Venn Free Clip 2 Explained: Every Control, Which Clip Type to Pick, and a Settings Chart by Job
Venn Audio's Free Clip 2 is a free clipper in the Free Suite bundle, with an input gain, a Clip Type selector from hard to very soft, a Ceiling fader, oversampling with a post-oversampling clip menu, and an output gain. What every control does, which clip type the developer recommends for mastering, a settings chart for kick, snare, 808, drum bus and the master before the limiter, setup steps, and the mistakes that make clipping sound cheap.
The short answer: Free Clip 2 is Venn Audio's free clipper, part of its Free Suite bundle. It has five things to set: In Gain (how hard you drive it), Clip Type (the curve, from Hard to very soft shapes like Arctangent), Ceiling (where the peaks get cut), Oversample (with a menu for an extra clip after oversampling), and Out Gain. For a master, pick Hard, Quintic or Cubic (the shapes the developer recommends for mastering), shave 1 to 2 dB off the loudest peaks, turn oversampling on, and put a true peak limiter after it. For grit and saturation, pick a softer shape and clip harder. It runs in VST3, AU and AAX on Windows, macOS and Linux, with no registration, so it loads in every major DAW, Pro Tools included.
I master my own releases (Sony, Universal, Ultra, Dim Mak, 50M+ streams), and clipping before the limiter is part of how a master gets loud and keeps its punch. Free Clip 2 is free and there are no affiliate links on this page. I sell a mastering chain that ends in a clipper, disclosed at the end.
What Free Clip 2 is
Free Clip started in 2017 as a free, open-source "multi algorithm soft clipper" from Venn Audio, with its code published under the GPLv3. Venn has since replaced it with Free Clip 2, which ships inside Free Suite, the developer's "completely free, light weight, zero fuss set of cross-platform audio plugins." At the time of writing the suite is at version 1.5.7, and alongside Free Clip 2 it includes Free Comp, Free EQ, Free Strip, Free Delay, Free Gain, Free Gate, Free Convolve, Free Meter, Free Reverb and the newer Free Crush.
Three practical notes:
- One download, the whole suite. Free Clip 2 isn't offered on its own. The Free Suite installer for Mac, Windows or Linux is on vennaudio.com, and Venn says no registration is needed.
- The original still exists for old sessions. Venn keeps Free Clip 0.9.2 downloadable so older projects open, and says new projects should use Free Clip 2.
- Don't mix it up with V-Clip 2. That's Venn's paid clipper, with more features. This page is about the free one.
Every control, explained
Venn doesn't publish a manual for Free Clip 2. The control names below are from the plugin window in Venn's own screenshot, and the behavior notes come from the developer's notes for the original Free Clip, which works the same way.
| Control | What it does | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| In Gain | Drives the signal into the clipper | Raise it to clip more at a fixed Ceiling, the developer's alternative to lowering the Ceiling |
| Clip Type | Picks the clipping curve, shown as a line across the display | Hard, Quintic or Cubic for clean peak control; softer shapes for saturation (see the next section) |
| Ceiling | The level where peaks get cut, as a fader beside the display | Lower it to clip more, then make up the level with Out Gain |
| Oversample | Runs the clipping at a multiple of your sample rate, up to 32x | On for anything that ends up in a bounce; high values cost CPU |
| Post-oversampling clip menu | What happens to the small overs that oversampling can create: no extra clip, a clip at 0 dBFS, or a clip at the Ceiling (the original's three options; the screenshot shows "No Post Oversampling Clip") | Leave it off when a limiter follows; use a clip at the Ceiling if Free Clip 2 is the last plugin |
| Out Gain | Sets the output level | Match the bypassed loudness before you judge it |
| Meters | Input and output level, with a ceiling marker on the output | Watch the output sit at the ceiling marker |
| Waveform display | Scrolling waveform with the clipped parts shown in red, with horizontal and vertical zoom | Your clipping meter: red only on the sharpest hits is the goal |
There's no dB readout for how much is being clipped, which is the most common request in user reviews. The red in the waveform is the guide, and the steps below give a simple way to set an exact amount.
