We wanted to put together some tips on HF limiting for anyone learning to master for vinyl. The industry standard hardware for this is the Maselec MDS-2, but costing several thousand pounds it's way out of reach for many people. However there's a digital alternative that can work in a very similar way if you set it up right and sounds amazing.
TDR Limiter 6 GE ‘HF Limiter’ Module
TDR Limiter 6 GE has a module called the 'HF Limiter’. There are different ways to set it up, but one mode in particular is ideal for mastering, especially for vinyl, that is Relative mode.
In Absolute mode, the HF limiter reacts whenever high frequencies cross a fixed threshold. Relative mode is different, it looks at the balance between your full bandwidth signal and the HF content, responding to the relationship between the two rather than just the absolute HF level. This is important for when you've got dynamic material with loud and quiet sections. You don't want the HF limiter working on quiet parts just because they happen to be bright. Relative mode responds to the overall spectral balance, which is way more musical and useful for mastering.
For vinyl mastering, setting the corner frequency around 2.5kHz works really well, this is basically how the Maselec MDS-2 operates. The Maselec's HF limiter starts around 2kHz, controlling everything from upper mids through to the top end. Not just vocal sibilance, but snare cracks, guitar harshness, cymbals, everything. TDR Limiter 6 GE ‘HF Limiter’ in Relative mode at 2.5kHz gives you the same approach and works incredibly well for the same task. It's a good alternative if you're learning vinyl mastering and want great results without spending thousands on hardware.
Tip: Use the 'Delta' button to hear exactly what you're catching, this makes it much easier to dial in the right amount without overdoing it, which is easy to do!
Note: This is not a paid advertisement, we simply talk about Tokyo Dawn a lot as their coding and processors are incredible!