News from ACCUSONUS: ERA DE-CLIPPER

Accusonus has recently presented ERA De-Clipper (beta), a plugin that enhances the ERA bundle, which can also be purchased individually.

It is an automatic declipper that analyzes the audio track online and removes any clipped / distorted parts, trying to restore a natural dynamics.

Like all the other plugins in the ERA bundle, this one is also very easy to use and practically sets itself. Let's go and see it in detail.

The interface

The interface is resizable and consists of very few controls. There is the possibility of using two different algorithms (TYPE 1 or 2): the first is almost always recommended, because the second would only suit some specific cases. We will listen to them both, following our motto “experimenting costs nothing”.

There is the possibility to bypass the part relating to the declipper (DE-CLIP), leaving the section of OUTPUT for any volume compensation. Alternatively, you can bypass the entire process internally by clicking on ON / OFF: this way you will avoid those annoying ones click/pop typical of external bypass, as well as the fact that the DAW doesn't have to compensate for latency every time you bypass and reactivate the plugin continuously. So the track remains constantly aligned with the others when using the internal bypass.

There is the possibility of increasing the quality of the algorithm by acting on QUALITY. The company recommends using quality HIGH being rendered and that STANDARD in all other cases.

At the top right there is an indicator that shows us the amount of clipped material present in the trace (in the instant of time considered).

The function A / B it is useful to quickly compare two presets and choose the most suitable one.

Also in the section of OUTPUT there is an indicator that lights up if you exceed too much with the gains: therefore, pay attention to the levels.

Latency and CPU consumption

As previously mentioned, this plugin has a considerable latency. This need not worry too much, considering the fact that we have an internal bypass system that saves those annoying clicks / pops, which I mentioned earlier, in addition to the fact that the adjustments are immediate.

Also keep in mind that plugins of this type, specific for audio repair, generally have noticeable latencies.

With regard to the CPU, consumption is quite variable: in general, consumption is medium-low if I work in standard mode moderately, while working, for example, in HIGH QUALITY I found some fairly obvious spikes. In general, however, the CPU is not stressed that much, as long as you do not make excessive use of this plugin.

In short, the more clipped material is identified, the more process is applied to the trace; this results in greater CPU usage.

Conclusions

This plugin is relatively cheap ($ 39 when purchased individually)

it is set instantly and is effective in interventions

it has modest CPU consumption if you use it moderately.

I can only recommend it, especially to those who want to add a new “pearl” to their ERA collection, or to all those who often find themselves dealing with traces to be repaired.

I leave you to the part relating to the audio test, with all the relevant considerations.

That's all for today, see you next time.

Joseph Marrazzo.

The practical test: the audio test

Colleagues have provided me with material to test this plugin on. I took a guitar track and deliberately clipped it in the right amount.

I then used this declipper to try to remove the clipped parts of audio, which you can hear at various points on the track. I used both algorithms and always worked in HIGH QUALITY mode.

I practically simulated a situation in which we find ourselves having to deal with a track recorded at too high a level, which involves an inevitable clip of the signal, as regards the AD conversion part.

Furthermore, no third party plugins were used to process this track; I limited myself to using only this declipper.

I thank the studio "God Father Studio"And Mr. Massimiliano Pone for providing me with the audio material to test this plugin.

Ps: in reality, however, we hope not to have to work with excessively damaged tracks, also because you can't always solve everything in post production. Be wary of those who think in this way, as you would risk being inculcated in highly uneducational principles, from the point of view of professional audio. Furthermore, seeing post production as a kind of "miracle" phase is an extremely superficial and unprofessional attitude.

There are no audio repair plugins that do “magic”: there are certainly some excellent plugins, but we still hope not to be forced to put them under pressure, also because the risk of being disappointed is very high. In a nutshell: artifacts are around the corner.

-De-Clipper bypass (clipped track)