Concrete Limiter... any thoughts/reviews ??

Its great get it!

Well thanks for the input guys....I've heard it in action on Cakewalk's first Webinar and liked what I heard. It seems to work well with in Pro Channel and I like that. It's a bit pricey though.... so that's why I'm hesitant...$79 for one effect is quite steep, even the $49.00 dollar introductory sale price is a bit high for one effect.

I checked into the Barricade, and it's got a good price, but it's not designed to work in Pro Channel...so I'm hesitant about that too.

I'd be using it more to boost recordings overall sound rather than as a peak limiter, and the demo's I heard seem to do that well.

Hmmmm, decisions, decisions....

No don't feel like a fanboy, I want comments, good or bad to help me make my decision. I appreciate all input based on experiences. I'm trying to get an overall idea of what I should expect...so far two yays, and one nay.....

There are many cool Limiters out there. But there are some really bad ones too. I love the Concrete Limiter and will wholeheartedly recomend it!

But it's not a very good master limiter. I never use it on the master bus. I rather use Ozone or the Fabfilter Pro-L. Having said that, as a bus limiter it's probably the best one out there for Sonar. Having it in the Pro Channel is great and throwing it over a guitar bus, vocal bus and in particular drum bus makes a helluva difference. And it's really friendly with the resources so you can insert a whole bunch without forcing your DAW to its knees.

And even though it's probably what's been most criticized about it, the Bass Lift thingy is really cool if you need it.

I'd get it if I were you, it's one of the effects I couldn't be without.

I don't know why people are saying its not good for using on the master buss. 

I think its as good as any limiter around.  

I will say that Ozone 5 has a more extensive limiter but it doesn't sound any better.  

I find CL to be very transparent. Maybe it's my ears I'm not saying it won't work in the master bus but it's not as dynamic as other limiters, it doesn't sound as smooth as the Pro-L for example for a full mix. But hey, that's my opinion only, YMMV and so forth

I have found good use for the Boost11 but it squashes like a mad man! You have to be carefull and you can usually hear it pump a fair bit. Compared to the Concrete Limiter it's brutal but in the end they just limit. Try to experiment with it. It's difficult to get smooth and dynamic results. But if you're after a bad ass limiter, the Boost11 isn't half bad actually.

John

djwayne


Another thing that's a bit confusing is that Sonar X1 comes with the Boost 11 Limiter already which could be used on individual tracks or a master bus...Is this not a good limiter ?? Wouldn't the Boost 11 limiter do the same job ?? What exactly makes the Concrete Limiter better than the Boost 11, beside that it works in the Pro Channel ??

Nowhere near as good a Concrete Limiter. 

Boost 11 cant be that bad, since its used in this video (below) on the master buss, view in HD at full screen from 6 mins on wards, if the CL was really that good on master for getting that commercial loudness (which in my opinion it isn't) you wouldn't need boost 11 as well, heres link already set to go...
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhDokH-NgoE&hd=1&t=6m
 
Take note of the before and after ;-)

You've got to be joking. CL is a sophisticated limiter and you are basing its usefulness  on a video of Boost 11.

Remember that Boost 11 wasn't part of Produce but was in Home Studio. It was some members asking it to be included in Sonar that CW threw it for free. 

Here is a link to some information on the CL 

http://www.cakewalk.com/Products/ProChannel-Modules/ProChannel-Concrete-Limiter.aspx

if you need for a good mastering brickwall limiter check out Tonebooster's Barricade ($19.00)

 
I've been hearing good things about ToneBooser plugs recently, including Barricade.   But I was too lazy to convert their online cost to $$.  
 

"If thats not the case then why the need for boost 11 on master in the video? Just an observation". 

Just got an email from CW - Apparently the CL is now on sale again for $49.     Just sayin'...   
 

All the ProCahnnel modules are no-brainers.

Get the gate, the compressors, the concrete. They are tops in my book.

Djwayne I think you are going to really like it. I'm glad you got it. 

John


Djwayne I think you are going to really like it. I'm glad you got it. 

I just tried mixing a piano track I made with Ivory II . I thought it sounded okay as is, but I wanted to see what I could do with the Pro Channel effects I have. I put the Concrete Limiter on it and added a touch of EQ on the lows and high end....Holy Mackeral !! It sounded like a million dollar piano !! I bypass the Pro Channel and get my original recording which now sounds blands as hell in comparrison. Just Like as in the Webinar video example I posted a little while ago, Pro Channel really kicks it in into a high octane sound. I'm already glad I got the Concrete Limiter ....:)