Volume Maximizer

Use the Volume Maximizer tab to boost the overall level of a signal without clipping or distorting the sound or to limit the signal's peak amplitude.

Using the volume maximizer

Open the Wave Hammer dialog and click the Volume Maximizer tab.

Choose a preset from the Name drop-down list, or adjust the controls as desired:

a. Audio peaks above the Threshold setting will be limited while minimizing any possible distortion.

b. Drag the Output level fader to set the level to which peaks above the Threshold setting will be boosted or cut. For example, if the Threshold fader is set to -10 dB and the Output level fader is set to-2 dB, the audio will be boosted 8 dB so that peaks above the Threshold setting will reach -2 dB in volume.

c. Drag the Release time slider to set the time it takes the gain of the dynamics processor to change from one to zero once the level falls below the threshold.

A long Release time preserves natural-sounding decays; otherwise long decays will be cut off.

d. Select the Use longer look-ahead check box if you want the volume maximizer to scan further into the incoming audio to determine how much compression is needed. This will result in compression starting before the attack, allowing for slower attack time settings to be used.

In some applications, this option may produce unnatural pre-compression (i.e. fades before attacks).