08) Refining High Frequencies with Box Tone
Box Tone is one of the more subtle processors in GOLD CLIP, but I often find it invaluable for smoothing out the top end of digital recordings. Think of it as a hyper-sonic low-pass filter that helps clean up some of the digital harshness in the very highest frequencies of a mix.
While subtle, Box Tone adds a slight contour to the highs, creating a smoother, more cohesive top end—especially when using the Modern setting.
Here’s a look at what Box Tone is doing:
FLAT: The True Bypass Option
When set to FLAT, Box Tone is completely bypassed. There’s no contour or hyper-sonic low-pass filtering applied—it remains true to the input signal all the way up to 40 kHz in a 96 kHz host sample rate session. This setting ensures a completely neutral pass-through, perfect for when you want an unaltered, transparent output.
CLASSIC: Smooth Air-Band Contour
The CLASSIC setting adds a gentle air-band contour around 20 kHz, slightly softening the top end in your mix. It also applies a hyper-sonic low-pass filter, removing unwanted frequencies beyond our hearing range, between 20 kHz and 40 kHz.
This setting is perfect for subtly shaping the high end while keeping the extreme top end clean and true to input.
MODERN: High-End Shaping
The MODERN setting introduces a more aggressive contour than CLASSIC, with subtle cuts around 3 kHz and 8 kHz to reduce harshness and improve smoothness. It also slightly reduces the air-band around 20 kHz by 0.3 dB, adding a refined touch to the top end.
Like CLASSIC, it features a hyper-sonic low-pass filter to remove unwanted frequencies between 20 kHz and 40 kHz, but with a more assertive tonal shaping that’s ideal for modern productions requiring a tighter, smoother high-frequency response.
Box Tone is a high-precision filter inspired by the mid- and high-frequency contours of modern and classic converters. As you’d expect, converters are designed to be as flat and balanced as possible, so these effects are intentionally subtle.
Box Tone captures this nuanced behavior, providing a gentle and refined way to shape the top end of your mix while preserving its natural character.
Hit reply and let me know how you are using Box Tone in your mixes and masters. Or, tag @SchwabeDigital in an instagram story and show us how you are using Gold Clip. We'll repost.
Be well,
Ryan Schwabe
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