The Bus algorithm is the furthest from transparent, adding a fairly obvious colouration to the signal which isn’t always going to be appropriate for mastering, but is meant more for processing drums (either as a buss, or individual tracks), perhaps as a parallel, heavily squashed channel. The Aggressive algorithm pushes the punch even further, adding light clipping to the sound for a more in-your-face approach, which sounds great, so long as it isn’t pushed too hard. The Safe algorithm has been designed with zero-distortion as the goal, and is a great choice for acoustic, orchestral or jazz pieces, which typically don’t need to be as loud, but it doesn’t have the punch that is present with a touch of the Modern limiting. The new Modern algorithm has been designed to work as a good starting point all-rounder, and in our tests was remarkably transparent when applying typical amounts of limiting. Of the eight algorithms in Pro-L 2, four are completely new Modern, Safe, Aggressive and Bus.

While we have previously used MeterPlugs’ Perception for this task, having the option built into the limiter is far more convenient, and makes getting the perfect result faster and smoother.

Applying FabFilter in this slot opens up another new option though.īy engaging the Unity Gain option you can listen to the effect the limiting is having on the material without any associated increase in level. When mastering we like to add the limiter to the last slot in our chain first, bringing the level up to what we feel to be right for the song before then applying any further processing. In addition, FabFilter has added a number of further features aimed at expanding the functionality of the plug-in, beyond simply making tracks louder. But now, a limiter has to be able to deliver more than simple loudness.įabFilter Pro-L 2 delivers this with a range of eight limiting algorithms, each designed with their own character, providing eight different flavours which can be applied to different program material. While heavy limiting during mastering has become less fashionable recently, forcing mastering engineers to work harder to get loud and punchy results without simply resorting to squashing the life out of a mix, a high-quality limiter is still an essential tool, both in mixing and mastering.

Like the Pro-Q and Pro-C before it however, FabFilter has now taken the time to re-evaluate Pro-L, updating the plug-in, and ensuring that it retains its place on our shortlist – but has it done enough to replace the competition and become our go-to limiter for all scenarios? Not only did the limiting algorithms each sound superb, but the graphical interface made using the Pro-L incredibly simple and enjoyable. Like so many of FabFilter’s other plug-ins, the original FabFilter Pro-L limiter had become a staple of our mix and mastering sessions. Price £149 Contact FabFilter Pro-L 2 key features:

L2 stereo master