Which clip type to pick
The original Free Clip offered six curves, which the developer calls sigmoid functions, running from "the most transparent but harshest hard clip" to the "softest" but most saturated arctangent shape. Free Clip 2's selector carries them forward (the screenshot shows Cubic selected); check the selector in your version for the current list.
| Clip Type | Character | Use it on |
|---|---|---|
| Hard | Cuts flat at the Ceiling; the most transparent on short peaks, the harshest when pushed | The master before the limiter, kick and snare peaks |
| Quintic | Close to hard, with a slightly rounded corner | Masters and drums when Hard starts to bite |
| Cubic | A softer knee that starts working a little before the Ceiling | Drum bus, 808, masters that want a touch of warmth |
| Hyperbolic Tan | Softer still; obvious saturation as you push | Bass, synths, parallel grit |
| Algebraic | Soft, saturated | Saturation and distortion duty |
| Arctangent | The softest and most saturated | Sound design and color, not peak control |
The developer's own advice: use Hard, Quintic or Cubic for mastering "as these introduce no or minimal saturation," and switch to a softer shape such as Algebraic or Arctangent when you want saturation or distortion. The softer the curve, the earlier it starts bending the signal below the Ceiling, so a soft curve colors more of the audio than a hard one at the same setting.
Clipper vs limiter, in one paragraph
A limiter turns the whole signal down for a moment around each peak and then lets it back up, so it has attack and release and, when pushed, it pumps. A clipper doesn't turn anything down; it cuts the part of the waveform above the Ceiling, instantly, and leaves everything below it untouched, so when pushed it distorts instead. That's why they work as a pair on a master: Free Clip 2 takes the sharpest transients, which a limiter would duck the whole mix to catch, and the limiter after it handles the rest and sets the final true peak ceiling. The paid and stock clippers are ranked in the best clipper plugins, and the limiters that go after it are in the best limiter plugins.
Oversampling and the post-oversampling clip
Clipping creates high harmonics. Without oversampling, some of them fold back down below 20 kHz as aliasing, which sounds grainy and unmusical. Oversampling runs the clipper at a higher internal rate to avoid that. The developer adds the catch: oversampling "does introduce peaks slightly over the ceiling level," so if Free Clip is the last plugin on a master, set the Ceiling with that in mind or switch on the post-oversampling clip. The developer also warns that high values such as 16x or 32x "can be very heavy on the CPU."
In practice: with a true peak limiter after it, leave the post-oversampling clip off and let the limiter catch the small overs. Oversampling also changes the plugin's latency, so stop and restart playback after you change it, the same habit as any plugin with a quality setting.
Free Clip 2 settings chart, by job
"Clipping" here means how many dB the loudest peaks get cut. Level-match before you judge anything.
| Job | Clip Type | Clipping on the peaks | Oversample | Post-oversampling clip | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kick: louder without a limiter | Hard | 1 to 3 dB | On | Off | The click turning into a crackle |
| Snare or clap: more crack at the same peak | Hard or Quintic | 2 to 4 dB | On | Off | Harshness and lost snap |
| 808: louder and more audible on small speakers | Cubic or Hyperbolic Tan | 2 to 4 dB | On | Off | Fuzz on long notes, clashing with the kick |
| Drum bus: catch peaks before glue compression | Hard or Cubic | 1 to 2 dB | On | Off | Hats getting spiky or gritty |
| Master: before the limiter | Hard, Quintic or Cubic | 1 to 2 dB | On, as high as your CPU allows | Off, with a true peak limiter after it | Distortion on the kick and vocal, a flatter, smaller sound |
| Grit and saturation | Algebraic or Arctangent | As much as it takes | On | Off | Aliasing, mud in the low mids |
| Last plugin, no limiter (quick demos only) | Hard | 1 to 2 dB | On | Clip at Ceiling | Overs on a true peak meter; use a limiter for anything you release |
If the 808 and kick are fighting, clipping is the polish, not the fix; how to mix 808 and kick sorts out who owns the low end first.
How to set up Free Clip 2 on a master
- Download Free Suite from vennaudio.com only. Free-plugin mirrors are how adware gets installed; the Camel Crusher story is the cautionary tale.
- Insert it right before the limiter, after your EQ, compression and saturation. What a mastering chain is shows where each stage sits.
- Pick Hard and turn Oversample on. Leave the post-oversampling clip off, because the limiter follows.
- Find the loudest peak. Play the loudest section with In Gain at 0 dB and read the peak on the input meter.
- Set the clipping amount with the Ceiling. Lower the Ceiling until it sits 1 to 2 dB below that peak. That gap is roughly how much you're clipping. The red in the waveform should appear on the kick and snare hits only.
- Make up the level with Out Gain, then match it to the bypassed loudness and A/B. Clipping adds loudness, and louder always wins a mismatched test.
- Soften the curve if it bites. Try Quintic, then Cubic, if you hear edge on the kick or the vocal.
- Finish with a true peak limiter set to about -1.0 dBTP, and read the result on a meter. What true peak is explains the number, and the free LoudMax is a simple limiter to put after it.
On a single track or bus, skip steps 2 and 8: put it where the peaks are and set it by the chart.
