Audio Limiter
Control sample peaks with a lookahead limiter. Choose a ceiling and release time while preserving stereo balance.
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What is Audio Limiter?
The audio limiter reduces sample peaks that exceed your chosen ceiling without amplifying quieter passages. It processes an uploaded recording in the browser with shared gain across channels. Set the ceiling and release, preview the processed sound, and save the result as a WAV file.
How does Audio Limiter work?
This lookahead processor calculates the gain each sample needs to stay below the ceiling. A minimum window and a smoothed gain envelope anticipate peaks instead of simply clipping their tips. Release determines how quickly the gain returns toward its original level after a loud section.
The same reduction applies to every channel to retain their relative balance. The ceiling is a sample-peak limit, not a reconstructed true-peak guarantee. It does not measure LUFS, normalize perceived loudness, repair existing clipping, or add makeup gain.
Key Features
- Selectable sample ceiling between -18 and 0 dBFS
- Two gain windows anticipate peaks up to 10 ms ahead
- Release adjustable from 10 to 500 ms
- Stereo-linked attenuation retains channel balance
- Material already below the ceiling remains unamplified
Common Use Cases
Tame occasional shouted words
Reduce loud moments in a spoken recording without turning up room noise in the quieter parts.
Control percussion hits
Catch drum transients above a selected sample level before importing the clip elsewhere.
Prepare a clip with headroom
Choose a negative ceiling to leave sample-level space below full scale in a WAV export.
Keep a stereo field stable
Attenuate both sides together when a sudden peak occurs in only one channel.
How to Use This Tool
Choose the source
Upload the recording containing the peaks you want to control.
Pick a ceiling
Use the Ceiling slider to select the maximum sample level. The default is -1 dBFS.
Adjust recovery
Set Release to control recovery after a peak. Start at 100 ms and listen for pumping or distortion.
Render the limited file
Click Apply Limiter, audition the loudest section, and download the processed WAV.
Pro Tips
- 1
Leave some headroom if the WAV will later be converted to a lossy codec; codec reconstruction can produce additional peaks.
- 2
Avoid pushing the ceiling far below the source peaks unless strong gain reduction is intentional.
- 3
Lengthen release when bass notes sound rough, then check whether the recovery audibly pumps.
- 4
Keep the unclipped original: limiting cannot reconstruct waveform details lost during recording.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a limiter and a compressor?
An audio limiter targets a ceiling that peaks should not exceed. A compressor usually reduces levels according to a ratio above a threshold, allowing more variation above that threshold.
Will this limiter make quiet audio louder?
No. It only reduces gain when needed. A quiet recording already below the ceiling is not boosted; use normalization or volume adjustment for that task.
Is this a true-peak limiter?
No. It limits sample values before WAV quantization. It does not oversample to measure reconstructed peaks between samples, so the setting is not a dBTP guarantee.
Can a limiter fix clipped audio?
It can lower the level of an already clipped recording but cannot restore the missing waveform. Prevent clipping during recording when possible.