Hard Limiter only works if it's below all other effects in the effects control panel

[AdamAnonymous]

Maybe this is by design and someone could explain why.

[R Neil Haugen]

Having been schooled on this sort of thing a bit by audio geeks, well ... they asked me this:

"Why on earth anyone would put a hard limiter before other effects? What's the point?"

I rather gathered they thought the use of the hard limiter was to keep anything from 'leaking through' other effects, ensuring you don't blow that all-important QC machine check.

And only that.

Does that help? Not being an audio geek myself, it's the best I can do.

[AdamAnonymous]

I might sound like a fool, but I use hard limiter to clip audio peaks above -6db after I've added filters and adjusted audio (generally VO or interviews) to fall between -6 and -18db.

Waaaaay back when I used FCP7 there was a "show audio peaks" and "duck audio peaks" option.

[R Neil Haugen]

The other tools ... like compressors and such ... are typically used to keep audio to X point. Clipping means putting a hard line on a signal, which is often not ... enjoyable ... and the audio people I've worked with do everything they can to avoid clipping on sound.

So I think perhaps we are using the terminology, or understanding the process, a bit differently.

[Kevin-Monahan]

Hopefully, a product team member can give you a good response. @mstegner is there any advice you can offer?

Thanks,
Kevin

[mstegner · Accepted solution]

From what I can understand is being asked here:
The signal chain for the ECP is top down for audio.  So the top effects outputs flows into the effect right below it, and so on.
Putting Hard Limiter first will limit to the audio before that audio flows into the next effect, which isn't terribly functional.  Put it at the bottom of the "chain" for the best limiting results. 
Google "audio signal chain" to learn how it works.