Harmonic Maximizer

Name: Harmonic Maximizer
Price: 45 USD
Author: Audiority

by Audiority · Saturation · Multiband exciter and loudness maximizer

Not rated yet

Harmonic Maximizer combines a multiband exciter with a loudness maximizer.

It has auto gain, auto release, saturation, blending and an HQ mode, for $49.

Best for: Mastering, Mix Bus, Vocals, Drums, Bass. Genres: all genres.

Keywords: enhancement, exciter, multi-band, bright, drums, vocals, auto-gain, bus processing, electric guitar, full mix, mix bus, built-in mix knob, bass, beginner-friendly, clean, gritty, mastering, minimal controls, mixing, overdrive, parallel processing, single knob, wide.

What it does

Harmonic Maximizer is Audiority's multiband exciter and loudness maximizer in one plugin, meant to make tracks "powerful and more alive." It adds harmonics in separate frequency bands, then raises the level with a limiter-style maximizer.

Six-band exciter: six bands spread from 20 Hz to 12 kHz, each adding up to 24 dB of harmonic saturation over an adjustable range.
Maximizer: a Push knob lowers the limiter threshold and raises makeup gain at the same time, so one control sets the loudness.
Overdrive: an extra saturation algorithm in the maximizer section for added distortion and grit.
Auto controls: auto gain and auto release, so the output level and limiter recovery follow the material.
Blend: a dry/wet mix for parallel processing, useful for keeping the original transients under the excited signal.
Quality: an HQ mode for cleaner processing.

The current version is 1.3.1 (July 2025). A demo is available; in demo mode the plugin outputs 3 seconds of silence every minute.

Source: Audiority product page

When to use it

Harmonic Maximizer is the pick for brightening and finishing a bus or master in one plugin, with band-by-band control over where the harmonics go. Compared with Decapitator and Saturation Knob, which drive the whole signal, it lets you excite only the top or the low mids and leave the rest alone. Unlike the HG-2, it is not modelled on tube hardware, and its sound is more about presence and loudness than analog colour. Its built-in maximizer saves a separate limiter for quick jobs, but it is not a full mastering limiter with true-peak or loudness metering.

Best for: adding presence, brightness and loudness to mix buses, stems, masters and single tracks such as drums, guitars and vocals.
Genres: any; especially pop, rock and electronic mixes that need more bite.
Look elsewhere if: you want a dedicated mastering limiter (Pro-L 2) or analog-style colour on the whole signal (Decapitator, HG-2).
Tip: low to moderate gain in a few key bands gives a gentle lift; heavier settings turn crunchy quickly, so use the blend control.

What producers say

Computer Music found it a quality maximizer at a great price, with weak documentation the only real complaint.

Computer Music (via MusicRadar, 2017) praised its value, ease of use and how well it shapes brightness on the mix bus, and found it useful on drums, guitars and vocals.
Criticisms: a thin manual (Computer Music); stronger settings give a "crunchier character that needs to be handled with care."
KVR users rate it 5 out of 5 from 1 review.

Where to buy

Plugin Boutique: $45
Audiority: $49

Tutorials and reviews

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