El Juan Limiter

Name: El Juan Limiter
Price: 29.99 USD
Author: Korneff Audio

by Korneff Audio · Limiter · Brickwall limiter

Not rated yet

El Juan Limiter reimagines a classic early software limiter, keeping the threshold-and-ceiling feel and adding release modes, input shaping and tone options.

It also has variable dithering down to 4 bits, for $29.99.

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

Keywords: bus processing, crunchy, classic, drums, full mix, mastering, Apple Silicon native, beta, British console, drum bus, dual-mono, mid/side, mix bus, mixing, perpetual licence, punchy, single-band, smooth, stereo-linked, vintage, warm.

What it does

El Juan is Korneff Audio's take on the classic threshold-and-ceiling software limiter, with added choices for tone and drive. The developer calls it "a seamless combination of familiar feel and expanded versatility".

Core controls: Threshold sets the gain reduction, Ceiling sets the output limit (starting at −1 dB), and an Input control fine-tunes the drive.
Release modes: Manual with an adjustable release time, Auto (signal-dependent, which the developer bases on a British console bus compressor) and Sync (locked to the host tempo).
Stereo linking: Stereo, Dual Mono and Mid/Side, with adjustable emphasis.
Input waveshaping: Flat, Round (harmonic warming) or Punchy (more loudness and punch) before the limiter.
Tone: Flat, Thick (more low end), Presence (a 2–5 kHz lift), Bright (more top) or Hype (exaggerated top and bottom).
Dither and low-res: 24-bit and 16-bit dither, plus a low-res slider that goes down to 4-bit for crunchy, vintage-sampler effects.

The current version is 1.0.6, with lifetime updates.

Source: Korneff Audio product page

When to use it

El Juan keeps the simple layout of Waves L2 Ultramaximizer but adds tone, waveshaping and tempo-synced release, so it can colour a signal as well as limit it. Compared with Pro-L 2 or Voxengo Elephant it has far fewer limiting styles and no loudness or true-peak metering, so it is weaker as a final mastering limiter. It is closer in spirit to TDR Limiter 6 GE as a cheap, flexible option, but leans towards character rather than precision. Its low-res slider also makes it a lo-fi effect, which none of those limiters offer.

Best for: bus limiting with character, quick loudness on demos and stems, and crunchy, bit-reduced drums.
Genres: hip-hop, breakbeat, rock and lo-fi, and any style that wants a coloured limiter.
Look elsewhere if: you need detailed metering and true-peak limiting for final masters; Pro-L 2 or Elevate suit that better.
Tip: slam drum loops with the bit depth slid down for a digital-distortion crunch; BPB found it "sounds killer on Amen breaks".

What producers say

Early press sees it as a useful, characterful bus limiter rather than a transparent final limiter.

Bedroom Producers Blog (William Frady, January 2024, during the open beta) called it "a very useful bus limiter" and praised the input character and tone options, the bit-depth crunch and smooth running in Logic on Apple Silicon.
Criticisms: the reviewer said he would still reach for DMG Limitless over El Juan for final peak limiting.

Bedroom Producers Blog article

Where to buy

Korneff Audio: $29.99
PluginFox: $29.99

Tutorials and reviews

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