The Waves Ltd. L3 Ultramaximizer is a simple version of the popular line of loudness maximizing software. You get the L3 Ultramaximizer when you buy the L3 Multimaximizer in any capacity, whether it's in a bundle or individually. The process of installing it should be easy enough either way, as I did so with the full Waves Complete bundle. This is a super simple version of the Ultra/Multimaximizer, so no one should be having too many issues with this one. It gives you just the basics, which more times than not is going to be enough anyway. It's got sliders for threshold and output ceiling, as well as built in dither, noise shaping, and quantizing, each with a few different modes to choose from. You can also set the release and the overall mode. A manual shouldn't be necessary, or least I haven't had a need to check one out.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

I'm running the Waves Ltd. L3 Ultramaximizer currently on my home recording rig. This rig consists of Pro Tools LE 8 and a Mac Book Pro lap top. The computer has a 2.2 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 4 GB of RAM, and I'm running Pro Tools with a Digi 002R audio interface. I've only had a need to use the L3 Ultramaximizer on the master fader of a session to give it an extra boost, and this system has been more than adequate for doing so.

OVERALL OPINION

The Waves Ltd. L3 Ultramaximizer is the perfect plug-in for giving your mixes a boost in volume. This is pretty much the industry standard as far as plug-ins go for this application, and although it's a lot less in depth and specific than the L3 Multimaximizer, for simple jobs this is often easier to use and gets the job done quicker. The sound is great as it just does exactly what you ask it to do without any added color. The best part is that you get this along with the Multimaximizer, so you don't have to choose between the two. The L3 Multimaximizer/Ultramaximixer combo is a must have for anyone looking to give their mixes a boost in volume inside the box and quickly!