Either. MC-1 has its own true-peak ceiling, so it can finish a master alone or feed your limiter.

How do I get loud without squashing the mix?

Clip shaves off only the peaks instead of turning the whole mix down. Oversampling keeps it clean.

Can I hear what it changes?

Yes. Delta plays only what MC-1 adds or removes.

Is it better, or just louder?

Switch on Auto. It matches the output to the input's loudness, so you compare at equal level.

How is it different from other clippers?

Character places the clipper's distortion where it is heard least. Clarity brings back mids that louder parts of the mix cover.

Does it work in Pro Tools?

Not natively. There is no AAX version yet, but you can run the VST3 in a free host such as Modalics Plugin Buddy.

Clean mastering clipper MC-1

Modern loudness with classic clarity. MC-1 gets a mix as loud as today's releases. It keeps the depth, punch and air that loudness usually costs.

A clean mastering clipper for Mac and Windows. Clipping and saturation are oversampled up to 32x, and a true-peak ceiling caps the output. Clarity brings back mids that louder parts of the mix cover, and Delta lets you hear exactly what it changes. Free for 30 days.

~~$149~~$99introductory

Buy Try free for 30 days

Controls

Color

In GainInput level into everything else. Turn it up to drive Saturation and Clip harder.
SaturationSoft saturation before the clipper that adds harmonics for density and warmth. It is level-matched, so you hear the color, not extra volume.

Clip

ClipThe main loudness control. It drives the mix into the oversampled clipper, which shaves off peaks so the master gets louder.
CharacterTurned up, a psychoacoustic observer places the clipper's distortion where it is heard least and keeps drum hits punchy. At zero it clips the same way every time.
KneeWhere the clipper starts rounding peaks. Low clips hard, right at the ceiling, for punch. High starts rounding well below it, for a softer sound.
Ceiling DriveOutput level into the true-peak ceiling, after the clipper. Turn it up to push the finished master into the ceiling, which always holds.
TP CeilingThe loudest the output can get, counting the peaks that form between samples when the audio is played back.
MixBlends the saturated and clipped signal with the dry one, for parallel processing. In Gain, Clarity and the output stages apply either way.

Buttons and options

BypassA seamless bypass that stays in time, for a clean A/B.
DeltaPlays only what MC-1 adds or removes, so you can hear exactly what the clipping and saturation are doing. Mix, Auto, dither and the ceiling are off while you listen.
AutoMatches the output's loudness to the input's, turning it down or back up, so you judge the sound and not just the extra volume.
LoudPushes the clipper harder for extra loudness, more on dynamic songs than dense ones, and uses any headroom TP Ceiling allows. It backs off when the distortion would be heard.
ClarityWatches the low and middle mids. When other parts of the mix get louder and cover part of that range, it lifts that part back, only as far as it was covered. It never cuts.
OSOversampling for the saturation and clipping. Higher settings keep the harsh aliasing that clipping creates out of the audible range, at the cost of CPU and latency.
PhaseThe oversampling filter. Linear keeps phase intact. Min-Phase lowers latency and pre-ringing but shifts phase in the highs.
DitherAdds dither for the bit depth you deliver, flat or shaped so the noise sits where hearing is least sensitive.
DCRemoves DC offset from the output.
PresetsFactory starting points from Master Light to Master Hot, plus your own.

Under the hood

It uses oversampled, anti-aliased saturation and clipping, psychoacoustic masking analysis and true-peak limiting, all in 64-bit double precision. Loudness metering follows EBU R128.

Specifications

Formats	AU and VST3 on macOS; VST3 and standalone on Windows
Hosts	Any DAW that loads AU or VST3, such as Logic Pro, Ableton Live, Cubase, Studio One, Reaper, FL Studio and Bitwig. No AAX yet. In Pro Tools, try the VST3 in a free host such as Modalics Plugin Buddy during the trial.
Oversampling	1x, 2x, 4x, 8x, 16x or 32x
Phase	Linear or minimum phase
True-peak ceiling	-3 to +4 dBTP
Processing	64-bit double precision
Dither	16, 18, 20, 22, 24 or 32-bit, flat or psychoacoustic
Metering	Loudness, loudness range, true peak, input, output, saturation, and combined peak reduction from the clipper and TP Ceiling
Requirements	See the support page
Trial	30 days
Updates	Every 1.x update is free
Availability	Available now, with a 30-day free trial
Price	$99 introductory, then $149

Questions

Clipper or limiter?
Either. MC-1 has its own true-peak ceiling, so it can finish a master alone or feed your limiter.
How do I get loud without squashing the mix?
Clip shaves off only the peaks instead of turning the whole mix down. Oversampling keeps it clean.
Can I hear what it changes?
Yes. Delta plays only what MC-1 adds or removes.
Is it better, or just louder?
Switch on Auto. It matches the output to the input's loudness, so you compare at equal level.
How is it different from other clippers?
Character places the clipper's distortion where it is heard least. Clarity brings back mids that louder parts of the mix cover.
Does it work in Pro Tools?
Not natively. There is no AAX version yet, but you can run the VST3 in a free host such as Modalics Plugin Buddy.
Guide: How to use a clipper on your master