Chandler Limited® Zener Limiter is a limiter and compressor plugin from Softube, an emulation of the Chandler Limited hardware descended from the Abbey Road Studios limiters.
Softube developed the Chandler Limited® Zener Limiter in collaboration with Chandler Limited and with the involvement of Wade Goeke, the creator of the original hardware. The plugin is built on the limiters used at Abbey Road Studios and aims to reproduce the character of that vintage gear. It covers both limiting and compression, and adds features the hardware does not have, such as Mid/Side processing and an external sidechain.
The Zener Limiter's circuit uses zener diodes, which are difficult to implement well. Softube says it emulated the full circuit, including transformers, circuit nonlinearities and germanium transistors.
The Input Gain control drives the signal for more or less distortion. The THD toggle disengages the limiter threshold and produces a smooth distortion with a high-frequency bump from the discrete amplifiers and zener limiting circuit.
The Comp 1/Comp 2/Limit switch sets the overall response. Comp 1 is described as a 2:1 ratio with slower time constants, Limit is very fast, and Comp 2 sits between them, with the compression curve of Comp 1 and the faster release of Limit.
Mid/Side processing, External Sidechain and Link Channels extend the hardware workflow. Link Channels ties left and right in stereo mode, or Mid and Side in Mid/Side mode, and External Sidechain lets an outside signal drive the compressor.
Formats, systems and requirements as listed by Plugin Boutique. Missing details are left out, not guessed.
| Developer | Softube |
|---|---|
| Type | Plugin |
| Category | Limiter |
| Formats | VST3, VST2, AU, AAX, RTAS |
| Operating systems | Windows, macOS |
| Architecture | 64-bit |
It is a limiter and compressor plugin from Softube that emulates the Chandler Limited hardware descended from the Abbey Road Studios limiters. It includes Mid/Side processing and an External Sidechain that the original hardware lacks.
The plugin is available in VST3, VST2, AU, AAX and RTAS formats for Windows and macOS. It is a 64-bit plugin.
You need a compatible 64-bit host such as Pro Tools, Logic Pro, Cubase, Ableton Live, Studio One or Reaper, a Softube account and an iLok account. macOS Big Sur 11 or later or Windows 10 or 11 is required, along with internet access for installers and license management.
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