Big Blue Limiter (64-Bit)

Big Blue Limiter (64-Bit) is a character limiter. It is neither transparent nor intended to be. In fact it adds a little mojo to everything you run through it, if desired even when no limiting is taking place. Big Blue Limiter uses analog tube modelling in its limiting circuitry, which makes any limited warmer and fatter by adding a pleasing amount of coloration. And as if that weren’t enough it also features an independent preamp that just loves to be overdriven. Whenever your material lacks character or oomph you will find that Big Blue Limiter is exactly what it takes.

Big Blue Limiter is a character limiter. It is neither transparent nor intended to be. In fact it adds
some coloration to everything you run through it, if desired even when no limiting is taking
place.
The basic concept of a limiter is simple. In response to changes in the input signal level it
automatically adjusts gain such that the entire signal stays below a user-defined level. Despite
this seeming simplicity the limiter (and its close relative, the compressor) ranges among the
most powerful weapons in the audio arsenal. By altering the dynamic range of an audio signal
such that the the loudest peaks are reduced in volume, it can make material sound more
coherent and its nuances much easier to hear. When properly set up, a limiter rides gain much
like recording engineers raise and lower the faders on a mixing console to make the level more
consistent. Used this way it tightens up mixes and makes audio more upfront, punchy, and solid.
Some limiters also make the signal sound warmer and fatter. This too is familiar territory for Big
Blue Limiter. Its limiting circuitry contains vintage tube modelling that adds a pleasing amount
of coloration to any limited signal. And as if that weren’t enough it also features an independent
preamp that just loves to be overdriven. Whenever your material needs more body or oomph
you will find that Big Blue Limiter is exactly what it takes.
With its versatile sound, intuitive interface, easy operation, adjustable latency (all the way down
to 6 samples), and negligible CPU load Big Blue Limiter feels equally at home during a mix
session and a mastering session. Hearing is believing!

Big Blue Limiter comes in the form of a single installer for all available plugin formats: AAX, VST,
and Audio Units.
M a c o s x
1. If you have not already done so, please download and run the latest Big Blue Limiter
installer from www.112dB.com/download. Double click the Big Blue Limiter Installer.pkg file
to start the installer.
2. It is recommended to have a
quick look at the readme if this is
a new installation or an update,
as it may contain important last-minute information that was not
available at the time of writing.
3. You will be asked to agree to the
terms of the license agreement.
4. The installer installs all plugin
formats (VST2, AAX, and Audio
Units) by default.
5. You will be prompted for your
Mac password to complete the
installation.
6. If the installer detects you haven’t activated your license yet, the 112dB license manager will be started.

W i n d o w s
1. Run the Setup program to
launch the installer.
2 The setup program detects
whether you already have VST
or AAX plugins on your system
and selects the plugin formats
it installs accordingly. If you
wish you may override this
choice and manually select your
desired plugin formats.
3. By default Big Blue Limiter
installs to \Program Files\112dB\
Big Blue Limiter. In general, it is
not recommended to change
this but if you have a compelling reason to do so, either type in the desired directory in the
Destination Folder box, or click on the Browse button to the right of the Destination Folder
box and select the directory within which you would like Big Blue Limiter installed.
4. If you opted to install the VST plugin, the Choose VST Location step is one you should pay
attention to. The setup program should detect your default plugin folder, but you may
prefer another directory for your plugins – particularly if you use multiple hosts – in which
case you will need to manually direct the installer to the desired directory. The process for
this is identical to that in the previous step.
5. The Start Menu Folder step is for convenience and for quick access to troubleshooting
files. Currently, it points to the readme, the error log, this manual, and the uninstaller
executable. It should be noted that all of these files are directly accessible in the Big Blue
Limiter program folder (wherever the installer was directed in Step 6. In addition the
uninstaller for Big Blue Limiter will be listed under Control Panel » Add/Remove Programs, so
if you like to keep your start menu clean, you can safely select Do Not Create Shortcuts.
6. After Big Blue Limiter installs, Setup is complete and you may click the Finish button. It
is recommended to view the readme if this is a new installation or an update, as it may
contain important last-minute information that was not available at the time of writing.

