bitflipper: How does one go about finding out if their chosen limiter is capable or not?
I'd also be curious to know what final, brick wall limiters folks are using these days.
I used Waves L2 for a long time then switched to the Sonnox for an even longer time. Then I tried Cakewalk's Concrete Limiter and that's all I use now on everything. It just has a certain sound and density that I like.

bitflipper
Depends.
 
1. Not all limiters can do -0.1 or -0.3 or even -0.5 without intersample overs. If you don't know for a fact that yours can, you're better off being more conservative. If your limiter doesn't do at least 4x oversampling internally, I'd suggest never going above -1.0 dB.
 
2. If your ultimate target is an MP3, you need to leave even more headroom, regardless of how good your limiter is. To be certain an MP3 won't exceed 0 dB you would have to set your brickwall limit to -3.0 dB. In practice, -1.0 dB will usually be OK, though, except for ultra clean genres such as classical or folk.
 
3. Peak limiting is only indirectly related to perceived volume. It's entirely possible to achieve competitive loudness without exceeding a -1.0 dB maximum peak, or even less. Perceived loudness is all about average RMS, and when you lower your brickwall limit you raise RMS, so sometimes setting a lower limit will actually make your mix sound louder.
 
Since you asked what individuals use, I use -0.1 dB for CDs and -1.0 dB for MP3s. But I do so only because I know with certainty that my limiter is capable of assuring that even intersample peaks won't exceed my given limit.

That's good stuff right there Bit. thank you.
I use the L3 Multimaximizer for the bulk and then a L2 Ultrumaximizer right after it just to catch a little bit more.
These 2 plug ins are more often than not in the middle of my chain.
 
My Mastering Chain consists of:
1-The SSL Bus compressor first.
1.5- then sometimes followed by the CA-2A for Analog coloring= a 1 to 1.5 db push / very subtle.
2- Linear EQ to drop off/filter APPROX 30HZ and under.
3- Then the L3.
4- Followed by the L2.
5- Some  more light Analog coloring.
6-The Secret sauce.

I'd recommend putting the Linear EQ first.

Anderton
I'd recommend putting the Linear EQ first.

In theory this sounds very practical and a "given" if you will.
But I have found by putting the Linear EQ after the SSL and CA-2A it just sounds better.
Sometimes you have to trust your ears more than logic. I know that sound strange but its true.
The SSL and CA-2A are just bumps, they really not doing anything besides adding color.
The threshold and gain reduction are very minimal.
As a matter of fact I believe Yoad Nevo does the same thing (uses the Linear EQ after the SSL+CA-2A)
Because the Chain I use is almost an exact copy of his Mastering Chain.
 
I never been a big fan of high pass/low passing the snot out of everything.
I do a lot of that in the mixing stages on cymbals, Bass, exc but I believe there is something lost in high pass / low pass filtering. something we don't hear all that well but its there.
 
The only reason I high pass the 30HZ and under is so I can boost without boosting Below that, But I still want to compress that low frequency in the first 2 stages as I feel the compressors act differently when they are compressing the full spectrum VS. compressing only certain frequency's. the compressor tends to over compress when the low band is missing, even when its minimal.

Great logic, Chuck! I agree, wholeheartedly on the conventional overuse of HP/LP (especially HP). It seems to kill too much phat for my taste. I was drawn into that HP filter everything mentality for a short while but, then every mix sounded too anemic to me.
See, Chuck, maybe this is the underlying reason why you and I have a mutual admiration of each other's work! Ha ha!

I've used -0.1 for so long I can't remember. I've never heard any clips from that level, so I haven't pushed lower. I do use double rates when recording most of the time and I usually use the x2 setting for FX, so that means a lot of samples through the limiter.
 
Regarding HP filters, I am more likely to use a shelf in the low end. I do normally need to trim the low end on acoustic guitars a little (dreadnoughts).

I dig these discussions between you experts.  They are educational.
 
I have three CD's from a friend.  They all sound good to my ears.  Bluegrass/Folk/Americana type music with dynamics.
 
The first was recorded/mixed/mastered in Nashville (as far as I know).  I imported two wave files from that CD.  On the T-RackS Meter one peaks at 0.1 dBFS, RMS peaks at about -12.  The other file hits 0.0 dBFS and appears to clip slightly, averages around -13 RMS.
 
The next CD was done locally, mixed and mastered by pros.  One song from it peaks at 0.1 dBFS with RMS at around -9.0 dBFS.
 
The third CD was also done here and the song I imported peaks at about -3.0 dBFS with -19.0 RMS.
 
Based on my limited experience mastering my own stuff and uploading to Soundcloud, Reverbnation, and CD Baby, whether a Wave or MP3 file, a peak of -1.5 dBFS seems to survive the conversion/upload process.  If I'm burning my own mastered waves to a CD I aim for -0.3 dBFS - just in case.

I use the LP 64 on my master buss for everything. I put the attach at near zero and threshold is -.52 for all but the lowest band which is -.1.0. This I export to Wave 44.1 / 16 bit. 
 
I master in Wave Lab so I run a few analysers. First the "find peak level" which will normally show the  -.05  
Then I run the Global Analyser to find the average RMS level. Most will be in the ballpark at - 14 RMS so thats all that is needed doing. If they come in quieter, say  - 16 I run them through Steinbergs Loudness Maximizer set for + 2 db. 
My goal is all songs @ between -13db and -14.5 db average RMS.
 
This is probably breaking a dozen rules but I've never "heard" any distortion or clipping in the 10 years I've worked this way.
I tried a song the other day using the CA-2A after the LP 64 and I think I like it.  
I have never used any outgoing EQ. I do that when tracking. 
I find if my instruments are recorded properly no EQ will be required later. 

chuckebaby

Anderton
I'd recommend putting the Linear EQ first.

In theory this sounds very practical and a "given" if you will.
But I have found by putting the Linear EQ after the SSL and CA-2A it just sounds better.
Sometimes you have to trust your ears more than logic. I know that sound strange but its true.

 
The reason for putting a steep HP first isn't to filter out what you can hear (and I go lower than 30 Hz, because if the cutoff is at 30, it's almost certainly affecting higher frequencies), but to filter out what you can't hear - specifically DC and LF offsets. Now, that doesn't mean those offsets can't provide a sort of "bias" to the compression process that you find pleasing, and if it sounds good...do it! But by making the HP filter the first part of the mastering chain, you're removing any chance of DC offset gumming up the works.
 
Furthermore, I use a lot of electronically generated sounds that are often transposed over a wide range, so they can generate subsonics which also screw up compressors and limiters. Again, the HP filter takes care of those. If you ever are in a situation where a cut cannot go up to the same level as other cuts but you've maxed out the headroom and have a high average level, look below 10 Hz to see if anything is there.
 
I wrote an article that talks about DC offset in both the analog and digital domains, I think you would find it interesting. Remember...your 30 Hz filter is still in the audible range and pre-conditioning the signal for the Multimaximizer, I'm talking much lower than that. What might be optimum for you is to leave your HP filter where it is, but add another HP filter at the very beginning that's tuned below the audible range.

.2db here.