Slate Digital FG-X 2 limiter plug-in: features and spec-based rating

Slate Digital’s FG-X 2 is a plug-in that combines a compressor for mastering (FG-Comp) with FG-Level, which automatically switches between saturation and limiting. It has four limiter modes and two screens, Easy and Advanced.

A limiter raises the overall volume of a song while preventing clipping (distortion). You use it at the last stage of finishing a song.

In this article we compare FG-X 2 with 13 limiter plug-ins and rate how well it serves its purpose on three criteria. The basis is official manufacturer information.

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Summary

Among the 13 limiter plug-ins, FG-X 2 is rank C. The ranks run S, A, B and C, and C is the lowest. Averaging the scores for each criterion (out of 5, with the one criterion that matters most for the purpose counted double) gives 2.0.

Things to keep in mind

• Raising volume safely (1 points): it has few features for matching streaming standards.

Who it suits: people who want a loud finish quickly, with few knobs.

Main features of FG-X 2

A compressor and a limiter that decides

FG-X 2 runs on two modules: FG-Comp, which keeps the drive and transients of the mix, and FG-Level, which analyzes the input sound and decides whether to apply saturation or limiting.

Four limiter modes

You can switch among four modes, from transparent limiting with no pumping to loud ones with some coloration. After you decide the sound, you adjust the overall volume with the Gain knob.

Two screens, Easy and Advanced

The Easy screen is for getting to a loud sound quickly, and the Advanced screen shows additional parameters for experienced users. A Timegraph, a histogram, vertical meters and more let you see the state of the sound.

Video: “Get Your First Look at FG-X 2 ✨” (official SlateDigitalTV YouTube channel; narration in English) Watch on YouTube

Where it is useful

• Quickly bringing a song to a volume for export
• Switching among the four modes to find your preference between transparency and power
• Inserting it on the master bus to use a compressor and a limiter together

Rating by criterion

Raising volume safely: 1 / 5

We check whether it has features that prevent clipping and match the loudness standards of streaming services.

We could not confirm true-peak limiting, loudness measurement or oversampling on the official page.

If “raising volume safely” matters most to you, Pro-L 2 and smart:limit (5 points) are a better fit.

Speed: 3 / 5

We check whether it has features that get you to a good setting quickly (automatic settings, easy-to-read meters and so on).

It has an Easy screen with few knobs, and FG-Level analyzes the input sound and switches between saturation and limiting automatically. It is not described as an AI automatic setting.

Choice of sound character: 3 / 5

We check whether you can choose the character of the sound when raising the volume (keeping the punch, keeping it transparent and so on).

You can choose from four limiter modes, from transparent ones to loud ones with coloration.

How we score (Limiter plug-ins)

Criterion	Basis	5 pt	4 pt	3 pt	2 pt	1 pt
Raising volume safely	Features that prevent clipping and match the loudness standards of streaming services	True-peak limiting, loudness metering and oversampling are all included	Two of those	One of those	—	Not mentioned on the official page
Speed	How quickly you can reach a good setting	AI analyzes the song and sets everything automatically	—	Presets, or a function for comparing at matched loudness	Standard controls	—
Choice of sound character	The range of ways the limiter can act and shape the sound	Choose from eight or more algorithms	Besides a choice of styles, features that shape loudness feel or attack	A choice of styles	One type	—

Each criterion is scored from 1 to 5 on how well the product serves one goal: safely finishing a song at a volume suited to streaming. Scores follow the conditions in the table above, and the rank is based on an average in which "Raising volume safely" counts double. The basis is official manufacturer information. Sound quality and CPU load are not measured, so they are not scored; reviews from trade magazines are introduced in the articles for reference. Price is not part of the score. Features that cannot be confirmed from the manufacturer's or a retailer's description are scored as if absent. The "OBS (streaming)" column in the table shows whether the official page lists the VST2 format that the streaming software OBS Studio can use (○). OBS does not support the VST3 format. It is not part of the score.

FG-X 2 system requirements and getting started

Operating system	Windows 10 and 11 / Mac (macOS 13 or later)
Plug-in formats	Windows: VST2, VST3, AAX / Mac: AU, VST2, AAX (as listed by the retailer)
Other	A free iLok account is required
Trial	14-day free trial available
OBS (streaming)	Works as it is (VST2 is listed)

Checked on the manufacturer’s official pages on October 17, 2026.

Compared with other limiter plug-ins

Click a heading to sort. On a phone, the table scrolls sideways.

Read next

• L2 Ultramaximizer: features and rating (rank C)
• L1 Ultramaximizer: features and rating (rank C)
• Pro-L 2: features and rating (rank S)
• smart:limit: features and rating (rank S)