msmcleodSolo each track, then start rolling off at 30 to 35Hz, and work your way up until you can only just hear a difference - then back it off slightly so it has no audible effect.

 
When you speak of "rolling off" certain frequencies, are you referring to EQ?
 

Jesse GYou don't want to add your Limiter on your tracks, but place the limiter on your Mix Bus or your Master Bus.
I don't place any plugins on my Master Bus, I use a Mix Bus instead. The Limiter you want to use so that the overall level of the music doesn't go above 0db.   Now, if you are having tracks mastered, then you should set he limiter a lot lower to leave head room for the Person mastering your music,  However, if you are like most of use who just want our music mixed as good as we can get it and make it sound loud, set it for-2 or -1db.

 
Ok - somebody above said "just don't use it on a whole mix," which I interpreted to mean "don't use it on the master bus." Maybe he meant "don't use it on every instrument"?

When you say "set it to -2 or -1 db," is that the threshold or the ceiling?

Neuroharmony

msmcleodSolo each track, then start rolling off at 30 to 35Hz, and work your way up until you can only just hear a difference - then back it off slightly so it has no audible effect.

 
When you speak of "rolling off" certain frequencies, are you referring to EQ?
 

Yes - you can use the HP filter on the Pro Channel EQ. I normally set it to a pretty steep slope.

You might find a saturation plugin useful. The Sonnox Inflator is an example of increasing "loudness" without clipping, but search for saturation plugins and you should plenty to consider. 

Apart from Limiters, Compressors are widely used, often more than one on the same track.
 
Used properly, a compressor will reduce the peaks and increase the RMS of the track which is just what you want.
 
It's also common to compress not just tracks, but busses & master bus as well.
 
It's akin to painting - you wouldn't dream of putting one thick coat on and leaving it like that, you add several thin coats.
 
Used in conjunction with limiters you can raise the apparent loudness of the entire mix substantially without overloading your mains - which is the only thing that matters!

msmcleod
 
Yes - you can use the HP filter on the Pro Channel EQ. I normally set it to a pretty steep slope.

Oh jeez, I totally forgot about the Pro Channel. I knew it existed, but I didn't know what it was for. Should I be using that on every track? What about Sonitus effects? How do you choose between Pro Channel EQ and Sonitus EQ (or compression)?
 

Bristol_Jonesey
Apart from Limiters, Compressors are widely used, often more than one on the same track. 

 
Interesting, but wouldn't the multiple compressors "cancel each other out"? Why can't you just take the average signal of the two compressors and use that in one compressor?

You can use both if you want.
 
Drag any Sonitus (or other) plugin you want into the Pro Channel and it will create an Fx Chain for you.
 

Interesting, but wouldn't the multiple compressors "cancel each other out"? Why can't you just take the average signal of the two compressors and use that in one compressor?

 
Not really. You can use this arrangement to accomplish 2 different tasks such as one to capture & tame excessive peaks and the other to achieve levelling, impart tonal colour, modify the apparent "envelope" of a signal, enhance loudness.
 
Put it this way, you wouldn't put 2 compressors on with the same settings, you would just enhance their effect.
If you go down this road, remember the the action of your ratio control acts as a product of the 2, not the sum
 
So if comp 1 has a ratio of 2:1 and the other 4:1, the combined effect is 8:1

Jesse G
I don't place any plugins on my Master Bus, I use a Mix Bus instead. 

Why? Is there something wrong with putting plugins on the master bus?
 
If every track is routed through a mix bus, which is then routed to a plain master bus, that seems like an unnecessary step in the signal process.

Bristol_Jonesey
You can use both if you want.
 
Drag any Sonitus (or other) plugin you want into the Pro Channel and it will create an Fx Chain for you. 
 

Oh, I've just been putting everything in the FX bin. What's the benefit of dragging them into Pro Channel? 
 
That brings me to another question. If you have some effects in the FX bin and others in Pro Channel, which ones get processed first?

Neuroharmony
 
If you have some effects in the FX bin and others in Pro Channel, which ones get processed first?

The Pro Channels default is pre FX bin, You can however select it to post. In other words...
Default routing: Input-Trim-Pro channel-FX bin.
 

Johnbee58

Cactus Music

 
I set this at   -.4 db 
There must be 1,000 of articles on this subject. 

Is this a screen capture of the actual setting (-.4db) you use?
 

Not in that capture, no. If you click on the central blue LED-looking drop down, select CD Mastering for good effect. The Threshold knob should rotat to the -4 position. I use BrickWall a lot for my final mixes to boost the signal but keep it out of the red, but I usually pull my knob's position down to slightly under -3 and I usually leave the Release knob alone. I find that I don't lose much volume, but the mix is a little cleaner.