Chandler Limited® Zener Limiter®
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A soulful evolution of the legendary British console limiter.
Inspired by the iconic EMI TG limiters from Abbey Road Studios, Chandler Limited’s TG12413 Zener Limiter exudes the sonic majesty of the vintage hardware used to record Pink Floyd and The Beatles. The Chandler Limited TG12413 Zener Limiter is an evolution of historic EMI limiters, and reimagined to work in a modern context. With greatly expanded range and settings, Chandler Limited took the retro sonics of the original EMI hardware a step further.
Now, developed by Softube — and available exclusively for UAD-2 hardware and Apollo interfaces — the Chandler Limited Zener Limiter plug-in is an exacting emulation of this prized limiter, with extended functionality including Mid/Side processing.Shape and color your mixes with the only authentic emulation of Chandler Limited's best-in-class limiter
Give your tracks the unique warmth and character of rare zener diode topology
Use the THD feature to easily add rich harmonic distortion to signals
Tame high-frequency transients without losing low-end punch via the Side Chain control
Harness plug-in-only features Mid/Side and Channel Linking to tweak width and punch
Mix with artist presets from Tony Maserati (Beyonce) Howard Willing (Smashing Pumpkins), Kevin Kadish (Jason Mraz), and more
Take a Listen
Joe Chiccarelli Tips
UAD Chandler Limited Zener Limiter Plug‑In
A Rare Circuit
Like the classic EMI/Abbey Road TG limiters, the Chandler Limited Zener Limiter’s circuit employs zener diodes — rather than other limiter topologies such as optical (Teletronix LA-2A), FET (1176), or VCA (SSL G-Master Buss) or diode bridge (Neve 33609). Zener diode’s are notoriously challenging to employ, but the payoff is a colorful, punchy, wonderfully fast limiter with personality to spare. Using an advanced algorithm, Softube expertly emulates the Chandler Limited Zener Limiter’s entire circuit, including its transformers and circuit nonlinearities and germanium transistors.
Fine-Tuned Attack and Release
The original EMI limiters featured a single attack setting and six release settings. The Chandler Limited TG12413 Zener Limiter boasts 11 attack and 21 release settings, greatly enhancing its usefulness in your workflows and ensuring just the right setting for your sources.
Expanded Limiting Flavors
Use the switchable input impedance to drive the Chandler Limited Zener Limiter plug-in for more severe limiting, and tweak the THD control for smooth, organic distortion with a high-frequency bump. The ultra-useful Side Chain feature removes low frequencies feeding the limiter — perfect for gentle limiting on buses or for reducing cymbal splashiness when crushing drum room mics.
Mastering and More
Like the hardware, the Chandler Limited Zener Limiter plug-in is flexible enough for tracking, mixing, or mastering scenarios. Smooth-out and add character to vocals, picked acoustic guitar, or percussion without losing vital transients, or inject strength and punch to a drum bus. And with the plug-in-only Link and Mid/Side features, the Chandler Limited Zener Limiter plug-in can add bold, warm, vintage shades to your stereo bus or mastering chain.
“The Chandler Limited Zener Limiter is my ‘go-to’ compressor for every drum session. It works perfectly on room and overhead mics, adding tone and length to percussive sounds.”
– Joe Chiccarelli (Jason Mraz, Beck, The Strokes, Morrissey)
“I’ve been lacking aggressive compressor plug-ins. The Chandler Limited Zener Limiter fills that gap! It’s similar to the classic TG-1, but with more precise attack and release times, while still maintaining that snappy limiting feel.”
– Ryan Hewitt (Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Avett Brothers)
“ The UAD Chandler Limited Zener Limiter captures the character and functionality of the hardware. Having the luxury of a plug-in version when I’m traveling makes me more productive and in touch with my sound.”
– Tony Maserati (Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Jason Mraz)Chandler Limited and associated logos are trademarks of Chandler Limited used under license. Abbey Road Studios, EMI, TG, RS, Zener Limiter and their associated logos are trademarks of EMI (IP) Limited.
Customer Reviews
E. Morgan
February 10, 2023
Excellent!
I LOVE this limiter. Great character, punchy, adds a little extra "something" to whatever runs through it, even with subtle settings. Killer on drums, and on bass so far....
Read MoreJ. Barron
January 30, 2023
Sounds awesome on drums!
