Quick Answer
Use TDR Limiter 6 GE only. Keep the Compressor and HF Limiter modules disabled. Let the clipper trim spikes, let the peak limiter handle loudness, and set the ceiling to -1.0 dB true peak.
Signal Flow
Approved Limiter Bus Structure
Stereo Out is not the main processing stage. The Limiter Bus is. Do not create a separate clipper bus before it, and do not treat the HF Limiter as a low-end control tool. In the approved chain, HF Limiter stays disabled.
Plugin Stack
Approved Limiter 6 Strategy
Clipper and limiter both live inside the same plugin. Clipper handles spikes. Peak limiter handles loudness. Output handles true peak ceiling.
Enabled Modules
Clipper, Peak Limiter, Output.
Disabled Modules
Compressor, HF Limiter, and any unnecessary extras.
Clipper Settings Direction
Drive about 2–3 dB, Threshold around -0.8 dB, Mode B.WALL. It should react slightly and occasionally.
Peak Limiter Settings Direction
Drive about 3–5 dB depending on material, Type MULTI B, Limit B.WALL, Recovery Fast, Ahead 1x, Dry 0%, Focus 0. Aim for roughly 1–3 dB of gain reduction.
Output Settings
True Peak ON, Ceiling -1.0 dB, Drive 0.
System Logic
Why the limiter stays simple
If the limiter is doing much more than about 1–3 dB of work, the actual fix is usually upstream gain staging.
Clipper trims spikes before they make the limiter work harder than necessary.
Leaving HF Limiter disabled avoids confusing a high-frequency control module with low-end management.
Avoid These
Common mistakes
Creating a separate clipper bus before the Limiter Bus.
Trying to do creative tonal shaping at the limiter stage.
Describing HF Limiter as low-end control. It is not.