Clippers / measured

BSAClipper

Black Salt Audio · VST3

10.0/10 Measured score · Measured passband + path · how scored

Passband flatness

9.9/10

±0.06 dB · scored

Clipping (harmonic)

0.004%

minimal · character, by design

Noise

10.0/10

< floor · scored

Clipping action

-148 dB

minimal · character, by design

Latency

0 smp

factual · not scored

On the bench

48 kHz · 512-block · offline · same procedure for every plugin
Magnitude responsestepped sine, −12 dBFS
2026-07-17T18:06:35.347264 image/svg+xml Matplotlib v3.10.9, https://matplotlib.org/

Output level vs. frequency.

Below the point where it starts clipping it stays flat (within ±0.06 dB), so it leaves your tone alone until you push it.

Distortion vs level1 kHz, THD / THD+N
2026-07-17T18:06:35.433089 image/svg+xml Matplotlib v3.10.9, https://matplotlib.org/

THD   THD+N. THD is the trustworthy figure; THD+N is method-floor-limited at low levels.

At full level it makes 0.0% harmonics as it clips — that added edge is the clipping doing its job, not a fault.

Latency, reported
0 smp
Latency, measured
0 smp (matches)
Onset
0 smp
Noise floor
below measurement floor
Linearity residual
-148.2 dB (1000 Hz, -12/-18 dBFS)
Processing cost
not measured

Its own background hiss is below what the bench can even measure, so it adds no noise you would hear.

It treats quiet and loud the same (within -148 dB), so its color does not shift with how hard you push it.

It adds no delay to your audio.


What these measurements mean

read from the numbers above · clipper

On the bench it behaves like a clipper, scoring 10.0/10 on staying clean below the clip point and on a quiet signal path; the clipping itself is reported as character. Below the point where it starts clipping it stays flat (within ±0.06 dB), so it leaves your tone alone until you push it. At full level it makes 0.0% harmonics as it clips — that added edge is the clipping doing its job, not a fault. Its own background hiss is below what the bench can even measure, so it adds no noise you would hear. It treats quiet and loud the same (within -148 dB), so its color does not shift with how hard you push it. It adds no delay to your audio.

Measured score 10.0/10 — below-threshold passband flatness and signal-path noise (the clipping itself is the function, shown as character, not graded). How scoring works.


What people report

sourced sentiment · in our words, not a bench measurement
7.4/10 independent reviews & user reports, 3 sources · a separate figure from the measured score

Consistently praised

  • Forum users who already liked the maker's other tools (Silencer) found this clipper sounds good and pulls drums and instruments forward without flattening their impact.
  • The stripped-down design wins praise: just two controls (input drive and clipping threshold), so a user can dial in an aggressive clipped sound quickly.
  • A visual readout shows how much of the signal is crossing the threshold and being clipped, which gives clear feedback while setting the amount of hard clipping.
  • Ships in VST3, AU and AAX for Mac and Windows, so it slots into most DAWs including Pro Tools.

Common criticism

  • A forum user flagged the lack of oversampling and emailed the maker about it, cautioning that it may be fine on snare but could produce unwanted artifacts on other material.
  • It deliberately does only one thing with minimal parameters, so anyone wanting deeper shaping or metering may treat it as a supplement to a more featured clipper rather than a standalone replacement.

A review score is shown only when at least two independent sources — published reviews or genuine user discussion — return usable text. Launch or announcement coverage alone does not qualify, so some plugins read N/A here while still carrying a full measured score above.


How it sits in clippers

measured score + bench figures, then the sourced review score (separate, N/A if unscored) · alphabetical · not ranked
PluginMeasured /10Mag devMax THDLatencyNoiseReview /10
BSAClipper10.0±0.1 dB0.004%0 smp<floor7.4
Classic Clipper6.8±5.4 dB4.858%73 smp<floor7.0
Gold Clip9.9±0.1 dB1.748%764 smp−1978.3
Orange Clip10.0±0.0 dB3.645%124 smp<floorN/A
Sponsored · not a measurement

This lane is separate from measured results

No promoted plugins here. Anything in this lane is labeled and never affects the bench numbers or the order plugins appear in.