Clipping

[Edu Cesar]

Hi there, I have a stupid question about clipping that have been bugging me for a while.

I use Cubase SX 3 and when I record I make shure that the clipping light doesn't blink on my interface or on the Cubase meter. But when I play all the instruments, the clipping indicator on cubase lights up, even when there's no instrument is individually clipping.

I guess that's is normal but I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I've heard that some clipping is not a big deal, is that the case? Or should I lower the volume/apply a limiter to the mix?

Thanks,

Edu

[MetalDave]

It does this in Cool Edit also... I usually turn down individual tracks keeping a good mix. I ussually kepp it clipping in a couple of spots then hard limit it to 0 gain a -.01 and it stays just below clipping after that. Make sure you have all effects and equalizing done first. You don't want to limit and the add eq or effects then Limit again. Limit is the last thing I will apply. and besides vocals or an inconsistant bass player, usually only to the 2bus.

[magno]

Try to keep the levels peaking at about -6db on your individual tracks when recording.
You'll be well above the noise floor, and it will leave you room to play around at mixdown.

[Hivemind]

I wrote a line once about the digital age:
"The red doesn't matter anymore"
This is BS of course, but slight clipping doesn't mean as much as it used to. Having said that the sum of all the parts can be louder than each. I'm sure there is an algorhythm to explain it like too many sounds in one freq, but the quick answer is MetalDave has a good plan, as long as the clipping is not overwhelming and more importantly you can't hear it, then it's probably ok.

But what do i know, im the new guy.
John

[magno]

I would say that you never want to clip, ever. Maybe it's ok to push a vst effect a bit, depending...
If you leave yourself enough headroom when you're tracking you lessen the chance of overloading the master bus at mixdown.
Consider that after tracking you will probably want to load up on some vst effects, eq it and whatever, you'll constantly be trimming your volumes.
I guess if you're only mixing 4 tracks or so you won't have too many problems, but 20+ tracks and you have to kind of think ahead.
Don't be afraid to leave some headroom.
Try it out and see if it works for you.

[Electriclight]

Originally Posted by Edu Cesar

I guess that's is normal but I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I've heard that some clipping is not a big deal, is that the case? Or should I lower the volume/apply a limiter to the mix?

Cubase can handle clipping but you don't want any FINAL mix to clip since that is what gets burned on CD or whatever. So yea, putting a brickwall limiter on the output bus is a great idea.

But what happens before the limiter is what makes all the difference musically. You probably should lower all the tracks a bit so that the limiter is usually not crushing the mix too much. But who knows? There's all kinds of opinions on this subject. Compress individual tracks or don't - compress final mix or not - give more headroom for the mastering guy or not. In the end it's an artistic decision you have to make. But again, you definitely don't want the final mix to clip.

[uab9253]

I have found that same thing too, and my guess is that there are some parts at the same frequencies that are summing and rolling up over the threshold. I just did a mix with 14 bg vocal tracks and I really had to bring everything else down to wedge that big old monster in there.