bx_clipper
by Brainworx · Clipper · Soft/hard clipper
vst3s Score 8.5/10 · rated #5 of 10 clippers
Brainworx's clipper has a softness control, oversampling and a listen mode that lets you hear only what is being clipped off.
Plugin Alliance pitches it as a way to make music louder without a limiter's pumping. It is popular on drums and the mix bus.
Best for: Drums, Drum Bus, Mix Bus, Mastering. Genres: Hip-Hop & Trap, Electronic & EDM, Rock & Indie, Metal.
Keywords: drums, bus processing, mix bus, mastering, oversampling, FET, full mix, hard clip, creative, drum bus, dual-mono, heavy, metering, mid/side, mixing, single-band, smooth, soft clip, visual feedback.
What it does
bx_clipper is Brainworx's waveform peak clipper, sold through Plugin Alliance. It cuts off peaks above a set ceiling to raise loudness without raising peak level and without a limiter's pumping.
- Two modes: FET for a smooth, natural sound and Diode for edgier distortion.
- Ceiling and Knee: set the clip level and move between hard and soft clipping.
- Auto Ceiling and Auto Trim: one sets a threshold for maximum loudness without unwanted distortion; the other matches output level for fair comparisons.
- Ambience: lets you hear only what's being clipped off.
- Wet above 100%: pushes into "over-fold" distortion for creative effects.
- Also: up to 32x oversampling, dual-mono or mid/side processing, and peak and waveform meters.
Source: Brainworx product page
When to use it
bx_clipper stands out for its helpers: Auto Ceiling finds a sensible starting point, Auto Trim keeps comparisons honest, and Ambience makes it easy to hear when you've gone too far. It costs more than StandardCLIP or KClip 3.
- Best for: drums and drum buses, the mix bus and mastering, in hip-hop, EDM, rock and metal.
- Mode pick: FET for transparent level, Diode when you want audible grit.
What producers say
Coverage is smaller than for the most popular clippers, but consistently positive.
- Mix Protégé used it to tame transient-heavy drum stems and liked its "overloaded snarly vibe when pushed to extremes".
- Sweetwater buyers rate it 5 out of 5 (from a handful of reviews), singling out the visual feedback.
- gearnews included it in its roundup of the five best clipper plugins.
Where to buy
- Plugin Alliance: $125
- Sweetwater: $125
Tutorials and reviews
- Brainworx - bx_clipper Walkthrough | Plugin Alliance
- BX_Clipper by Brainworx Explained (Walkthrough + Settings)
- How to Make Your Music Louder Using a Clipper Plugin | Plugin Alliance
- The Ultimate Clipping Solution: Brainworx bx_clipper
- Brainworx bx_Clipper Review - A Real Deal?
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