Updated October 2026 · Vocal recording fixes
Clipping happens when the signal goes past the maximum the recorder can store, so the top of each waveform is cut flat and the sound turns harsh. Light clipping can be partly rebuilt by a declipper; heavy clipping cannot be undone, so re-record if you can.
Zoom in on the waveform. Clipped audio has rows of samples sitting exactly at the top or bottom of the scale, looking like flat-topped peaks. Listen for crackle or a buzzy edge on loud words.
A few brief flat tops can be estimated and rebuilt from the shape around them. Run the declipper on a copy, keep the original, and listen to the loud words in particular. Tunedzy’s repair tools include declipping for light clipping.
If the flat tops run for milliseconds at a time across the whole take, a declipper can only guess. It will remove some harshness and leave the rest. Re-record at a lower level instead.
Declipping estimates missing peaks. It works best on short, isolated clips and gets worse as the damage spreads. Treat the result as a rescue, not a replacement for a clean take.
Spot clipping, noise, rumble and level problems. Runs in your browser, nothing is uploaded.
No. Light clipping can be partly rebuilt. Heavy clipping cannot be restored to what the microphone heard.
Aim for loudest words around −12 to −6 dBFS, leaving room above them.
A limiter can make clipped audio quieter, but it does not restore the lost peaks. Fix the level at the source.
