Steel Clip
Clean peak control
Clean, controlled clipping for peak management and clear loudness. Strong starting point for kicks and mix-bus safety. Character steers knee width / edge direction.
CCN / Effect
Cobalt
Clipper Neo Free
Saturation and clipping for density, heat, and peak texture.
A saturation and clipping plugin for club music, electronic production, and mix / pre-master work. Shape density and peaks on drums, 808s, bass, synths, buses, and pre-masters with five Types, Drive / Character / Tone, and a final Ceiling stage separate from the tone-shaping clip path.
Drive Core
Five Types. One clipping workflow.
Choose direction with Type, shape tone with Drive / Character / Tone, then set density and final level with Ceiling / Mix / Output. Tone-shaping clip stages inside each Type stay separate from the final Ceiling stage.
Cobalt Lift
Density and presence
Density and presence lift with restrained harmonics - useful when a lead or bus needs forwardness without heavy dirt. Character steers density / presence.
Club Heat
Warm asymmetric saturation
Warm asymmetric saturation for drums, synths, and bus dirt / heat. Bias and Character open the heat / dirt direction further.
Bass Forge
Sub-safe bass harmonics
Sub-safe bass harmonics for 808s and low-end speaker weight. Pair with Low Guard (default 60 Hz) to protect the sub. Character steers growl / body.
Tape Alloy
Glue and rounded transients
Light glue and rounded transients for buses and pads. A practical starting Type for drum-bus density. Character steers glue direction.
Visual feedback
Meters, Clip Reduction, Transfer Curve
Input / Output meters, Clip Reduction at the Final Ceiling stage, and a Transfer Curve guide help you shape density while listening.
Screen layout
One canvas. Clear signal path.
The window is based on a 1100 x 560 design canvas and scales from 75% to 200% with a fixed aspect ratio. A practical path is Type first, then Drive / Character / Tone, then Ceiling / Mix / Output.
Header
Bank / Preset / OS
Factory / User banks, Browser, Save / Load / Init, Undo / Redo, Menu, Bypass, and Oversampling.
Drive Core
Type and tone
Type, Drive, Character, and Tone sit center-left for the main saturation decision.
Transfer
Curve feedback
Transfer Curve and related chips show how the active Type is shaping the signal.
Output
Ceiling / Mix / Output
Final density and level controls with Output meter and Clip Reduction readout.
Signal path: Input meter and Input Gain, shared DC block, dry capture, active Type saturation with
Oversampling Off / 2x / 4x, Dry / Wet Mix, Output Gain, then Final Ceiling clipper before Output meters.
Sound design path
From Type to Ceiling in six moves.
01
Choose a Type
Start with Steel Clip for peaks, Bass Forge for 808s, Tape Alloy for bus glue, or Club Heat for dirt.
02
Set Drive
Begin around 20-50%. Drive is the main distortion control; raise it with Ceiling in mind.
03
Shape Character / Tone
Character steers Type-specific tone. Tone tilts bright or dark. Bias and Dynamics refine asymmetry and response.
04
Finish with Ceiling / Mix / Output
Lower Ceiling for density and impact, try Mix around 70-95% for punch, then match loudness with Output.
Starting points by material
| Kick peak control | Steel Clip - do not over-lower Ceiling; check click. |
|---|---|
| 808 / sub bass | Bass Forge - Low Guard 60-120 Hz; check sub integrity. |
| Drum-bus glue | Tape Alloy - medium Drive; add density with Ceiling. |
| Mix bus / pre-master | Steel Clip / Tape Alloy - conservative Drive; start with a shallow Ceiling. |
In Version 0.9.0, Auto Gain DSP is disabled - use Output for level matching. Dry / Wet delay
compensation with oversampling is not implemented, so Mix below 100% may introduce slight phase or tone
differences. For strict parallel comparison, use Mix 100% or Oversampling Off.
Specifications
Version 0.9.0 details.
| Product | Cobalt Clipper Neo Free |
|---|---|
| Version | 0.9.0 |
| Supported OS | Windows 11 64-bit recommended / Windows 10 64-bit or later |
| Formats | VST3 / CLAP (experimental) |
| Types | Steel Clip / Cobalt Lift / Club Heat / Bass Forge / Tape Alloy |
| Oversampling | Off / 2x / 4x (default 2x) |
| GUI canvas | 1100 x 560, scalable 75-200% |
| Distribution | Free plugin / zip package (no installer) |
| Developer | Synth Studio Neo / Built with JUCE 8 |
Version 0.9.0 is a published evaluation build. Sound, presets, GUI, parameter layout, and save
formats may change in future updates. A macOS version is not available at this time.