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Interface overview

This page shows you where to look while you work. Clip Joint is one window: a presets bar on top, a large waveform scope, the clip bar with every clipper control, a settings bar along the bottom, and a meter column down the right edge.

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The Clip Joint window. Five regions, from the presets bar at the top to the settings bar at the bottom.

1. 1Presets barPresets, A and B comparison, undo and redo, the menu, and settings.
2. 2Waveform scopeThe clipper output against a dB scale. Purple caps show where level was taken off.
3. 3Clip barEvery control that shapes the clipping, led by the large Threshold knob.
4. 4Meter columnOutput peaks on top, and how much the clipper is taking off underneath.
5. 5Settings barOversampling, dither, and bit depth, with Gain Match at the right end.

The window opens at 820 × 680. Drag the corner to make it larger, up to twice that size; it keeps its shape as it grows.

Presets bar

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The presets bar. Everything here changes which sound you hear, not the sound itself.

1. 1MenuAbout, licensing, the tooltip switch, the manual, and the website.
2. 2Preset name and arrowsStep to the previous or next preset, or click the name to open the browser.
3. 3Undo and redoStep back or forward through your recent edits.
4. 4A and BSwitch between two comparison slots, or copy one to the other.
5. 5SettingsOpen the settings overlay for how the waveform scrolls.

The bar along the top moves you between sounds. It holds the menu, the preset name and arrows, undo and redo, the A and B comparison slots, and the settings button. Nothing here changes the current sound until you load a preset or switch slots. Presets and browser explains each action, and Settings and help covers the menu and settings.

Waveform scope

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The waveform scope. The clipper output scrolls past against a dB scale.

1. 1Output traceWhere the trace runs flat along the top, the clipper is holding that part of the track at the ceiling.
2. 2Clipped capsEach purple cap shows how much level came off that peak. Taller caps mean harder clipping.

The scope shows the clipper’s output as it scrolls past. Use it to see where the clipper is working.

• The scale on the right edge runs from 0 dB at the top down to -40 dB. More marks appear as you make the window taller.

• Purple caps sit on top of the trace wherever the clipper took level off. A taller cap means that peak was clipped harder. A track that is clipping usefully shows short caps on the loudest hits, not a solid purple band along the top.

• The scope’s 0 dB line lines up with the top of the output meter, so the waveform and the meter share one scale.

• In Mid/Side, the scope shows the lane you are editing. In Stereo, it shows the full output.

To change how the scope scrolls, see Settings and help.

Hide the scope

The scope hidden. Click the chevron at the top right of the clip bar to hide the scope and keep only the controls.

The chevron at the top right of the clip bar, beside the power button, hides the scope. The window shrinks to the presets bar, the clip bar, and the settings bar, and every control stays where it was. Click the chevron again to bring the scope back. Use the compact view when you are working by ear and want the screen space back.

Clip bar

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The clip bar. Every control that shapes the clipping, grouped by job.

1. 1CurveThe clipping shape from the current style and settings.
2. 2ThresholdThe ceiling. The outer ring shows the level going in.
3. 3Top rowInput, Softness, and Output.
4. 4Bottom rowDrive, Density, Tilt, and Mix.
5. 5Style and Low ProtectChoose Hard, Punch, or Smooth, and keep the lows out of the clipper.
6. 6Lanes and LinkStereo or Mid/Side, the lane copy button, and Link.
7. 7Chevron and powerHide the scope, or turn the clipper off to hear the track without it.

The clip bar holds every control that shapes the clipping.

• On the left, the curve shows the clipping shape that the current style, Threshold, Softness, and Density produce.

• Beside it, the large Threshold knob sets the ceiling. Its outer ring shows the level going into the clipper.

• The top row holds Input, Softness, and Output. The bottom row holds Drive, Density, Tilt, and Mix.

• Along the bottom left sit the Style menu and the Low Protect button. In a narrow window, the button reads LP.

• Along the bottom right sit the STEREO, MID, and SIDE lane tabs, the lane copy button, and Link (or Link M-S in Mid/Side).

• At the top right, the power button turns the clipper off so you can hear the track without it, and the chevron hides the scope.

Clipping explains what each control does to the sound.

Working with controls

• Type a value. Double-click a knob, type the value, and press Enter or click elsewhere in the plugin. Press Esc to cancel.

• Reset to default. Option-click on macOS or Alt-click on Windows.

• Fine adjustment. Hold Shift while dragging to move in steps a tenth the size. Press or release Shift during a drag without a jump in value.

• Nudge. Turn the mouse wheel over a control.

• Step. Press Tab to focus a control, then use the arrow keys.

The Link slider and Gain Match readout also support Shift-drag, the mouse wheel, and arrow keys.

Settings bar

The settings bar. Processing quality and export preparation on the left, Gain Match on the right.

The bar along the bottom holds Oversample, Quality, Dither, and Bit Depth, and, past a divider at the right end, Gain Match. These set processing quality, export preparation, and level matching rather than the sound of the clipping. Output and delivery explains each one.

Meter column

The meter column. Output peaks and clip indicators above, gain reduction below.

The narrow column at the right edge of the window answers two questions: where the output peaks are landing, and how hard the clipper is working.

• The upper part lines up with the scope and shows the left and right output peaks of the clipper. It reads before any Gain Match trim.

• The L and R boxes at the top are clip indicators. Each turns red and stays red when that channel goes over 0 dBFS. Click one to clear it, or hold Option (macOS) or Alt (Windows) while you click to clear both.

• The purple lower part lines up with the clip bar and shows how much level the clipper is taking off. The more it reads, the harder the clipper is working. In Mid/Side it follows the lane you are editing.

When the scope is hidden, the output meter hides too and the gain-reduction meter fills the column.