ClipShifter provides enough user controls to be useful in all mixing stages — from distorting basses and drums, to maximising mix buses and warming-up overall mixes. The sonic characteristics of the clipping distortion can be altered from hard, brickwall-style clipping, to softer saturation with compression. ClipShifter can function as a static clipping effect, but it can also respond to the transient qualities of the incoming signal.

The threshold for clipping can be set to either rise or fall as the level of audio increases. The speed can be set using the Attack Time control and the Fast Release button. Let the transients through while distorting the rest, or distort that initial bass thump while letting the rest sound clean. A new feature in version 2.2 is the independent Left/Right (or Mid/Side) Threshold Control. Choose between Independent, Maximum, or Average to determine how the the clipping thresholds dynamically change.

ClipShifter includes controls to change the clip shape and to adjust the harmonic content. Setting the Clip Shape control to maximum produces a hard-clipped sound, while lesser settings verge on subtle compression with minimal auditory distortion. The harmonics control allows you to control the amount of even-order and odd-order distortion.

Features:
  • Clipping style limiter, from transparent sounding compression to hard clipping distortion
  • Controls for Clip Shape (hard to soft) and harmonics (even- and odd-order), so you can be in control of the sound
  • Low CPU usage for running multiple instances on multiple tracks
  • Standard LVC-Audio metering, including VU-style, PPM-style, and loudness meters to easily monitor input and output levels
  • Scalable waveform history view with click-and-drag editing of threshold controls to easily change and set clipping levels based on the incoming signal
  • Undo/redo history, A/B comparison, and cross-platform preset management with import/export ability

While ClipShifter is still supported, it has been replaced by Clipped-MAX.