Automatic clipping notification?

[tkk]

In the features list there is "Automatic clipping notification" but I can't find anything more about it. Can someone elaborate?

[cohler]

Yes, this automatically creates markers whenever clipping occurs during a recording. It's a toggle setting in the Recording submenu.

[tkk]

Does it mark clipping in the final mix where volume automation, EQ and other tools are applied?

[cohler]

What is the relevance of your question, and why are you asking?

[tkk]

I hate(refuse) to use compression. What I do is what we did with tape recorders in '70s and '80s: fader riding to decrease volume in the loudest points.

Nowadays it can be done with automation after the actual recording. I increase overall volume making the absolute loudest spots be +5 - +8dB and then make volume envelopes to smoothly correct the clipping. I am very pleased with the results, but finding the spots where it is needed is tedious.

Currently I use Studio One and the "best" way I have found is to export the final mix and watch the time counter to see when the "Clipping has occurred" message appears. Tedious to say the least. If I could have the software mark all the clipping spots it would save me 25% of the time and 60% of the frusturation involved in every job I do

One more thing: mostly I record complete live concerts so the material I need to browse through is in the range of 60-100 minutes per job. And "mix" is a little misleading because I use 99% of the time a stereo pair only.

[cohler]

If you record properly, you shouldn't have any clipping.

What you do with clipping after it happens is up to you. There are many techniques.

The CC feature simply alerts you and marks the spot(s) so you can fix them at your earliest convenience, no hunting involved.

This is just one of hundreds of features that exist in CC and no other DAW software.

[tkk]

Obviously I failed to explain what I do and what I try to achieve.

There is no clipping in the original recording but to get the average loudness higher I need to lower the peaks. This can be done with a compressor but I hate it because it kills the "micro dynamics" of the music.

Instead I increase the volume until the highest peaks are +5 - +8dB which is ok in digital domain because nothing is actually clippin inside the audio engine. Then I automate the main volume to keep everything below clipping which can be done smoothly, "attack" in the seconds instead of milliseconds and "release" as well. This creates a more natural sounding result than I have achieved with any compressor. This is the final step I do after anything else that might be needed. Mostly there is nothing, sometimes light EQ. I am a purist by nature.

If I could mark the positions wher the final stereo mix is clipping it would be easy to locate the regions where I need to create volume envelopes and that would be a huge help in my workflow.

[cohler]

Yeah that has nothing to do with clipping notification.

It's also an extremely inefficient and ineffective way of Mastering anything.

In classical music you really should NOT be using a compressor over any large pieces of audio as it will destroy the tone quality.

Anyhow, if you are interested in streamlining your work by a factor of 10 or 100, you should be using Cohler Classical.

If you would like to install the software, I can help you get started.

First step is to forget about your "workflow" and whatever software you have used in the past, because none of them were designed for handling classical music. The CC paradigm is TOTALLY different, MUCH faster, MUCH simpler, and MUCH more powerful.

Let me know if you would like to get started and we can Zoom.

Best regards,
Jonathan

[cohler]

I can also show you the right way to accomplish what you are trying to do, which has absolutely nothing to do with "clipping".

But doing it through this forum or email is not feasible.

[tkk]

I agree 100% with you about compression. As I said, I refuse to use it.

Clipping as such has nothing to do with what I am doing, I agree there as well. It is just a way of setting a threshold (0dB) that indicates where to apply automated fader riding. That is really what I am trying to achieve and if there is a way to implement that in CC I am very much interested in hearing more about it.