Speaker limiter

A limiter on the mains, last before the speakers, set to the level where they start to clip. It's the WING's own Precision Limiter, in a free FX slot of the desk, in the main's post insert. Shadow Rack puts it there, sets it up and shows what it does - but it runs on the desk, so it keeps protecting the speakers when the Mac is busy, restarting or gone.

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1. 1On the WING: which FX slot it's in
2. 2The main's level as it leaves the desk
3. 3The ceiling: drag the red marker
4. 4The lamp: READY, LIMITING or OFF
5. 5How much it takes off
6. 6ON / off
7. 7SET: the ceiling from the loudest peak
8. 8Remove

Adding it#

The limiter lives at the bottom of a main's channel page, under Speaker limiter. A main that has none shows a line about it and a button.

It starts with the ceiling at -1.0 dBFS. The limiter is set so nothing changes below the ceiling: the input is raised and the output lowered by the same amount, with a fast attack (0.1 ms) and a 150 ms release.

The main has to be on the rack in Shadow Rack to have a page here - a main on the desk is a channel in Shadow Rack only once you've pressed RACK on it (routing).

Setting the ceiling#

The ceiling is the level where your speakers start to clip. Two ways:

• SET - play the PA as loud as the speakers take (until they start to clip), then press it. The ceiling goes to the loudest peak of the last 5 seconds. The button says what it would set: SET: SPEAKERS CLIP AT -6.2 DBFS, or SET: PLAY IT LOUD FIRST when nothing has played yet.
• Drag the red marker on the level bar, in 0.5 dB steps. The desk follows while you drag.

When you let go, the toast confirms: Front: nothing gets past -9.0 dBFS now. The range is -18 to 0 dBFS; set it lower and you get (the limiter goes no lower).

What you see#

• The level bar - MAIN and the level as it leaves the desk, with SPEAKERS CLIP AT and the ceiling in red on the right.
• The lamp: LIMITER READY / not touching the sound; LIMITING with how much it takes off (orange, box framed); LIMITER OFF / speakers unprotected.
• GAIN REDUCTION - a bar from 0 to -12 dB, with the most it took off in the last 3 seconds (max -3.5 dB). Limiting shows from 0.5 dB.
• In the mixer the main's key shows the ceiling, e.g. LIM -9.0, or OFF in red. While it's limiting the key turns orange and shows how much - visible from the whole mixer, and on the channel switcher too.

The level and gain reduction come from the desk's own meters. If they haven't arrived yet, a yellow line says No meters from the Wing yet - the limiter works, but its level isn't shown.

On, off, removing#

• ON switches the limiter on and off on the desk. Off means nothing protects the speakers - the lamp says so.
• ... > Remove the limiter (the speakers are unprotected then) takes it out of the insert and frees the FX slot.

Rules#

• Only mains get the speaker limiter (Only a main gets the speaker limiter.).
• It has to be last. If the main's post insert already holds an effect of yours, Shadow Rack doesn't replace it: ... already has an effect in its post insert on the Wing (...). Free it on the desk first - the limiter has to be the last thing before the speakers.
• The rack moves to the pre insert. Shadow Rack's own insert sits in the main's post insert; adding the limiter moves it to the pre insert in the same step, so the limiter comes after it and nothing plays unprotected in between. If the pre insert is taken, it says so - free it on the desk first.
• A main with a limiter put on the rack again later (after taking it off) gets the rack in the pre insert straight away.
• A free FX slot is needed: All 16 FX slots of the Wing are in use - the limiter needs a free one.
• DIRECT on the safety switch switches off only the rack's insert - the limiter stays on.