L2 Ultramaximizer

“I've been using Waves plugins for years, especially the Renaissance EQ, the Renaissance Compressor and the L2 Ultramaximizer. I do most of my recording to tape, but once I transfer it into Pro Tools, the Waves plugins are an instrumental tool for me.”

“L2 is a classic limiter. Works great on individual tracks as well as mixes. A little goes a long way.”

“L2 defined the sound of an entire generation of music. We love the L2 so much that at one point we even owned the hardware unit.”

“The L2 is undoubtedly my favorite transparent limiter.”

“The L2 Ultramaximizer and F6 Floating-Band Dynamic EQ are tools I use for really helping cymbals where the snare is too dominant. Sometimes the L2 can just stick it back in the mix enough, but it’s worth trying to limit the 400 Hz range if you’ve got something boxy happening – especially if the drums have been tracked in a low room and you’ve got snare coming back off the ceiling.”

“The L2 Ultramaximizer is the sound of what records sound like these days. Why shouldn’t I use it live, too?”

“I have been using Ultramaximizers since day one and still do today! The L2 is a truly useful tool to enhance the sound of pretty much anything that I am preparing. It's an absolute 'go-to' and an essential part of my tool kit.”

“The L2 Ultramaximizer has quickly become my choice for stereo bus compression; it seems to have just the right amount of ‘glue’ to make the overall track sound punchy, but not too ‘mashed’ as to be oversaturated and sucked of life.”

“Whether it’s hardware or software, the L2 holds up after all these years. I have used it on so many records and still enjoy the results.”

“We love a few L2s in a chain on the master buss with a little bit of gain reduction on each. We also use them on backing vocal groups to jump through the mix with plenty of sheen.”

“L2 is one of our long-term faves. It finds its way into our vocal recordings all the time. The combination of incredible sound and usability has been and will always be a winner.”

“The L2 is a no-nonsense tool that I use to normalise and/or limit samples to use in a live performance. It’s the most transparent and intuitive plugin for that kind of task!”

“Waves L2 is my digital insurance policy. Don’t want transient peaks to exceed a particular level? Set the L2 and forget it.”

“The L2 is a party on the mix buss!”

“The L2 Ultramaximizer is great for making listening reference mixes.”

“Fantastic at containing dynamics without adding any color to the sound. A little goes a long way.”

“Similar to the L1, but safer to use on variable sounds due to the automatic release setting. It also will introduce less ‘crunch,’ so if you’re just after smashing the loudness of a sound without additional crunch, this is your go-to plugin. It’s so easy to use in comparison to some other limiters. Set the amount of dB you want louder and forget about it.”

“For me, the L2 Ultramaximizer is last in the chain on everything. In theater, achieving a good balance between live dialog and soundscape allows richer and more varied expression in the sound design. L2 can even out your sound in a way that lets it be clear without overpowering the dialog or sacrificing dynamics. It’s also great for bringing out strange little noises in a recording or getting sound up to a workable level after it’s been tweaked.”