The latest arrival to the CEDAR Audio line-up takes pride of place as the company’s new flagship adaptive limiter plug-in. Designed for audio professionals who need to retain precise control over the transparency of their source material even when applying heavy-handed processing, APEX promises to deliver impressive results thanks to a unique adaptive algorithm.
Where conventional limiters control signal levels by suppressing peaks that exceed the set threshold, CEDAR’s latest creation instead employs an adaptive algorithm that calculates continuously varying EQ profiles for each audio channel, a method which is said to constrain the amplitude of the plug-in’s output while retaining the integrity of the input signal. As a result, engineers enjoy precise control that makes it possible increase a signal’s apparent loudness in a very transparent fashion without increasing its peak level.limiters
While transparency is the default, the company say that APEX’s Spectral and Temporal controls are also capable of obtain a wide range of ‘colours’ that range from richer, weightier but undistorted sounds at higher settings, to brighter or smoother sounds at the other end of the scale. APEX is also capable of limiting loud instruments or voices with prominent high frequency content while leaving a track’s low-frequency content unaffected.
“We’re very pleased to announce the launch of APEX. It offers unprecedented levels of precision and control, especially when working with music where lower-range frequencies can dominate. We know it will play a valuable role in helping engineers build impactful masters more quickly and efficiently. We’re very proud of APEX and we’re sure it will quickly establish itself as a ‘go to’ for mixing and mastering professionals everywhere”. - Paul Alexander, Head of Sales at CEDAR Audio
APEX is said to be suitable for a wide range of applications and genres, excelling at everything from adding richness and power to classical music to providing electronic dance music with extra energy and depth — all without introducing any of the artefacts normally associated with limiters.
Compatibility
APEX is supported on PCs running Windows 10 or above, and Macs running macOS 10.13 and higher. VST3, AU and AAX plug-in versions are available.
Pricing & Availability
APEX is available now, priced at £238.80 including VAT. For a limited time following the release (1 December 2025), users of CEDAR Audio’s Adaptive Limiter 2 can download APEX at no additional cost.