Which is the only thing I have used it on so far. It brings a mid forward push on the drum bus that is pretty sweet sounding. I'm sure it would sound great on other sources too. Drums is...
Read MoreJ. Szeszel
January 27, 2023
Great!
I love saturation in THD mode on the master bus. The compressor and limiter with a fast attack give a very good punch to the drums....
Read MoreT. Campbell
January 8, 2023
Great on drums
Really easy to get a drum bus to cut through the mix when using a send to the zener. Sounds great !
Read MoreM. Glover
December 27, 2022
Instant Mojo!
Just put it on that parallel drum bus, and squish away!
Read More -
Key Features
Exacting emulation of this modern classic limiter for mixing and mastering, fully authenticated by Chandler Limited
Based on the vintage EMI TG12345 desks used to record The Beatles and Pink Floyd
Models entire Chandler Limited TG12413 Zener Limiter electronic path including transformers and circuit nonlinearities
Plug-in-only features include Mid/Side functionality and channel linking
Includes Artist Presets from Tony Maserati, Joe Chiccarelli, Ryan Hewitt, Howard Willing, Kevin Kadish, and John Rausch
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Customer Reviews
Chandler Limited Zener Limiter
R. Evans
Big sound
Lives on my drum bus.
E. Morgan
Excellent!
I LOVE this limiter. Great character, punchy, adds a little extra "something" to whatever runs through it, even with subtle settings.
Killer on drums, and on bass so far.
Using it as a effect with extreme settings yields awesome and usable results.
The THD saturation is excellent, too.
Highly recommend this one.
E.J. Barron
Sounds awesome on drums!
Which is the only thing I have used it on so far. It brings a mid forward push on the drum bus that is pretty sweet sounding. I'm sure it would sound great on other sources too. Drums is where it's at for me though.
J. Szeszel
Great!
I love saturation in THD mode on the master bus. The compressor and limiter with a fast attack give a very good punch to the drums.
T. Campbell
Great on drums
Really easy to get a drum bus to cut through the mix when using a send to the zener. Sounds great !
M. Glover
Instant Mojo!
Just put it on that parallel drum bus, and squish away!
J. Pizarro
Great plugin adding yet another color
This plugin has a great compressor, but I love using the THD to get some killer tones on instruments.
A. Mujic
Zener Limiter by Universal Audio
One of the best options to "rock" your live drums without having a million dollar studio. And not only drums. Legendary.
Thank you UAD,
Allen RixR. Rasiński
The perfect complement
This plugin is the perfect complement to the Chandler Curve Bender. Together they sound phenomenal, I like the M/S option better in the Limiter. Fits almost all instruments.
U. Audio Account
Excelente
Sonido de la vieja escuela.
A. Picciafuochi
Limiter doesn't just mean loudness
This Limiter should not be used to squeeze every fraction of dB from your music, but to refine its packaging in a musical way.
G. Nostra
Best limiter on the net!
I love this thing!
J. Love
Very satisfied!
No surprises. I got what I have come to expect for UA. Another great tool in my virtual rack.
R. Willem
Exelent vibe!
Ads great energy to drums, guitars and vocals for me. And it’s also killer on the mix bus. Realy edgy plugin with loads of attitude. God options with MS and the hipass sidechain. The THD option is great for making auxes shine even more.
M. Hara
Excellent.
I have always used it for percussive sounds.
Simple to use and changes the sound.E. Jegu
Not essential
Good in some situations !
j. pauze
Wow!
A simply amazing and powerful plug in that every mixer and producer should have in their toolbox!! :). Does justice to the real thing!
F. Grüber
A monster!
Love it on drums buses, also as parallel drums/bass compressor
A. Miyamoto
great character and sound
I find this plug-in powerful and the great character and sound is very appealing.
H. Linderman
Plug In vs Hardware Differences
I own the hardware version and use it regularly on my 2 bus. I recently tried the plug vs my hardware piece and was pleasantly surprised, however there were some differences. First, the level for the same settings was different, with the plug in being 2 clicks louder. (This could be due to the calibration of my converters.) Once I reduced the plug in's output, I could listen closely and found that the hardware is a bit sweeter in the high end, while the plug is slightly trashy sounding. It's not extreme, and I may end up buying the plug so I can work away from the hardware piece, but they do not sound the same. I don't know if this is intentional or simply a limitation of the tech.
