L2 Ultramaximizer by Waves: what it does + free alternatives
The classic brickwall limiter for loud masters.
Opens Waves's own site.
Put SCRAMBLE. on your drums, 808s and vocals
One button rolls a new FX chain: glitch, stutter, tape stop, chops, reverb, delay and vocal tune. There are 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 possible chains, the same count as the positions of a 3x3 cube. Save 10,000 presets a day and 1% of them would take 118 billion years, over 8x the age of the universe.
Not just loops: drum buses, 808s and bass, hats, vocals and the master bus. 3,000+ downloads so far.
Free alternatives to L2 Ultramaximizer
All free compressors →
FreeTDR Kotelnikov
Super clean, mastering-grade compressor.
FreeMJUC jr.
Vari-mu style tube compressor with two knobs.
FreeDC1A
One-knob compressor that just sounds good on everything.
FreeRough Rider 3
Aggressive, pumping compressor for drums.
FreeLoudMax
Simple, transparent brickwall limiter.
FreeCouture (free edition)
Transient shaper: more punch or less attack in seconds.
FreeTDR Nova
Dynamic EQ: tame harshness and boom only when it happens.
FreeTDR VOS SlickEQ
Musical three-band EQ with built-in saturation.
FreeFresh Air
Adds high-end air and brightness in two knobs.
FreeYoulean Loudness Meter (free)
Check LUFS before you upload to streaming.
More paid mixing plugins
All best plugins →
Pro-Q 4
The EQ most engineers reach for first.
Pro-L 2
Transparent mastering limiter for loud, clean masters.
Pro-C 2
Flexible compressor for vocals, drums and buses.
Saturn 2
Multiband saturation and distortion.
Ozone
All-in-one mastering suite with an AI assistant.
L2 Ultramaximizer FAQ
Is L2 Ultramaximizer free?
No. L2 Ultramaximizer is a paid mixing plugin from Waves. Free alternatives in the same lane include TDR Kotelnikov, MJUC jr. and DC1A.
What is L2 Ultramaximizer used for?
The classic brickwall limiter for loud masters.
When does L2 Ultramaximizer go on sale?
Many plugin makers run their biggest discounts around Black Friday (November 27, 2026) and Cyber Monday. Check Waves's own page for the current price; we list confirmed sales on our Black Friday page.