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Topic: Fixing clipping in a track thats caused by a overmodulated sample? (Read 1452 times) previous topic - next topic
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Fixing clipping in a track thats caused by a overmodulated sample?

So I have a track where a certain part or sample is clipping like crazy and I wasn't able to fix it with Audacity yet.

Is it even possible to fix this problem? If so how?

I attached a short sample file of the problematic section.

Re: Fixing clipping in a track thats caused by a overmodulated sample?

Reply #1 –
You can't REALLY fix clipping because there is no way of knowing the original-unclipped wave shape or height.

But did you try Audacity's Clip Fix effect?  It will make the waveform look better and it might make it sound better.

You'll probably have to process the whole file because it's going to reduce the "loudness" of the selection.

You can run the Amplify effect when you're done if it lowers the volume too-much and leaves headroom.

It does look slightly clipped but Audacity doesn't "show red" for clipping because the peaks don't hit 0dB (Audacity checks for potential clipping and you can get false positives & false negatives.)   Still Clip Fix will make a change and possibly an improvement.

Re: Fixing clipping in a track thats caused by a overmodulated sample?

Reply #2 –
Quote from: DVDdoug on
You can't REALLY fix clipping because there is no way of knowing the original-unclipped wave shape or height.

But did you try Audacity's Clip Fix effect?  It will make the waveform look better and it might make it sound better.

You'll probably have to process the whole file because it's going to reduce the "loudness" of the selection.

You can run the Amplify effect when you're done if it lowers the volume too-much and leaves headroom.

It does look slightly clipped but Audacity doesn't "show red" for clipping because the peaks don't hit 0dB (Audacity checks for potential clipping and you can get false positives & false negatives.)   Still Clip Fix will make a change and possibly an improvement.

I also noticed that Audacity doesn't show clipping there. Though the sample does definitely sound like heavy clipping but maybe there is another term for this issue? I am not too professional when it comes to audio engineering yet.

I tried out clip fix and thought it makes no difference on that section but now after trying it again I actually feel like it actually might do a little like reduce it by 25-50% which I guess is better than nothing.

Re: Fixing clipping in a track thats caused by a overmodulated sample?

Reply #3 –
Quote
but maybe there is another term for this issue?

It DOES appear to be clipping, but probably not "digital clipping".    Analog clipping usually isn't as perfectly squared-off as digital clipping.  

Or, it could be hard-limiting which is similar to clipping and it can sound like distortion if over-done.  (Regular* limiting does change the wave shape and that is the definition of distortion.)  

Like I said, Audacity isn't checking the wave shape so it doesn't know if you really have clipping.   



* Audacity's limiter has look-ahead so it can limit without changing the wave shape.