United Plugins have today released FireMaximizer, a versatile new limiter plug-in developed by FireSonic that combines four different algorithms and allows users to blend seamlessly between them to achieve their desired results.
The centre of FireMaximizer’s GUI features an X/Y pad that provides a blend control between the plug-in’s Clip, Saturate, Limit, and Multiband modes. The company say that Clip is best suited to providing obvious and aggressive sounding limiting, and can work well for genres such as metal as well as a variety of electronic music. Saturate operates in a similar manner, but as the name suggests, also introduces some analogue-style distortion to the signal. Limit mode offers a classic brickwall limiter, and results in more transparent sound at the cost of a lower perceived loudness, whilst Multiband applies that same processing across multiple frequency bands, offering increased loudness whilst maintaining a neutral sound character.
Input gain is controlled by a Drive parameter which ranges from -6 to +24dB, whilst a Clean dial allows users to lower the amount of distortion produced by the limiters at the cost of reduced loudness (this control has no effect on the Clip and Saturate modes). A Look-ahead function can also be used to reduce distortion, although will introduce latency, and United Plugins advise that there may be audible glitches when changing the control in some DAWs due to updates to their latency compensation systems. Finally, a Ceiling fader provides a final output control, allowing users to reduce the level from its default 0dBFS.
Some helpful functionality is provided by the plug-in’s top toolbar, such as A/B comparison buttons, undo and redo functions, and a Copy button which allows settings to be transferred between the A and B slots. Oversampling can be engaged to increase the internal resolution, with 2x, 4x, 8x, and 16x options available, and a Presets menu comes equipped with a selection of factory settings as well as allowing users to store and recall their own.
Compatibility
FireMaximizer is supported on PCs running Windows 8 and above, and Macs running macOS 10.10 and higher. It is available in VST, VST3, AU, and AAX formats.
Pricing & Availability
FireMaximizer is available now, and is currently (16 January 2023) being offered for an introductory price of $31£26 including VAT / €29, reduced from its full cost of $129£105 including VAT / €119.
