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Free Clip 1

Soft Clipper Plugin by Venn Audio
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Free Clip 1 has been replaced by: Free Suite
Free Clip
Free Clip 1 by Venn Audio is a Virtual Effect Audio Plugin for macOS and Windows. It functions as a VST Plugin and an Audio Units Plugin.
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Free Clip is an intuitive multi algorithm soft clipper/wave shaper plugin, available as a Windows VST or mac Audio Unit/VST. The plugin allows you to choose between a range of wave shapes or 'sigmoid functions', from the most transparent but harshest hard clip, to the 'softest' but most saturated arctangent shape. You can then intuitively set the ceiling level using the slider that perfectly matches the level meter next to it. Oversampling is also available to remove high frequency aliasing; when oversampling is on this does introduce peaks slightly over the ceiling level however, so if you intend to use this plugin with oversampling as the final plugin on the master chain, ensure the ceiling level is set appropriately and/or the post-oversampling clip setting is set.

This plugin is a great way to conveniently transparently boost volume without clipping your daw, whether it be an individual stem or sound effect, or an entire track that you made. It is recommended that the hardclip, quantic or cubic shape be used for mastering, as these introduce no or minimal saturation to the waveform under the ceiling.

The plugin can be also used as a more traditional saturation/distortion plugin by setting a 'softer' wave shape, such as algebraic or arctangent – simply lower the ceiling level to provide more saturation to the signal – just remember to boost the output afterwards. Alternatively you can boost the input gain into the clipper for the same effect. In this case, increasing the oversampling value is helpful if you're hearing high frequency aliasing! Be warned that high oversampling values such as 16 or 32 times can be very heavy on the CPU.

{See video at top of page}

Latest User Reviews

Average user rating of 4.50 from 4 reviews
Free Clip 1

Reviewed By RobertSchulz [all]
August 17th, 2022
Version reviewed: 0.9.2 on Windows

When I first tried the plugin, I was very disappointed. Changing the different modes, adjusting the threshold to very low values didn't made me excited. The sound change was only subtle or not in a taste I like for distortion or saturation. Couldn't understand the hype about it.

Playing a bit more with the knobs, I figured out that the most important parameter of the plugin is, very suprisingly, the input gain control (in conjunction with the output gain control to adjust the volume to unity gain).

Driving the signal into the plugin quite extremely and by adjusting the output volume provides a more rich and thick sound without to even come close to clip the signal in the conventional way. Great!

Checking my analyzer by listening to an asumed way louder signal, it was very shocking that the peak volume even was less than before (Quintic mode has been used). Another more in-depth check gave the answer: Peak was reduced by around 3db, but average LUFS was increased by almost 1.7 dB. So it seems that FreeClip is not only a distortion plugin, it can be used to control dynamics as well.

Very useful for that purpose and now I know that I will use this plugin more often than I thought.

There are still 3 nitpicks why I reduce one star:

  1. No Bypass-button. (Why, oh why? It could have been so easy to implement) If you use this tool for mixing or mastering, you need that feature for A/B comparison very, very often.
  2. No manual, no tips, no explanation. I would have liked if the developers could have given more insights or tips about the use of the plugin (especially the different clip modes). And this is not only meant for this plugin. Venn Audio seems to not quite like the nearer documentation of their plugins. Other manufacturers provide very much (even additional) information. Shame.

Another thing I would like to see in the plugin would be a Dry/Wet knob.

I would wish that the developer could improve these things.

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Free Clip 1

Reviewed By Tagirijus [all]
March 24th, 2021
Version reviewed: 0.9.2bet on Windows

This is a useful clipper with a nice sound and nice oversampling features. Also the CPU usage and loading time is just incredible low. The modes do sound different and are easy to access. Only thing I did not like that much is the GUI. The input and output volume is a bit clumsy to set. Luckily I found the "next version" of this plugin, which isn't free, but costs not so much: V-Clip. While this gives you more options, which are not always needed.

For people with a small budget this Free Clip is a really nice and useful clipper for free.

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Free Clip 1

Reviewed By Johnny Blade [all]
June 14th, 2017
Version reviewed: 0.9.1 on Windows

There are a lot of clippers out there. Some paid, some free.

StandarDCLIP and KClip Pro are excellent paid plugins; Clipmax and Free Clip are excellent free plugins.

However, the amazing quality of the free ones has not justified the demand for the paid ones, and I can quote Free Clip as a major responsible for this.

After a few weeks of exhaustive testing, at least on the personal criteria of my own audition, I feel comfortable and secure in stating here that Free Clip is top.

Using it for mastering purposes in "Hard" mode, 1x Oversampling and -0.1dB Clip Ceiling, I got the most transparent result I could expect. No other plugin, paid or free, hit Free Clip.

A single lack I felt - the parameter "Gain" could be able to handle negative values. But this absence does not stain the surprising quality of this plugin, since I use the alternative features of my DAW.

Free Clip, with due respect, makes it unnecessary to use commercial alternatives.

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Free Clip 1

Reviewed By onerob [all]
May 26th, 2017
Version reviewed: 0.9.1 on Mac

Plugin seems to work fairly well as a subtle mastering clipper. I also tried it on some drums under slightly more intense saturation settings and it sounded pretty good. Keep up the good work.

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Comments & Discussion for Venn Audio Free Clip 1

Discussion
Discussion: Active

THIS POST HAS BEEN REMOVED

djkybernetik
djkybernetik
30 May 2017 at 10:12am

Unfortunately only in AU and 64-bit for Mac. Why no VST and why no 32-bit ?? On Windows is it supported as 32 aund 64-bit .

wesleyt
wesleyt
7 August 2017 at 9:47pm

There is a Mac VST available now. Apple is dropping 32-bit support in MacOS and it's not worth the developer's time and our disk space to build for 32-bit targets anymore, in my opinion.

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