The Cherry Audio Limiter module is an extreme "brickwall" style limiter for audio signals. Limiters can be used subtly to "catch" the loudest peaks of a signal to keep it from clipping or quite aggressively to "smash" a signal’s dynamics. They are famously known for their use in the mastering process to increase the overall level of a song while also making it sound punchier and "larger than life."
Inputs, Outputs, and Controls
Input jack- Patch audio signals here.
Reduction- Increases the amount of gain reduction. On many limiters, this knob is referred to as "Gain" or "Input Gain." Turning the knob up increases the level of the input signal being sent to the limiter’s level detector. The louder the signal is, the more "Reduction" is needed to keep the signal from exceeding 0dB.
VU Meter (Red./Out)- This VU meter can be set to display the limiter’s amount of gain reduction (Red.) or its output level (Out). When Red. is selected, the meter’s needle will remain still at 0VU until the input signal exceeds 0db at which point it moves left to display how much the signal is being reduced to keep it from crossing 0dB. When Out is selected, the meter behaves as a typical VU meter displaying the level of the output signal.
Makeup Gain- This increases the volume of the output signal to "make up" for the amount of gain reduction imparted by the limiter.
Output jack- Outputs the limited audio signal.