L1 Ultramaximizer is Waves’ first-ever limiter: a look-ahead peak limiter that maximises both the level and the resolution of your masters.

L1 quickly became a favourite among audio engineers, whether to control peaks, change the dynamics and character of instruments or make louder masters. It is transparent and punchy, responds quickly without overshoot and uses true peak limiting to eliminate inter-sample clipping. Because music contains many short, high-intensity peaks, L1 can significantly raise the average level without audible side effects, while IDR dithering provides superb re-quantisation at all bit depths.

Features

• True peak limiting for streaming services’ requirements
• Look-ahead for instantaneous attack
• IDR dithering and multiple noise-shaping options
• Auto-release adapts to changes in dynamics
• Low-latency processing for live sound

Technical details

• Operating systems: Windows, macOS
• Plug-in formats: VST3, Audio Unit (macOS only), AAX
• Architecture: 64 bit
• Licensing: licence key, machine-bound or USB flash drive (via Waves Central)

System requirements

• macOS 14 Sonoma, 15 Sequoia, 26 Tahoe or 27 Golden Gate (Apple silicon or Intel)
• Windows 10 64-bit (version 22H2) or Windows 11 (Intel or AMD, x64)
• 16 GB RAM
• 30 GB free disk space on the system drive

The licence is registered with the manufacturer at https://www.waves.com/downloads/central. You will receive your serial number and the download link by e-mail immediately after purchase.