Distortion if limiter on regular track, but on on master track??

[Obe1]

Here's the situation. I'll be mixing a kick on a track, stereo or mono doesn't matter, and I'll get the processing close to where I want it, but as soon as I add a limiter it distorts. However if if I add a master track to the session with the output set to the monitors, and add a limiter to that, the distortion isn't there. Why would a limiter on a master track set to the monitor outputs not distort at that level but it will if I add it to a single track?

[Craig F]

insets on Master Faders are post fader and it's dither

[Obe1]

Originally Posted by Craig F

insets on Master Faders are post fader and it's dither

I know about the pre/post fader differences between master and regular tracks, but if the fader is at a certain level on the regular track, and the master fader is at zero, there should be no difference in the level going into the limiter whether its on the regular track or master fader, right? And isn't the dither the same on the plugin regardless of what kind of track it's on? Thanks for the input btw, I'm really trying to learn what's happening here.

[Obe1]

Alright I'm finding new things out here. I've been doing some experimenting to see if I can pin point what's happening and I found out that if I bus the original kick and SC kick to a STEREO aux instead of a mono aux, then I don't get the distortion. Now one might think "well that's because the signal went down 3db from going to stereo" but I even added 3db to the signal (before limiter) to see if that would make a difference but it didn't. To be honest the biggest difference is the bass. If the kick signals are bussed to a mono aux, and a limiter is placed on there, then i get a very thin sounding distortion. But if the kicks are bussed to a stereo aux then not only is the distortion gone, but the bass remains. And if there is any distortion (would really have to be feeding it hot in the digital domain), then you will hear a little distortion, but the bass doesn't completely disappear like it does on the mono bus. So weird X(

[Basstian]

Originally Posted by Obe1

Alright I'm finding new things out here. I've been doing some experimenting to see if I can pin point what's happening and I found out that if I bus the original kick and SC kick to a STEREO aux instead of a mono aux, then I don't get the distortion. Now one might think "well that's because the signal went down 3db from going to stereo" but I even added 3db to the signal (before limiter) to see if that would make a difference but it didn't. To be honest the biggest difference is the bass. If the kick signals are bussed to a mono aux, and a limiter is placed on there, then i get a very thin sounding distortion. But if the kicks are bussed to a stereo aux then not only is the distortion gone, but the bass remains. And if there is any distortion (would really have to be feeding it hot in the digital domain), then you will hear a little distortion, but the bass doesn't completely disappear like it does on the mono bus. So weird X(

Do you have delay compensation on? Sometime it does not work as exspected with third party plug ins. Sounds like you are geting phasing issues when summing to mono.

[Obe1]

Originally Posted by Basstian

Do you have delay compensation on? Sometime it does not work as exspected with third party plug ins. Sounds like you are geting phasing issues when summing to mono.

You know it's funny you ask that, yes I do. I though that might have been an issue an actually tested the problem with a mono kick instead of a stereo kick and it didn't make a difference. But I've found a way to circumvent the problem, I don't have time to figure this stuff out I have music to make lol Thanks for your help.