Auto Level & Hard Clip - Update 2025
Added 2024-12-16 13:59:55 +0000 UTCToday, I’m sharing updates to two of my most-used presets: Hard Clip and Auto Level, both designed to improve workflow in Bitwig Studio. These updates add more functionality, clarity, and usability. All updated presets are free to download - links are at the end of the post.
Hard Clip Updates
Original Hard Clip Preset (2020):
Clean, fast clipping using Bitwig’s Bit-8 device with PCM Clipper.
Clipped audio at 0 dB with no oversampling and no visual feedback.
I’ve used this in nearly every project, especially for drums and masters.
Updated: Hard Clip LED:
Adds a flashing LED indicator to show when clipping occurs.
Includes new modes: Hard Clip, Soft Clip, Fold, and Wrap.
Improved flexibility:
Hard Clip for aggressive cuts.
Soft Clip for smoother results (ideal for bass or kicks).
Retains low CPU usage and clean processing.
New: Hard Clip LED FX3:
A three-band version for multi-band clipping.
Adjust gain per band for dynamic EQ-like control.
Optional final summing stage in the FX3 Sum preset to avoid exceeding 0 dB.
New: Hard Clip LED Spectral:
Spectral version with no phase shifts.
Features four bands and a latency of 45ms (trade-off for phase accuracy).
Great for clean mastering and phase-critical applications.
Auto Level Updates
Original Auto Level (2022):
Automatically adjusts volume to keep peaks at 0 dB.
Useful for leveling input signals dynamically without clipping.
Worked well but lacked a clear way to monitor thresholds.
Updated: Auto Level:
Added threshold LED indicator for visual feedback on peak detection.
Threshold now adjustable in dB instead of percentage for precision.
New Amount knob to blend the calculated adjustment softly or strongly.
Stereo Link option for unified left-right channel leveling.
New: Auto Level Plus:
Multi-band version using crossovers for band-specific leveling.
Includes band-wise offset controls, a global threshold, and a drive option for subtle clipping.
Designed as a quick and beginner-friendly mastering tool.
Experimental but available for download to explore.
Key Takeaways:
These presets simplify mixing and mastering by integrating clipping, leveling, and spectral processing in intuitive ways.
Hard Clip now offers flexible clipping modes with visual feedback.
Auto Level features better peak detection and more control over application.
Multi-band versions provide tools for more advanced tonal shaping.
Let me know how these updates work for you! All presets are free to download, and I’d love your feedback.
Download the new Tools:
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