Getting Rid Of Digital Clipping After The Fact?

[epu]

Is this possible? I recorded some great vocals and the track is going all the way into the red. I hear the clipping when I turn the volume all the way up in the headphones. When I use the GAIN function in Audio Suite, the clipping seems to disappear?

Retarded question, but I'd like to know if this is the solution. I recorded some great tracks which have clipping all over the place. www.myspace.com/HaroldEverton

If necessary, I'd go back and remix all of the tracks. I would think that once it's recorded, its printed and you'd have to do everything all over again.

[casperfun]

i think theres a clip remover plug in. audiosuite

[jonah day]

I did see a plug-in that claimed to be able to do this ... but someone might have to help out here!

Depends how serious the clip is - I had a wierd midi thing happen where one drum hit kept clipping whenever I tried to bounce to disk so I recorded it as audio, zoomed in on the clip, stretched the waveform out to sample level and where it peaked I redrew that part of the waveform with the pencil tool.

Worked a treat one one hit, but over a whole vocal phrase could be tricky

[jonah day]

i think theres a clip remover plug in. audiosuite

Yup, that's the one ...

[epu]

Thanks. I'll look into it. I was reading up on this on the web and it says more or less that if you record with it, you're stuck with it - Like everything else. What I don't get is, when I would record on an analog medium, I'd hear distortion/clipping even if I turned the headphones down all the way. Here, I only hear the clipping if I turn my volume all the way up. Additionally, sometimes, the meters aren't even really in the red!

[casperfun]

Thanks. I'll look into it. I was reading up on this on the web and it says more or less that if you record with it, you're stuck with it - Like everything else

incorrect....you can duplicate the playlist just in case you don't want to keep what audiosuite converted. This way you always have the original clipped version.

[jonah day]

Make sure you're recording with 'Prefader Metering' checked under 'Operations' ( and mixing with it unchecked). Also make sure all softsynths etc aren't getting to hot a signal.

[jonah day]

Thanks. I'll look into it. I was reading up on this on the web and it says more or less that if you record with it, you're stuck with it - Like everything else


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incorrect....you can duplicate the playlist just in case you don't want to keep what audiosuite converted. This way you always have the original clipped version.

I think he means once you've recorded a signal that's clipped, you're always clipped and there's no fix.

[gonzo99]

I think he means once you've recorded a signal that's clipped, you're always clipped and there's no fix.

The first quote is indeed correct.

Basically it doesn't matter whether you are recording analogue or digital - if you've recorded bad clipping then that's what you've got. You can do stuff to try and rescue the situation, but you will never have clean sound in the clipped bits. A major difference b/w analogue and digital is that analogue clipping/distortion can actually enhance a sound. Digital clipping/distortion rarely does.

The bombfactory thing is a dodgy fixit after the event. It cannot actually remove the clip. From my limited use of the bf clip remover it seems like it just turns thing down so the red light doesn't light up any more. Try it on a whole region which includes a couple of clips, check the waveform and you'll see what I mean.

You could always turn the volume down or use AudioSuite Gain. I've used bf clip remover a few times but don't find it anywhere near as useful as recording at levels which won't cause clipping ... unless I WANT clipping

Also, there is a possibility that your monitoring system (whether headphones or monitors) is clipping/distorting at high volume rather than the audio files being clipped.

P.S. If you are recording 24bit audio then you really don't need to be slamming the meters. Check out this link to an old post on prosoundweb, especially page 6 onwards. Great info from some heavy hitters in both analogue and digital audio.

P.P.S. Remember the most important zen koan ever (apart from "what is the sound of one hand surfing?"):

What do you get when you polish a turd?

[epu]

Thanks SO much for the replies. Okay, let me clarify. You can definitely see activity taking place in the Waveforms in question where I'd assume clipping takes place. Thing is though, the meters never go into the red on these vocals. I hear a little bit of distortion, of which I'd assume is some clipping. I'm very familiar with digital clipping and recall it as being pops and clicks where the audio has clipped.

I however don't hear any clipping as I know it. I do hear low level distortion as I play back the audio (assuming I was making out with the mic - no pun intended). Could it infact BE my headphones? I'm gonna preview this stuff in a couple of different monitor systems.

I had some audio (keyboard workstation, samples) coming in at 12db (over 0) because when I'd bouce the files, they'd be so low in volume (the whole song I mean). Now when I bounce the 12db tracks, I hear clipping all over the place. When I track, I track with my Digi001's volume knob half way, assuming that since all of my tracks don't go into the red, and I want to prevent leakage (into the mic), I can turn everything up later.

Back to the vocals. I don't see any peaks. I'm not sure if its my headphones that are making it sound so. Can I send someone a sample vocal file for them to determine? Sorry to be a pain, but I'm recording my album and will be a litle discouraged if I have to go back and re-record everything lol. But we have to learn right? Thanks so much for you help.

Sample Files Online - www.myspace.com/HaroldEverton