Audio clipping happens when a signal tries to go above 0 dBFS, the highest level a digital system can store. The tops of the waveform are cut off, which sounds like crackling or harsh distortion, and the lost detail cannot be restored. You prevent it by recording with headroom: set the input gain so your loudest moments peak between -12 and -6 dBFS.
In Short
The short version:
- Clipping means the waveform is cut flat at 0 dBFS; it sounds crackly and harsh.
- It cannot be fully repaired afterwards, so prevention matters.
- Record with peaks between -12 and -6 dBFS; in 24-bit there is no penalty for recording lower.
- When you edit, check the peaks every time you add gain, boost with EQ or mix in a second track.
- Keep the true peak of the finished file at or below -1 dBTP.
What Is Audio Clipping?
Digital audio stores sound as numbers, and those numbers have a fixed maximum. That maximum is called 0 dBFS (decibels relative to full scale); every other level is measured downwards from it as a negative value, such as -6 dBFS or -20 dBFS. Stanford’s CCRMA gives a short definition of the dBFS scale .
When a signal is pushed past 0 dBFS, there are no larger numbers left. Every sample that should be higher is stored at the maximum instead, so the rounded top of the wave becomes a flat line. That sudden corner adds harsh, high-pitched distortion that was not in the original sound. On speech it is heard as crackling on loud syllables; on music, as a gritty, crushed quality.
Why Digital Clipping Sounds Worse Than Analog
Tape machines and valve amplifiers also distort when they are overloaded, but they do it gradually: the wave is rounded off, which adds a warmth some engineers use on purpose. Digital systems have no such soft zone. Below 0 dBFS the signal is perfectly clean; above it, the distortion is immediate. Some producers clip drums or bass deliberately for an aggressive sound, but that is a controlled choice made with tools designed for it, not something that should happen to a voice recording.
Where Clipping Happens
Clipping can enter a recording at four different points, and the fix depends on which one it is:
- At the microphone preamp or interface. The input gain is too high, so the signal is already clipped before it reaches the computer. Nothing you do afterwards can fix it.
- While editing or mixing. Adding gain, boosting with EQ or mixing two tracks together raises the peaks. A file that was safe can go above 0 dBFS after a single change.
- On export. A mix that goes above 0 dBFS inside the editor is cut off when it is saved as a 16-bit or 24-bit file.
- After conversion to MP3 or AAC. Lossy encoding changes the waveform slightly, and peaks that were just under 0 dBFS can end up above it. This is why finished files should leave about 1 dB of room.
Gain Staging: Setting the Right Recording Level
Gain staging means choosing a sensible level at every point in the chain, starting with the input gain on your interface or USB microphone. The aim is simple: the loudest thing you will record should stay well below 0 dBFS.
- Speak, sing or play the loudest part of what you are about to record.
- Turn the input gain until those moments peak between -12 and -6 dBFS on the meter.
- Leave it there. Normal passages will sit around -18 dBFS, which is fine.
The space between your peaks and 0 dBFS is called headroom. In 24-bit recording the noise floor is so low that a quiet-looking recording loses nothing: you can raise it later without a penalty. A recording that clipped, on the other hand, stays damaged. If your interface has only a clip light, turn the gain down until it never flashes on your loudest sounds, then a little further.
How to Avoid Clipping When You Edit and Mix
A clean recording can still be clipped later. These four steps keep the peaks under control while you work.
Step 1: Measure First
Open the file in the LUFS & Peak Analyzer. It shows the sample peak and the true peak; if either is at or above 0 dB, the file is already clipped or will clip when it is converted.
Step 2: Cut Before You Boost
Rumble below 80 to 100 Hz uses up headroom without adding anything you want to hear. Removing it with the Low Cut filter in the Sound Optimizer often lowers the peaks by a decibel or two. When you use EQ, turning down what is too much is safer than boosting what seems to be missing.
Step 3: Control the Loudest Moments
A compressor turns down the highest peaks so that the whole recording can be raised safely. In the Sound Optimizer, set the Compression Ratio to about 3:1 and lower the Compressor Threshold until only the loudest moments are reduced.
Step 4: Raise the Level and Check Again
Raise Volume / Gain while watching the Peak meter and keep it at or below -1 dB. If the export would still go above 0 dBFS, the tool lowers the whole file to -1 dBFS instead of letting it clip. Measure the exported file once more.
To choose a loudness target and work out how much gain is safe, see How to Normalize Audio Without Clipping.
Can Clipped Audio Be Fixed?
Only partly. When the top of a wave is cut off, the missing shape is not stored anywhere, so no tool can know exactly what it was. Dedicated de-clipping software estimates the lost peaks from the audio around them, and on light clipping the result can be acceptable. On heavy clipping it cannot remove the distortion. Turning the file down afterwards makes it quieter, not cleaner. If you can record again at a lower level, that is always the better fix.
Signs of Clipping and What to Do
| What you notice | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Crackling only on loud words or hits | Input gain too high | Record again with peaks at -12 to -6 dBFS |
| Flat tops visible in the waveform | Recording or export above 0 dBFS | Lower the level before exporting; record again if it is in the source |
| Clean WAV, distorted MP3 | Peaks too close to 0 dBFS before encoding | Lower the WAV by 1 dB and encode again |
| Distortion after mixing voice and music | Combined level too high | Lower the music or the overall level |
Check Your Peaks
Open a file in the LUFS & Peak Analyzer and see its sample peak and true peak in a few seconds.
Open the LUFS & Peak AnalyzerFree, no sign-up, and your files never leave your device.