Kazrog KClip 1.0 Released

[Delitzsch]

Ozone 5 is useful in so many ways besides the Maximizer. Regardless, I don't think Ozone has an actual clipper (the Maximizer is a Limiter), so it's different from KClip anyway

Oh, yeah. I use the heck out of Ozone.

You said that the maximizer is different from KClip. Could you explain the differences? I'm guessing it's like the difference between my T-Racks Clipper and the Ozone maximizer. But could you explain or point me to a page that gives details on what a clipper is actually doing. Thanks.

 

[Melodeath]

Oh, yeah. I use the heck out of Ozone.

You said that the maximizer is different from KClip. Could you explain the differences? I'm guessing it's like the difference between my T-Racks Clipper and the Ozone maximizer. But could you explain or point me to a page that gives details on what a clipper is actually doing. Thanks.

A clipper clips (cuts) the signal off once it passes a certain threshold. A limiter reduces a signal so that it doesn't go over a certain level. Clipping results in distortion (have you ever recorded a signal too hot and got a peaking red light? We usually try to avoid this during recording). If the clipping is very fast/only a couple samples worth, you probably wont even hear it. If it's longer though, you will hear the distortion pretty easily. Limiters have their own side-effects, and will be more audible the more gain reduction you apply, and depending on your settings (release time, etc.).

As I was telling Kazrog on facebook, I have personally never used a clipper, and always use a limiter for this type of application, but I have seen clippers go through phases of popularity, particularly on this forum. Just use whichever one sounds best to you. I don't know how the Ozone Maximizer with its different modes is coded, but I always assumed it was a limiter as opposed to a clipper, and the manual seems to imply that as well.

Of course, the best solution is to stop making your masters so loud, and then you wouldn't get any negative side effects from these tools. I started doing that long ago. Unless of course you like the side-effects, distorted transients, etc.

This link should be helpful, although basically says the same thing I just did: https://kimlajoie.wordpress.com/2009/07/07/limiting-vs-clipping/

Kazrog's KClip is only $19, and looks very impressive as a clipper, so I may pick it up and try it out anyway. Occasionally bands do ask me for a very loud master

 

[Trevoire520]

I've already got t-racks clipper but had been thinking about checking out the newer ones like JST Clip to see how they compared, but for $9.99 this is a total no-brainer,

 

[He's Dead, Jim]

Ozone 5 is useful in so many ways besides the Maximizer.

It's funny you say that, because most of the comments I've seen around here have been something to the effect of, "I only ever use Ozone for the limiter" I'm open to using all the different modules, but most people here seem to err on the side of doing as little as possible. I've made mixes using a tiny amount of the various tools (widener, enhancer, etc.) and mixes with just the limiter, and I can't say I've preferred one flavor over the other.

Anyway, this looks dope as hell and I'm definitely going to get it down the line. And I'm hugely appreciative of the low cost

 

[HOFX]

I don't use a clipper (other than what I imagine is part of the FG-X algorithm) but I'll definitely be giving this a go on the next mix with the kick-snare to try get closer to the Blasting Room sound.

Question: would you use this on high gain guitars or bass?

 

[JeffTD]

Really stoked to check this out; not been much of a clipper user but may have to get into it.

Any chance you'll update the GUI in future versions? A visual of what part of the waveform is getting chopped would be awesome.

 

[Kazrog]

Really stoked to check this out; not been much of a clipper user but may have to get into it.

Any chance you'll update the GUI in future versions? A visual of what part of the waveform is getting chopped would be awesome.

I'm planning a slew of UI updates over time. Thanks for your input!

 

[chrisjmp]

I'm not much of a clipper user either, what is a good starting point to set the soften control to use for mastering?

 

[Kazrog]

I'm not much of a clipper user either, what is a good starting point to set the soften control to use for mastering?

The defaults in the plugin are designed to be a good starting point. Hard clipping is very transparent, but soft clipping can add a certain feel that can be very cool. It really depends on the source, and what you want to hear - experiment, dial it to taste, etc.

Also, I've found that I really love it set to 100% soft clipping on individual tracks or stems. It's great for fattening up bass, synths, vox, etc. as a saturation plugin.

