Waves L3-LL User Manual
L3-LL Multimaximizer™
User Manual
L3-LL User Manual
2
L3-LL User Manual
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................4
1.1 WELCOME ..........................................................................................................................................................................4
1.2 PRODUCT OVERVIEW ......................................................................................................................................................... 5
1.3 CONCEPTS AND TERMINOLOGY ..........................................................................................................................................7
The Peak Limiting Mixer™.................................................................................................................................................7
Gain and Priority................................................................................................................................................................7
Separation...........................................................................................................................................................................7
L3-LL Release Behavior......................................................................................................................................................8
1.4 COMPONENTS..................................................................................................................................................................... 8
CHAPTER 2 – QUICKSTART GUIDE..................................................................................................................................9
CHAPTER 3 – CONTROLS AND INTERFACE.................................................................................................................10
3.1 GLOBAL LIMITER SECTION............................................................................................................................................... 10
3.2 GRAPH DISPLAY AND CONTROLS SECTION....................................................................................................................... 13
Main Display.....................................................................................................................................................................14
Band Controls ................................................................................................................................................................... 15
3.3 IDR™ SECTION ................................................................................................................................................................ 18
CHAPTER 4 – THE WAVESYSTEM................................................................................................................................... 19
4.1 THE WAVESYSTEM TOOLBAR ..........................................................................................................................................19
Toolbar Functions.............................................................................................................................................................19
4.2 PRESET HANDLING ...........................................................................................................................................................19
Preset Types......................................................................................................................................................................19
Loading Presets and Setups .............................................................................................................................................. 20
Saving Presets and Setups.................................................................................................................................................20
Deleting Presets ................................................................................................................................................................21
A/B Comparison and Copying ..........................................................................................................................................21
4.3 INTERFACE CONTROLS .....................................................................................................................................................21
Toggle Buttons ..................................................................................................................................................................21
Value Window Buttons......................................................................................................................................................22
Faders ............................................................................................................................................................................... 22
Band Markers....................................................................................................................................................................22
Multiple Selection of Controls ..........................................................................................................................................23
TAB Functions ..................................................................................................................................................................23
APPENDIX A – CONTROLS LIST.......................................................................................................................................24
APPENDIX B - IDR™ IN DEPTH .........................................................................................................................................25
Dithering and Noise Shaping............................................................................................................................................25
IDR™ Dither Options........................................................................................................................................................25
IDR™ Noise Shaping Options ...........................................................................................................................................26
3
L3-LL User Manual
Chapter 1 – Introduction
1.1 Welcome
Thank you for choosing Waves! In order to get the most out of your Waves processor, please take the
time to read through this manual.
In conjunction, we also suggest that you become familiar with
an extensive Answer Base, the latest Tech Specs, detailed Installation guides, new Software
Updates, and current information on Authorization and Registration.
By signing up at
products, reminders when updates are available, and information on your authorization status.
www.wavesupport.net, you will receive personalized information on your registered
www.wavesupport.net. There you will find
4
1.2 Product Overview
L3-LL User Manual
The Waves L3-LL Multimaximizer is a Low Latency 5-band auto-summing peak limiter, the fifth
processor in Waves’ acclaimed L-Series of Ultramaximizers and Multimaximizers. With the L3
Multimaximizer, Waves revolutionized the world of mastering. For the first time, producers and
engineers could shape their final mixes with unprecedented precision. Now, Waves is proud to present
the L3-LL, a multiband peak limiter that lets you maximize your mix, track by track, instrument by
instrument.
Powered by the Waves PLMixer™ Peak Limiting Mixer engine, the L3-LL offers Gain, Priority and
Release controls arranged in a 5 band interface. The L3-LL features a phase-compensated crossover
network that splits the signal into 5 adjustable frequency bands while maintaining minimal phase
distortion.
The L3-LL uses the same Profiles presets as its predecessor the L3, offering a wide variety of sonic
flavors ranging from analog warm to digital cool. Release Characters affect the behavior of the L3-LL’s
ARC™ Automatic Release Control across the split-band spectrum.