A u t h o r i z a t i o n
Our plugins do not rely on a dongle or challenge/response authorization for copy protection, as
these schemes place an unnecessary burden on the customer. Instead we protect our plugins
by means of a key file – a text file that holds your personal authorization. Unlike challenge/
response authorization our key files are not tied to a specific computer system. Thus you can use
the same key file for authorizing a copy of our plugins on any system, now and at any point in the
future.
Unlike most challenge/response authorization schemes, you do not need our permission to
change your hardware, upgrade to a new operating system, or even to install the plugin on your
studio setup, your home computer, and your travel notebook all at the same time. You will find
that this is one of the least intrusive forms of copy protection you are likely to encounter.
I n s t a l l i n g a N e w A u t h o r i z a t i o n
The authorization process itself is equally simple. With your purchase or demo download you
should have received an email containing a license (in the form of an XML keyfile). To authorize,
save this keyfile to your desktop, fire up your preferred host, and load the plugin. Big Blue
Limiter now prompts you to locate a license file. Navigate to the folder where you saved the
keyfile and click Ok. That’s all there is to it, Big Blue Limiter is now fully functional.
U p g r a d i n g a n E x i s t i n g A u t h o r i z a t i o n
To upgrade your authorization from a time-limited demo to a purchased full license, first save
the permanent XML license from your purchase confirmation email to your desktop as described
above. To replace the demo license with the permanent license, open a Big Blue Limiter plugin
window in your favorite host and right click anywhere in the window and select Load existing
license file…
Should you encounter any problems during the authorization process please contact our
support staff by email at <s[email protected]>. We will accommodate you as soon as humanly
possible.

The Big Blue Limiter interface has been designed to be as intuitive and easy to operate as possible. However, in the interest of innovation, some functions operate in ways that may be initially unfamiliar. This section will cover the less obvious aspects of the interface. T o o l t i p s If you’re lost, hovering over any item of the interface for approximately one second brings up a floating tooltip window with a brief description of that control’s function. These tooltips can be disabled by right-clicking anywhere on the interface and deselecting Show Tooltips from the popup menu that, well… pops up. R e s e t t o D e f a u l t V a l u e -clicking knobs and sliders will reset them to their default value. This is handy if you would like to undo some programming you have done. N u m e r i c a l V a l u e E n t r y Double-clicking knobs will open a small edit window that allows you to type the desired value from the keyboard for maximal value control. To dispose of the edit window either hit or click anywhere outside the window. M o u s e w h e e l All interface controls – knobs, sliders, even buttons – support mouse wheel control. If your mouse is equipped with a scroll wheel simply hover the mouse pointer above the control you want to adjust and move the wheel up (to increase its value) or down (to decrease it)

K n o b M o d e s
By default all knobs are in Linear mode:
clicking and moving the mouse up (or
down) turns the knob clockwise (or
counterclockwise). Moving either left or right
also turns the knob but in a slower fashion for
more precise control.
If you prefer you can change the knob control
mode to either Circular Absolute or Circular
Relative mode by right-clicking a knob and
opening the Knob Mode menu. In either
of the circular modes knobs function like
hardware knobs; click and drag clockwise
or counterclockwise to turn the knob
accordingly. The difference between the two circular modes is that in circular absolute mode
the knob turns to the exact same position of the mouse pointer—for example, moving the
mouse pointer to a 3 o’clock position also moves the knob to the same position.
In contrast, in circular relative mode the knob turns from its initial position (from before you
clicked it) by the amount that you move the mouse clockwise or counterclockwise. For example,
clicking a knob with the mouse pointer at the 12 o’clock position and moving the mouse pointer
to the 3 o’clock position – or one quarter turn – will also turn the knob by one quarter turn
relative to its initial position. This is more confusing to read than to see it in action!
D e t e n t s
Sliders and knobs have a built-in detent that remembers their previous position. For example,
assume that a knob is at its 12 o’clock position before you click it. Once you click and move the
knob back and forth you will notice that it snaps to its previous (the 12 o’clock) position. This
allows you to easily try simple adjustments and still revert to the previous position in case the
adjustment turns out not to be an improvement.

i d i A u t o m a t i o n
In addition to host-based automation, all useful controls can be controlled by an external
MIDI keyboard or MIDI controller. To assign a MIDI control simply right-click on the control in
question and a menu will pop up. You can either directly choose a MIDI control from the MIDI
Controllers submenu, or choose Learn… and move the control you want to assign on your
external MIDI keyboard or controller within ten seconds. Big Blue Limiter will automatically
assign the control (and remember it from now on, even for new plugin instances).
To remove a previously established MIDI mapping choose Forget from the popup menu.
Al t e r n a t i v e S k i n s
Big Blue Limiter supports custom skins that modify the appearance of the plugin. At present it
comes with two additional skins. Modern by Scott Kane gives the plugin a completely different
look & feel. XL will make the whole plugin larger. Additional skins may be made available as
downloads from the 112dB site. To load a skin right (cmd)-click anywhere on the plugin interface
and select a skin from the Skins submenu. You will be asked to close en re-open the plugin
window for the change to take effect.

Features:

• Variable-knee limiting with proprietary tube modelling.
• Separate preamp section for extra overdrive.
• User-adjustable latency from 0.01 to 5ms (6 to 440 samples @ 44.1kHz).
• A/B compare mode with automatic level compensation.
• Low CPU load.
• Support for sample rates up to 384kHz.
• Full parameter automation.
• Native 32 and 64-bit versions (Windows).