 

[Ermz]

When it comes to the clipping vs limiting discussion from earlier, I'm no techhead, but to my knowledge the Ozone maximizer can scale from what is essentially hard clipping all the way through various softer states of operation, many of them algorithmically guided to be more 'intelligent' in their application of gain reduction. I don't think any modern 'maximizer' plug-in uses straight limiting techniques ala the Waves L2 to achieve its result anymore. If you recall from those pained years, we all struggled to get loud masters that didn't annihilate our transients. Hence where the whole idea of clipping drum tracks in the mix came from (which is actually an unnecessary procedure in this day and age, unless of course you like it for tonal reasons).

Whatever the case, in the real world KClip matches Ozone at my favourite settings very well. They sound different, and both have their own tonal strengths, though I try not to think about which one is 'better' than the other when it comes to mastering, but rather about how to use them in tandem. The greatest part about KClip is that its UI is so simple, it creates a great platform for somebody who is not experienced with mastering to achieve transparent loudness, or (as I've yet to experiment with) simply a great tool to mix into in order to achieve the proper mix balance prior to mastering. As it's a straight clipper, it will very likely sizzle when your mix balance isn't right, which will push you to work harder to make those busy mix sections more spectrally and dynamically efficient.

 

[polifemo]

Just bought it but it appears as being "non compatible" in Logics AU-manager.

Anyone using KClip with Logic 9?

 

[Kazrog]

Just bought it but it appears as being "non compatible" in Logics AU-manager.

Anyone using KClip with Logic 9?

It appears that there is an issue with the auvaltool in Mac OS X 10.6.8 affecting Logic specifically, despite the plugin being built with the 10.6 SDK for compatibility. This has not been investigated yet, but has been reported. Have you tried re-scanning the plugin from the AU manager in Logic? Sometimes it can be needlessly finicky about nothing in particular - a bug they fixed in later versions that sadly lingers for those stuck in 10.6.8.

 

[exoslime]

purchased, cant wait to try it out

 

[Flow Of Time]

Oh boy, this is the best thing ever! Blows every other maximizer i tried out of the water.

Edit: Found a little bug in the AU version:
In Reaper, the gain knob pans seems to pan the output. If i turn it all the way up, there's no sound on the right side and vice versa.

 

[Kazrog]

Oh boy, this is the best thing ever! Blows every other maximizer i tried out of the water.

Edit: Found a little bug in the AU version:
In Reaper, the gain knob pans seems to pan the output. If i turn it all the way up, there's no sound on the right side and vice versa.

Ah, thanks for letting me know. Little idiosyncrasy with the AU format where it likes the supported channel configs in reverse order, I need to change one line of code to fix that. :zombie:

Already fixed this in Recabinet a while back, must have slipped my mind with KClip. In the mean time, since you use Reaper, might as well just go VST.

This will be fixed in 1.0.1!

 

[bryan_kilco]

On the subject of clipping, maximizing and limiting - Is a clipper basically a limiter? Have I not known this for years and thought they were different things?

 

[Kazrog]

On the subject of clipping, maximizing and limiting - Is a clipper basically a limiter? Have I not known this for years and thought they were different things?

This article on SoS has a great diagram. The explanation is accurate as well, however in practice, clipping is more transparent if done right. Of course, nothing is stopping anyone from using a limiter in front of a clipper. Really depends on what you're going for in a master.

 

[Kazrog]

Alright, Sneapsters, I've just uploaded KClip 1.0.1. This version adds a Ceiling control, so that you can set the final output level of the Guard. Also, this version should fix any wacky AU format issues.

Thanks for your feedback!

Log in to download KClip 1.0.1 here

 

[Andrasia]

Hi, kclip is awesome like recabinet 4!
One thing that would be very cool is a oversampling when render.
Cause in big session is time consuming to reopen every fx and then put the oversampling option on.

The same would be cool in recabinet! An option like 0 oversampling realtime and then max oversampling when render.

 

[Kazrog]

Hi, kclip is awesome like recabinet 4!
One thing that would be very cool is a oversampling when render.
Cause in big session is time consuming to reopen every fx and then put the oversampling option on.

The same would be cool in recabinet! An option like 0 oversampling realtime and then max oversampling when render.

Probably more useful in Recabinet, as KClip is a lot more CPU friendly (nowhere near as complex.) Offline render functionality is definitely coming to Recabinet, though.

Thanks!