The L3-LL offers two different plug-in interfaces to control the same essential algorithm.
The L3-LL Ultramaximizer maintains the general control surface of its predecessors the L1 and L2.
It adds a Profile selection that controls different internal settings of the multiband engine.
The L3-LL Multimaximizer allows full parametric control over Gain, Priority and Release factors for
each frequency band, for equalization and fine tuning. In fact, the L3-LL offers much more than just
limiting; it can be used as a fully self-contained mastering chain.
5
L3-LL User Manual
Finally, the L3-LL features Waves IDR™ Increased Digital Resolution double precision bit requantization and 9
th
-order noise shaping, for enhanced audio resolution at any setting.
6
L3-LL User Manual
A
1.3 Concepts and Terminology
The Peak Limiting Mixer™
Traditional multiband limiters consist of a given number of limiters operating independently of each
other, each set to a particular frequency range.
PLMixer™ Peak Limiting Mixer engine, which uses a single peak limiter to control all of its bands.
Dividing the audio spectrum into 5 bands using phase-compensated crossover filters, the PLMixer™
uses psychoacoustic criteria to intelligently decide how much attenuation to apply to each band, using
all available headroom. The PLMixer™ incorporates superimposed Gain and Priority control that allow
the user to set gain and priority (relative limiting) across the audio spectrum, functioning like an EQ
before the L3-LL’s limiting section. The result is that inter-modulation distortion is minimized and overall
loudness is maximized, while retaining the simplicity of a single master threshold control.
Unlike traditional multiband limiters, the PLMixer™ does not require a wide band peak limiter to catch
overshoots generated by individual band adjustments; it automatically controls the gain relationship
between bands while maintaining brickwall limiting.
Gain and Priority
The L3-LL’s Gain curve and Priority control make for a very powerful mastering tool, enabling both
equalization and multiband limiting. The 5-band phase-compensated crossover engine is controlled by
4 frequency cutoff controls.
The key to the L3-LL’s power is its patent-pending
Separation
The L3-LL phase-compensated crossover allows control over the amount of Separation between its 5
bands. Separation is similar to a filter cutoff slope (or Q) between the bands’ sidechain being fed to the
PLMixer™. At low Separation settings, crossover slopes between bands are moderate, creating more
overlap between the bands. At higher Separation settings, the crossover slopes are steeper, resulting
in less overlap between the bands.
A. Frequency bands’
Side-Chain at low
Separation value
B. Frequency bands’
Side-Chain at high
Separation value
B
7
L3-LL User Manual
L3-LL Release Behavior
The L3-LL offers a wide range of sound qualities which are controlled using the release settings across
its frequency bands.
Like its predecessor the L3, the L3-LL’s band release times are determined by Waves ARC™ Auto
Release Control, which dynamically chooses the optimal release value for a wide range of inputs. The
ARC™ system, like the human ear, analyzes and reacts to RMS and peak transients differently,
resulting in increased RMS level with greater clarity.
While ARC™ is always engaged, the L3-LL Multimaximizer allows independent release controls for
each frequency band along with a global Master Release preset control. For example, a Master
Release preset could consist of relatively fast release values for the low frequency bands, with
gradually slower release values for the higher frequencies. Accordingly, this character would apply
more attenuation to the higher frequency range.
The L3-LL Ultramaximizer has Profiles that contain per band settings for Priority, Release, and
Separation, together with a global Release control that proportionately shortens or lengthens each
band’s release values.
We highly suggest that you experiment with the various Release parameters in order to discover the
wide range of sonic flavors the L3-LL can achieve.
1.4 Components
WaveShell technology enables us to split Waves processors into smaller plug-ins, which we call
components. Having a choice of components for a particular processor gives you the flexibility to
choose a configuration suitable for your material.
The L3-LL has two component processors:
L3-LL Multimaximizer Stereo - A stereo channel processor with individual band control.
L3-LL Multimaximizer Mono – A mono channel processor with individual band control.
L3-LL Ultramaximizer Stereo - A stereo channel processor with global band control.
L3-LL Ultramaximizer Mono – A mono channel processor with global band control.
8
Loading...