How to Fix Clipped, Distorted Audio

The short version

Clipping shows as flat tops on the waveform, or as a crackle on loud words.
Lower the input level and record again if you can, because the damage cannot be undone in the original.
Repairs can rebuild a small number of clipped peaks from the wave around them; heavy clipping stays audible.
Keep the original and compare.

What clipping looks like

Zoom into the waveform. Clipped audio has flat sections at the top and bottom, sometimes many samples long, where the recorder ran out of range. You hear it as a harsh, fuzzy distortion on the loudest words. A little clipping on a single shout is often hardly noticeable; clipping on every word is not.

The fix that matters most: record lower

Set the input so the loudest words peak around -6 dB on the meter. A recording that was never clipped sounds better than any repair. On a phone, move the mic a little further away or turn the input down in the recorder app.

Repairing the file

When clipping is already in the file, repair works by finding the flat tops and rebuilding the peaks from the curve of the wave on either side. This works well for short clips and rebuilds up to a limited length. Long flat runs (heavy clipping) cannot be rebuilt reliably, and a repair that claims otherwise is guessing.

Tunedzy's repair finds clipping at the file’s own sample rate (phone files at 48 kHz included), rebuilds the peaks and then leaves headroom so the result does not clip again. It reports how many peaks it rebuilt. Check the Before and After: if the voice still sounds fuzzy, the clipping was too heavy to fix.

After the repair

Lower the level a little and check the true peak. A repaired file can still have peaks near full scale, which can distort when converted to MP3. Target -1 dBTP as a ceiling.

Rebuild the peaks, keep the file

Tunedzy’s repair rebuilds clipped peaks at your file’s own rate, then keeps headroom, and reports what it did.

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Frequently asked questions

Can clipping be removed completely?

Not always. Short clipped peaks can be rebuilt well. Long, heavy clipping leaves the voice fuzzy. Re-recording with the input turned down is the only complete fix.

Why does my phone recording clip?

Phones apply gain automatically, and a loud voice close to the mic can push past full scale. Move back a little or lower the recorder input.

Does a limiter fix clipping?

A limiter controls future peaks; it does not restore peaks that were already flattened. Use it to stop new clipping, not to repair old clipping.

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