Free Clip 2 vs other clippers
| Clipper | Price | Notes | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venn Free Clip 2 | Free (Free Suite) | VST3, AU, AAX; Windows, macOS, Linux | The best free start, in every DAW |
| FL Studio Fruity Soft Clipper | Stock | Threshold and Post gain; soft knee | FL users on drums, 808s and the master |
| Ableton Saturator and Limiter | Stock | Saturator's Post Clip Mode; Limiter's Soft Clip ceiling mode from Live 12.1 | Live users |
| Logic Compressor (Distortion: Soft, Hard, Clip) | Stock | A clipper in the compressor's output section | Logic users |
| Brainworx bx_clipper | Paid (Plugin Alliance) | The clipper before bx_limiter True Peak | Plugin Alliance chains |
| SIR StandardCLIP, Kazrog KClip 3 | Paid | Deeper oversampling control, more clipping characters | When you clip on every master |
Free Clip 2 is the one to learn on. What the paid clippers add is more control over the curve and the oversampling filter, multiband or mid/side clipping, and better behavior when pushed hard. The best clipper plugins compares them, and the best free plugins list has the rest of the free kit.
Mistakes that make clipping sound cheap
- No oversampling on the bounce. Aliasing is the grainy top end people blame on clipping itself.
- A soft curve on a master. Arctangent saturates everything near the Ceiling, not just the peaks. Use the hard shapes for peak control.
- Clipping at every stage. Kick, drum bus, mix bus and master each shaving 2 dB adds up to a flat, small record. Pick one or two places.
- Judging it louder. Match Out Gain to the bypassed level every time.
- No limiter after it on a release. A clipper alone isn't true peak safe, and oversampling can leave small overs.
- Clipping the mix you send out. If a mastering engineer is finishing the track, take it off the mix bus; how to prep a mix for mastering explains why.
- Fixing balance with clipping. If the kick only cuts with 5 dB of clipping, the fix is in the mix.
Where I land (and the disclosure)
Free Clip 2 earns its place: clean on the hard shapes, useful as a saturator on the soft ones, and free in every format that matters. Set it for 1 to 2 dB on a master, keep oversampling on, and let a true peak limiter finish the job.
That clipper-then-limiter ending is how the Ultimate Master Chain for Plugin Alliance finishes: Brainworx bx_clipper into bx_limiter True Peak, after the EQ, compression and tube saturation stages, with the gain staging already set. The Ableton rack is built for Live 12, and there's a separate Logic build. You'll need the Plugin Alliance plugins, typically through a Core or Pro subscription. It doesn't use Free Clip 2. I'm biased; Free Clip 2 in front of your stock limiter teaches you the same move for free.
Clipper and limiter, already set
THE ULTIMATE MASTER CHAIN FOR PLUGIN ALLIANCE
The analog color chain: 100% Plugin Alliance, ending in bx_clipper into bx_limiter True Peak, with 10 macros (LO-CUT, LOWS, MIDS, AIR, DENSITY, SAT, GLUE, MONO-MKR, WIDE, LIMITER). Ableton Live 12; Logic build sold separately. $29, free updates.
See the Plugin Alliance ChainQuick answers
Is Venn Free Clip free? Yes. Free Clip 2 is part of Venn Audio's Free Suite, a free download from vennaudio.com with no registration, in VST3, AU and AAX for Windows, macOS and Linux. The original Free Clip is still downloadable for old projects.
What are the best Free Clip settings for mastering? Hard, Quintic or Cubic, oversampling on, the Ceiling 1 to 2 dB below the loudest peak with Out Gain making up the level, the post-oversampling clip off, and a true peak limiter after it at about -1.0 dBTP.
What's the difference between Free Clip and Free Clip 2? Free Clip 2 is the current version inside Free Suite, with a resizable interface, a zoomable waveform display and a ceiling marker on the output meter. The original is kept only so older sessions open; Venn says new projects should use Free Clip 2.
Does Free Clip 2 work in Pro Tools and FL Studio? Yes. Free Suite ships in AAX for Pro Tools, VST3 for FL Studio, Ableton Live, Cubase and Studio One, and AU for Logic. There's no VST2 version, so very old hosts that only load VST2 won't see it.
Written by
CHARLIE CROWN
Founder of Born Creative Audio. Independent artist and engineer: 50M+ streams, 100% owned, never signed a record deal. Also founder of Born Creative Records. Work-for-hire remixes for Sony, Ultra, and Dim Mak. FabFilter featured artist; endorsed by iZotope, Sonarworks, and McDSP. Everything on this site comes from running a real independent music business, not theory.
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