Oxford Limiter
by Sonnox · Limiter · Mastering / broadcast limiter
vst3s Score 8.7/10 · rated #6 of 10 limiters
A mastering and broadcast staple with strict inter-sample peak control. Its Enhance section raises perceived loudness without adding raw gain reduction.
It is known for staying clean when pushed and for reliable compliance with delivery specs.
Best for: Mastering, Mix Bus. Genres: all genres.
Keywords: mastering, enhancement, broadcast, bus processing, mix bus, true-peak, full mix, transparent, aggressive, clean, metering, musical, polish, punchy, single-band.
What it does
The Oxford Limiter is Sonnox's final-stage mastering limiter, pitched as delivering loudness, density and presence without crushing the mix. The current version is v4.
- Limiting: attack, release and variable soft-knee, with Enhanced Transient Control to keep attacks punchy at aggressive settings.
- Enhance: raises perceived loudness and detail beyond conventional limiting.
- True peak: the Recon meter shows the reconstructed signal, and Auto Comp corrects inter-sample errors while keeping loudness.
- Dither: TPDF dither for 24- and 16-bit output, with four noise-shaping modes.
When to use it
The Oxford Limiter is a transparent mastering limiter whose standout is the Enhance section. Tape Op said it "has replaced Waves L2 as my go-to", finding Enhance adds impact without raising peak level.
- Best for: final mastering and the mix bus, from light polish (half a dB of reduction) to hitting loudness targets.
- Genres: Tape Op used it for vocal definition on rap and lead-guitar articulation on rock; house producer Stonebridge uses it "on everything".
- Pairing: often used with Sonnox Inflator, which adds harmonic density, while the Limiter handles peaks.
What producers say
Users rate it highly: 4.8 out of 5 from 12 Sweetwater reviews, and around 4.8 at Plugin Boutique.
- Sweetwater users describe it as transparent yet musical; one engineer says it won a shootout against seven other limiters.
- Common settings (Produce Like A Pro): threshold at 0 dBFS, raise the input gain, fast attack and release to taste, Auto-Gain on, and Enhance to taste.
- Criticisms: Enhance distorts if pushed too far, gain staging takes learning, the price is high, and there's no interface scaling.
Where to buy
- Sweetwater: $264
- Plugin Boutique: $264
Tutorials and reviews
- Sonnox Quick Tips #8 - Enhancing mixes with the Oxford Limiter (Sonnox)
- Oxford Limiter Introduction
- The Secret of Sonnox Oxford Limiter
- Review - Oxford Limiter v2 By Sonnox
- Sonnox Oxford Limiter v2 Plug-In
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