "10" and notice how the louder portions of the song are just as loud as quieter portions. The loud portions have been "limited" and brought to audio levels closer to that of the quiet portions.

    • 4

      Adjust the "Mode" knob between "Loud," "Mellow," "Smooth," and "Vibrant" while playing back the track. These affect the algorithm of the limiter, or the specific mathematical process it uses to determine when to limit the song. Massey recommends the "loud" mode but you should try switching between them throughout the same song to sense how they affect the tonal qualities of the song.

    • 5

      Adjust the "Master" knob. This affects the overall volume of the entire track. Think of it as a "volume" control.

Recording Music

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