LufsLimiterFree is a free VST plugin for Windows only, designed, according to its developer SaschArt, to revolutionize audio limiting.
Who said the loudness wars were dead? Sure, some platforms optimize and normalize audio for certain loudness standards, but you don’t have to.
Well, that’s at least what my mastering clients tell me occasionally.
I’m a big fan of limiters. I have a small handful I trust to work well in most scenarios. Now, I fully understand that every producer/engineer/whoever isn’t going to drop the full sum on something like DMG’s Limitless.
Thankfully, you don’t have to go without a decent limiter. LufsLimiterFree is an atypical take on limiting, but it might be what you’re after.
Rather than setting a ceiling for your audio, you’ve got an out limit. This is measured in LUFS, as the name might imply. I find this a novel approach because you’re not relying on meters and renders for that final push of loudness if you so choose.
I’ve mastered audio for a few folks in the DnB scene who want to go as loud as humanly possible, and my poor ears just aren’t built for listening to -6LUFS without some serious dimming going on.
That aside, you can set the release of the limiting, which is always a pleasure to see. This extends further to the style of limiting, with four overall styles present.
It wouldn’t be a limiter without a bit of metering present. You’ve got a display for your gain reduction, Integrated LUFS, Momentary LUFS, and the loudness after the envelope shapes the audio.
This comes together to make a fairly comprehensive set of tools in one plugin. LufsLimiterFree can certainly be pushed above and beyond polite standards for human hearing, which might be a boon for those looking to get their releases louder than the competition.
I’m just glad it can readily get audio to -11LUFS or so since that’s my preferred starting point.
Unfortunately, the folks on Mac and Linux operating systems are left out of this one. LufsLimiterFree is only available for Windows computers. Supported plugin formats are VST2 and VST3, you do have the option of using it with a 32-bit or 64-bit host.
Download: LufsLimiterFree (FREE)
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4 Comments
Alimaster
onGreat, thanks for sharing. I found version for OSX in my archive.
MRG
onIndeed, the OSX AU, VST, and VST3 are in the zipfile and description.
Floro Ruperto
onit’s a rare and very useful piece
Wing Yee
onThank You!