Adaptive Limiter 2

Name: Adaptive Limiter 2
Price: 131.81 USD
Author: CEDAR

by CEDAR · Limiter · Spectral limiter

Not rated yet

A limiter that uses CEDAR Spectral Limiting, a continuously varying EQ profile, instead of single-band or multiband gain reduction.

It won an Emmy in its CEDAR Studio form, runs light enough for many instances, and offers peak and oversampling modes with built-in metering.

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

Keywords: spectral, metering, transparent, vocals, mastering, oversampling, bus processing, full mix, broadcast, clean, drum bus, extreme, mix bus, mixing, simple, single-band.

What it does

Adaptive Limiter 2 is CEDAR's "Emmy® winning limiting for audio production." Rather than a conventional single-band or multiband design, it uses an algorithm CEDAR calls Spectral Limiting to constrain peaks while keeping the audio intact.

Spectral Limiting: calculates a continuously varying EQ profile that constrains amplitude, with controls for how fast the profile changes over time and how much it can vary from frequency to frequency.
Modes: peak and oversampling modes, used for both limiting and loudness maximizing.
Metering: integrated metering in a simple single-window interface.
Efficiency: light enough to run as many instances as needed, so it can go on individual tracks, stems and vocals as well as the master.
Trial: a 14-day free trial is available from CEDAR's store.

Part of CEDAR's Icons range. It has a 14-day free trial.

Source: CEDAR product page

When to use it

Adaptive Limiter 2 has far fewer controls than FabFilter Pro-L 2 and iZotope Ozone 12 Maximizer, which give more styles, metering and loudness targets, or TDR Limiter 6 GE, which packs several dynamics stages into one plugin. Pick it when you want a transparent, frequency-dependent limiter that you can also use freely on individual tracks.

Best for: transparent final limiting on masters and stems, and keeping individual vocals or instruments at a consistent level in a mix.
Genres: any; CEDAR pitches it at music production, broadcast, DJs and mastering.
Look elsewhere if: you want mid/side processing, many limiting styles or detailed loudness metering; Pro-L 2 or Ozone 12 Maximizer cover those.
Standout: the Spectral Limiting algorithm, which reshapes the spectrum instead of turning the whole signal down.

What producers say

Reviewers consistently describe it as unusually transparent; the main complaints are price (in its older Studio form) and a missing mid/side mode.

Sound On Sound (2013): reviewing CEDAR Studio, Mike Thornton wrote "At first, I had to check that it was processing" and called it "an excellent 'broadcast type' real-time limiter."
Sound On Sound (2015): Hugh Robjohns found it "extremely natural and transparent" and very accurate at controlling peaks.
Md3sign Studio (2025): praised "clean limiting without pumping, distortion, or squashing the mix's dynamics" and liked it most at the mastering stage.
Gripe: Md3sign wrote "I would like to see it in Mid/Side mode"; Sound On Sound's 2013 review listed "Very expensive" as a con for the Studio bundle.

Where to buy

CEDAR: $131.81 (Listed at £99.50 plus tax; converted at £1 = $1.3247 (ECB rates, 29 Sep 2026))

Tutorials and reviews

The Best Mastering Limiter?! - CEDAR Audio Adaptive Limiter 2 (Md3sign Studio)
CEDAR ADAPTIVE LIMITER 2 REVIEW & TEST (Studio Life)
WHICH LIMITER IS THE LOUDEST - Adaptive Limiter 2 vs Adaptive Limiter APEX (Md3sign Studio)
Introducing CEDAR Studio's remarkable Adaptive Limiter

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