Hey Guys,
i heard a lot of mixing engineers but also mastering engineers are using clippers plugins or converters to clip their Drums. Most of the time it's Kicks.
Do you clip your drums? What plugins do you use?
What plugins do you use to clip your Drums?
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- KVRian
- 991 posts since 24 May, 2024
I don't really intentionally clip.
Instead, I might submix the drums into a brickwall limiter (to prevent clipping), an EQ (for enhancement) and another brickwall limiter (to prevent clipping at the last stage). I save the results to WAV.
But of course, this is just an approximation and abbreviated, because I don't always use just submixed drums, since I usually need to retain individual level controls. But for breakbeats, you could certainly do it that way and then overdub individual drum kits to make it sound stronger.
I decided to save my 2 limiters and the master EQ into my DAW template since I use it so much.
UPDATE: I forgot to say that I use buzmaxi Limiter and Terry West's cs12m (built-in saturator / NYC compression).
Instead, I might submix the drums into a brickwall limiter (to prevent clipping), an EQ (for enhancement) and another brickwall limiter (to prevent clipping at the last stage). I save the results to WAV.
But of course, this is just an approximation and abbreviated, because I don't always use just submixed drums, since I usually need to retain individual level controls. But for breakbeats, you could certainly do it that way and then overdub individual drum kits to make it sound stronger.
I decided to save my 2 limiters and the master EQ into my DAW template since I use it so much.
UPDATE: I forgot to say that I use buzmaxi Limiter and Terry West's cs12m (built-in saturator / NYC compression).
Last edited by mjolnir on Thu Mar 06, 2025 1:22 am, edited 1 time in total.
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RipleySterling RipleySterling https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=563791
- KVRist
- 37 posts since 9 May, 2022
Almost exclusively Newfangled Saturate.
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- KVRian
- 516 posts since 12 May, 2023
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- KVRian
- 719 posts since 17 Aug, 2015 from Finland
On my latest mix, I tried out the Kazrog KClip Zero on my drum bus.
My solo projects:
Hekkräiser (experimental) | MFG38 (electronic/soundtrack) | The Santtu Pesonen Project (metal/prog)
Hekkräiser (experimental) | MFG38 (electronic/soundtrack) | The Santtu Pesonen Project (metal/prog)
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- KVRist
- 148 posts since 16 Sep, 2023
Newfangled Saturate (but it has tons of latency, so it's more useful in the mixing stage, rather than the production stage). For my ears it maintains the sound of the signal the best, while clipping.
Perfectly fine free options: FreeClip 2 by Venn Audio, PeakEater or Leikkaus
Most clippers sound alike anyway, so there is really no "box tone", unlike with analog saturation plugins, which try to model old hardware. I like to use Fuse Audio / Neold products if I want that!
Perfectly fine free options: FreeClip 2 by Venn Audio, PeakEater or Leikkaus
Most clippers sound alike anyway, so there is really no "box tone", unlike with analog saturation plugins, which try to model old hardware. I like to use Fuse Audio / Neold products if I want that!
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- KVRian
- 631 posts since 10 Jan, 2017
Standardclip set to soft clip pro mode, with a touch of saturation can do really nice stuff to drums.
For hard clipping I guess you could use more or less anything.
For hard clipping I guess you could use more or less anything.
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- KVRer
- 6 posts since 27 Mar, 2025
Instead, I might submix the drums into a brickwall limiter (to prevent clipping), an EQ (for enhancement) and another brickwall limiter (to prevent clipping at the last stage). I save the results to WAV.
This is pretty helpful, thanks for the insight!
This is pretty helpful, thanks for the insight!
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- KVRAF
- 8621 posts since 29 Sep, 2010 from Maui
heh, I like Orange Clip from Schwabe mostly, since getting it. To me it sounds the best, though I like Kraftur and the Ocelot Clipper a lot as well.
*Both Org Clip and Kraftur are multi-band clippers notably...
*Both Org Clip and Kraftur are multi-band clippers notably...
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- KVRist
- 459 posts since 14 Jan, 2026 from United Kingdom
I don't clip my drums. instead I EQ them.Tawix wrote: Mon Feb 10, 2025 3:17 pm Hey Guys,
i heard a lot of mixing engineers but also mastering engineers are using clippers plugins or converters to clip their Drums. Most of the time it's Kicks.
Do you clip your drums? What plugins do you use?
Last edited by Hipster Bales on Thu Feb 26, 2026 10:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.