Free Clip by Venn Audio is a user-friendly, multi-algorithm soft clipper and wave shaper plugin, accessible as a Windows VST or Mac Audio Unit. With this plugin, you have the flexibility to select from various wave shapes, or ‘sigmoid functions,’ ranging from the transparent yet harsh hard clip to the softer yet more saturated arctangent shape. Adjusting the ceiling level is a breeze with the intuitive slider, perfectly aligned with the adjacent level meter. Additionally, the plugin offers oversampling to eliminate high-frequency aliasing, although it’s important to note that enabling oversampling may introduce peaks slightly exceeding the ceiling level. If you plan to use Free Clip as the final plugin on the master chain with oversampling, ensure the ceiling level is appropriately set and/or adjust the post-oversampling clip setting.
Free Clip proves to be a valuable tool for transparently boosting volume without causing clipping in your digital audio workstation (DAW). Whether applied to an individual stem, sound effect, or an entire track, this plugin excels. For mastering purposes, it is recommended to opt for the hardclip, quantic, or cubic shape, as these introduce little to no saturation.
Moreover, this versatile plugin can function as a more traditional saturation/distortion tool by configuring a ‘softer’ wave shape like algebraic or arctangent. Adjusting the ceiling level downward enhances saturation, but remember to raise the output afterward. Alternatively, boosting the input gain into the clipper produces a similar effect. Keep in mind that higher oversampling values, such as 16 or 32 times, may strain the CPU significantly.
Platforms:
- Windows
- Mac
Formats:
- VST (Windows)
- Audio Unit (Mac)
