Clipping: Hard clip vs soft clip

[kool98769]

When/do you guys ever use clipping in your mixes?
Personally, I end up using hard clipping on my snares, and sometimes on the kick. I'm finding that using a bit of clipping on the kick cuts down the transient and has very very small effect on tone.

And of course, throwing some hard clipping on the master to cut down some more snare transients.

I can't really say i've used any soft clipping on anything other than a distorted bass track to give it a little more edge.
how about you guys?

 

[ahjteam]

I have a hunch you are confusing hard clipping with something that really is soft clipping. If you are using almost any limiter or GClip, all they do is some sort of soft clipping. Hard clipping is so called "digital distortion" where the peaks go to constant 1 or -1 and it sounds 99% of the time REALLY BAD. Death Magnetic bad. Do this: Choose any track, open it in Audacity, use EFFECT > AMPLIFY, make the thing go +10 over, bring it back down -10dB and you have hard clipping. Sounds lovely, doesn't it?

 

[kool98769]

I have a hunch you are confusing hard clipping with something that really is soft clipping. If you are using almost any limiter or GClip, all they do is some sort of soft clipping. Hard clipping is so called "digital distortion" where the peaks go to constant 1 or -1 and it sounds 99% of the time REALLY BAD. Death Magnetic bad. Do this: Choose any track, open it in Audacity, use EFFECT > AMPLIFY, make the thing go +10 over, bring it back down -10dB and you have hard clipping. Sounds lovely, doesn't it?

Oh. yeah, definitely confused the two. I've always just called hard clipping digital clipping then. Learn something every day I guess haha.

Well, since that's sorted out, what do people use softer clipping settings for? hahaha

 

[OneDaySky]

I only clip drums (individually) Gclip FTW

 

[kool98769]

I only clip drums (individually) Gclip FTW

I hear ya. Gclip literally changed my life when it comes to drums! shit's awesome. so much more punch now.