Download free Part of NULL JSFX 2.5: 113 plugins, free and open source (MIT). Easiest with NULL JSFX Hub.

Listen

The same music with the Gentle Safety preset and without the plugin. Switch while it plays.

Controls

  • Input−12 to +24 dB — Gain into the clipper (-12 to +24 dB): the more you push, the more of each peak is shaved off at the Ceiling.
  • Ceiling−24 to 0 dB — The level the clipper never passes (-24 to 0 dB); the default -0.1 dB keeps a hair of headroom below full scale.
  • Knee0 to 100% — Shape of the corner: 0% is a hard clip, higher values bend the top of the wave smoothly into the Ceiling (100% = a full soft tanh curve).
  • OversamplingOff / 2x / 4x / 8x — Runs the clipper at 2x, 4x or 8x the sample rate so the harmonics it creates do not fold back as aliasing (Off = no latency, more grit).
  • Mix0 to 100% — Blend of clipped and dry signal (the dry path is delayed to match), for parallel clipping.
  • Output−24 to +12 dB — Level after the mix (-24 to +12 dB).
  • LinkStereo / Dual — Stereo applies the same gain to both channels so the image stays put; Dual clips each channel on its own.

Best uses

  • Shave drum transients on a bus for more level without a limiter's pumping
  • Smash 808s and kicks into a dense, loud low end
  • Catch the last peaks before a limiter on the master for extra loudness
  • Add soft saturation and glue with a high Knee and some Mix
  • Parallel clipping for punch that keeps the dry transients

Properties

Signal chain: Input gain → optional oversampling (1 to 3 linear-phase halfband FIR stages, 63/23/15 taps, Kaiser-windowed sinc) → clipper: linear up to Ceiling × (1 − Knee), then a tanh bend into the Ceiling (Knee 0 = hard clip), linked or per channel → back down → Mix with the delayed dry signal → Output. Latency 0 / 31 / 37 / 39 samples (Off / 2x / 4x / 8x), reported for delay compensation. With oversampling the band-limited output can peak slightly above Ceiling.

Formats

  • JSFXJSFX for REAPER, with REAPER's own sliders
  • GFXJSFX GFX for REAPER, with its own interface
  • VST3VST3 for any DAW
  • CLAPCLAP for any DAW

Factory presets

Gentle Safety · Drum Bus Clip · Loud Master · 808 Smash · Soft Saturate · Snare Crack · Parallel Crush · Hard Ceiling · Bass Round · Lo-Fi Aliased

In the FX chains and Rack presets

808 Glue · Loud Master · Pusher

See every FX chain

Try it

Try it on orOS StudioAdd it to a track in your browser, with its own interface. Nothing to install.