11) How ORANGE CLIP 3 Matches its Inspiration
We spent a lot of time trying to determine the exact mathematical equation that makes ORANGE CLIP 3 sound so good, and that equation matches its inspiration in every detail: dynamics, harmonics, and overall tone.
Below is an animated transfer function that shows the dynamic response of Orange Clip 3 and its inspiration. The animated orange line represents Orange Clip 3’s response, spanning from Hard Knee (0.0 dB) to 100% Soft Knee (-51.8 dB).
The dotted lines represent the response of its inspiration:
Green: 100% Soft Knee
Red: 75% Soft Knee
Purple: 50% Soft Knee
As you can see, Orange Clip 3’s curve aligns perfectly with its inspiration, making it dynamically identical.
Next, let’s look at the harmonic response. The graph below shows the harmonics created when processing a 100Hz sine wave. As you can see, Orange Clip 3’s harmonic profile is an exact match to its inspiration.
Nailing this level of precision took months of research, testing, and trial and error. It was like searching for a needle in an exponential function haystack—but we found it. With 3-band multi-band processing and parallel mix controls for each band, Orange Clip 3 sets a new benchmark for multi-band parallel clipping.
Tag @SchwabeDigital in an Instagram story and show us how you are using Orange Clip—we’ll repost!
Be well,
Ryan Schwabe
Grammy-nominated and multi-platinum mixing & mastering engineer
Founder of Schwabe Digital
