KVR Audio

StatikShok · Post by **StatikShok** » Fri Jan 29, 2021 10:23 pm

Hello everyone I have been having a problem with unwanted mic clipping and it appears no matter what mic i use, no matter what computer I use, no matter what daw i use, no matter how far or close I record to the mic, no matter how loud or quiet i record, no matter how high or low I set the volume levels on the pre amp or computer, no matter what pre amp i use, no matter what cable i use and Idk whats causing it because I never had this problem in the past it just came out of nowhere. Is there anything I can do to fix this? because ive been dealing with this for almost a year and its extremly frustrating I cant get my vocals to sound the way I want them to if anyone has any suggestions or answers I would really appreciate it.

garryO · Post by **garryO** » Sat Jan 30, 2021 12:58 am

sounds weird... if level is not set to high how should it clip?

maybe check with an oscilloscope if it´s really clipping.

do you use a popkiller or stuff like that?
are you familliar with de-klicker, de-esser and such stuff to remove unwanted sounds from vocals?

StatikShok · Post by **StatikShok** » Sat Jan 30, 2021 2:17 am

I Use A Popfilter And No Matter What Level I Put My Vocals At On Any Preamp I Still Get Unwanted Clipping/Distortion And I Cant Really Turn It Down Much Because My Vocal Volume Will Be Way Too Low

garryO · Post by **garryO** » Sat Jan 30, 2021 2:44 am

as far as i know you can allways turn volume up after recording easily. you loose bass mostly, shouldn´t be so much of a problem with vocals.

but if you have clipping recorded you can´t do much afterwards.

flugel45 · Post by **flugel45** » Thu Feb 04, 2021 9:13 pm

Describe your signal chain (Type of mic plugged into type of input, type of interface/soundcard, etc).

Is everything of decent quality? I once helped a guy who was having a similar problem, and turned out he had a $600 condenser mic, plugged into a $1500 channel strip, plugged into the crappy onboard sound card of his PC! Once I convinced him that the sound card was the weak link, he bought a Focusrite interface... problem solved!

And before I get any flak, I'm not saying onboard sound cards can't work - In a pinch I've gotten decent results with some - All I'm saying is, if there's a problem with your recording, I'd first look at the cheap part of your signal chain that wasn't designed for high-quality recording!

Ah_Dziz · Post by **Ah_Dziz** » Thu Feb 04, 2021 11:29 pm

Turn it down as much as you need to and then crank up the signal for monitoring. There are some tools for repairing clipped audio but they aren’t super cheap and can involve some pretty tedious editing. I have a pretty beefy preamp and it barely need any gain to keep it in the sweet spot. You could also look at grabbing a cheap ish hardware limiter and set it to only clamp down on the hottest parts of the signal.

Depending on your preamp you may want to check your voltages at the power supply and make sure your phantom power (if you are using it) is working properly. If you have adjustable impedance then try different settings. You could also look at getting a preamp on loan to make sure yours is working properly.

I would say just turn down the preamp until the clipping is gone though as it’s the most straightforward fix.

Good luck,
JJ

thecontrolcentre · Post by **thecontrolcentre** » Fri Feb 05, 2021 12:33 am

You haven't mentioned what audio interface you use (if any) or which microphones ...
Is it possible you're just too close to the mic when recording?

The Noodlist · Post by **The Noodlist** » Fri Feb 05, 2021 1:25 am

Impedance mismatch? +4 -10

Scotty · Post by **Scotty** » Fri Feb 05, 2021 2:01 am

Can you post an audio example ?

BONES · Post by **BONES** » Fri Feb 05, 2021 2:38 am

First up, when you say "pre-amp", are you talking about a hardware or software device? You won't get clipping in software so it's almost certainly happening where your mic plugs into your computer. That's where you need to get your level right. If you are using an I/O device, turn down the input level and make sure it's set for a mic level. If you are just plugging it into your computer via the mic jack, you will need to adjust it in your computer's audio or sound settings.

If nothing else works, my advice of last resort would be to find an attenuating cable to run from your mic to your I/O device. Your local music shop should be able to help you with that.

thecontrolcentre · Post by **thecontrolcentre** » Fri Feb 05, 2021 9:22 pm

StatikShok wrote: Sat Jan 30, 2021 2:17 am I Cant Really Turn It Down Much Because My Vocal Volume Will Be Way Too Low

Looks Like The Op Has Done One ...

How To Get Rid Of Unwanted Mic Clipping