Clip gain is a powerful tool found in some DAWs, including Pro Tools, REAPER, and Studio One. It’s a tool that has many uses, on some cases doing the job of a costly plugin to fix a problem. Read on to find out more.

Clip Gain v Volume Automation

Before we continue, let’s consider the difference between clip gain and volume automation.

Volume automation is found in most DAWs, this allows the user to set the position of the mix fader to change during the track over time. This is adopted from the days of channel automation on mixing desks. Back in the really old days before DAWs and before mixing desks had anything like VCA or flying fader automation the only way to automate a mix was to have several hands on the board during the stereo print of the master. Yes, really! Some of the biggest and most complex tracks in history were mixed using this technique. Perhaps the most impressive was 10cc’s “I’m Not In Love.” Where each member of the band had three faders that they had to play to get the voice pad part created.

Later on, mixing desks started to offer basic volume automation on the faders, then when DAWs arrived volume automation became easy… kids today!

However, volume automation makes changes to the amount of level coming through the fader on any particular channel of the DAW mixer. Where clip gain differs is that the gain of the audio file can be changed at any point on the timeline, this changes the gain of the audio not just the volume of it running through the channel.

Clip gain offers a number of powerful possibilities, some of which enable the user to do things they sometimes might reach to a plugin to achieve.

Clean Up Audio Spaces

When audio spaces need cleaning up in both post and music, it can be tempting to reach for a tool like strip silence. However, strip silence can be a bit of a blunt instrument and can also create as many problems as it solves. For example, if you are working on dialogue and want to clean up some of the spaces betweens sections, strip silence can do that and it can do it quite well. However, it can leave gaps that then need room tone adding to fix the joins. In some cases, although it can take a little longer, some smart use of clip gain to pull down the audio in the spaces can have a more pleasing effect.

It’s less of an issue when other audio in masking the gaps, such as in music or if there’s a music bed under dialogue, but it’s worth considering using clip gain instead of strip silence when there are passages of audio that are filled with space.

Fix Clicks

A really cool way to use clip gain and a very simple one is to fix clicks in audio, even in the middle of present audio. A click has a hard edge as an envelope, clip gain allows the user to zoom right in a remake the envelope to remove the click. Sometimes it’s as simple as creating three points on the timeline then pulling down the centre point to remove the click. Clicks are gone in seconds, no plugin required.

Fix Plosives

In the same way that clicks can be fixed, judicious use of clip gain can allow the user to remake the envelope on words to remove plosives. It can take a little time, but in situations where the take is too good to lose, or the talent is no longer avaiable, clip gain can remove plosives.

Clean Up Breaths

Another great use for clip gain is to clean up breaths in either sung or spoken word. It can be tempting to simply go through a track and trim the audio to remove breaths, however this can sound odd. However, using clip gain you can pull down any breaths that are distracting without removing them altogether. This technique can produce a much more natural effect. It particularly useful when a compressor has been overcooked when tracking the audio, leaving breaths that almost sound like the talent is fighting for their last breath each time they come to deliver a note or piece of spoken word.

Lastly - The Joy Of 32bit FPA

More DAWs now have the option to record and playback using 32bit FPA (Floating Point Audio.) For many using 32bit FPA can seem overkill, however 32bit FPA has one great trick up its sleeve. If you have audio that has been digitally clipped (not analogue at the preamp) then you can recover the distorted audio. It’s simply a case of grabbing the clip gain line and pulling it down. Then, hey presto, clean audio!

Summary

Clip Gain is such a simple yet powerful tool built into several DAWs, it’s got quite a few uses and at times can be a lifesaver if you have audio that needs some TLC. Check it out.