Limiter

Limiter operator properties for Script Engine. Acts as a "ceiling" on the audio: any signal that would otherwise rise above the chosen limit is held down so it cannot pass. Useful as the last stage in the audio chain to guarantee the program never clips, to safely add overall loudness without distortion, and to tame occasional peaks (cymbal hits, plosives, sudden loud words). Uses lookahead so peaks are caught cleanly — the cost is a small added latency equal to the attack time.

Property	Type	Access	Description
`InputGainDb`	`float`	`get/set`	Gain applied to the audio before it hits the limiter, in decibels. [min=-24, max=24, default=0]. Boost the input to drive more signal into the limiter (more peaks get caught, the program sounds louder); cut it when the source is already too hot. The limiter still catches whatever ends up above `LimitDb` — input gain just changes how often it has to work.
`LimitDb`	`float`	`get/set`	Maximum allowed output level, in decibels. [min=-48, max=0, default=-6]. Sets the absolute ceiling — output never goes above this value. 0 dB is full scale (digital max). Broadcast deliveries typically use −1 to −2 dB to leave headroom for downstream encoders; streaming and music can sit closer to 0 dB.
`Attack`	`float`	`get/set`	How quickly the limiter clamps down on a peak, in milliseconds. [min=1, max=200, default=5]. Also sets the lookahead delay added to the audio path, so shorter attacks reduce latency. Very short attacks (1–5 ms) catch sharp transients but can sound harsh on percussive material; longer attacks (20–100 ms) sound smoother but let brief peaks slip past.
`Release`	`float`	`get/set`	How quickly the limiter lets the level back up after a peak, in milliseconds. [min=5, max=5000, default=50]. Short releases recover fast and sound louder, but can cause audible "pumping" on busy material. Longer releases (200–1000 ms) sound more transparent but reduce average loudness. Match release to the program — speech tolerates faster release than sustained music.
`OutputGainDb`	`float`	`get/set`	Gain applied after the limiter, in decibels. [min=-24, max=24, default=0]. Trim the final program level. Note that boosting here can push the output above `LimitDb` again — for a hard ceiling, leave this at 0 and instead drive harder with `InputGainDb`.
`AutoLevel`	`bool`	`get/set`	When true, automatically scales the output to maintain consistent average level. [default=true]. Compensates for the gain reduction the limiter applies, giving a more uniform perceived loudness without manual rebalancing. Disable for a "true" limiter where only peaks above `LimitDb` are touched and quiet passages stay quiet.
`AscEnabled`	`bool`	`get/set`	When true, enables Auto-Sustain Compensation. [default=false]. ASC adapts the release time based on incoming signal dynamics, helping the limiter react more naturally to a mix of short peaks and sustained loud passages. Try this when a fixed `Release` value either pumps on quiet sections or fails to recover in time.
`AscLevel`	`float`	`get/set`	How strongly Auto-Sustain Compensation influences the release behaviour, 0–1. [default=0.5]. Only takes effect when `AscEnabled` is true. 0 = no influence (uses the static `Release` value), 1 = ASC fully drives the release timing. Mid values blend the two.
`LatencyCompensation`	`bool`	`get/set`	When true, compensates for the lookahead delay so audio stays time-aligned with other signals. [default=false]. The limiter normally introduces a small delay equal to `Attack` for its lookahead. Enable this to keep the output in sync with parallel audio paths or with video.
`SignalOverLoad`	`bool`	`get`	True when the limiter's output has clipped despite limiting (read-only). A working limiter shouldn't trip this — if it does, the output stage (`OutputGainDb` or `AutoLevel`) is pushing the signal past full scale. Auto-resets after 2 seconds.
`PeakValueDbString`	`string`	`get`	Highest level reached during the most recent overload, in decibels (read-only). Updated whenever `SignalOverLoad` trips, and auto-resets after 2 seconds.
`ResetCommand`	`Command`	`get`	Reset all settings to their defaults (0 dB in/out, −6 dB limit, 5 ms attack, 50 ms release, auto-level on, ASC off).
`SamplesRendered`	`int`	`get`	Total number of audio samples processed by the limiter (read-only, debug).

Inherits from: AbstractAudioOperator, AbstractOperator, AbstractAudioMetering.

See also: Limiter in Operators — user-facing introduction, screenshots, and section summaries.