Help center
Everything that applies to HardStop. General articles are shared with every plugin; HardStop-only pages are marked.
Why three decibels of clipping on the drum bus buys more headroom than the same three on the master, and how to split the work across both.
Louder always wins a blind comparison. Auto Gain and Delta exist so you can hear what the clipper is doing to the sound rather than to the level.
How to set up a reference track properly, what to listen for while clipping, and the signs you have gone too far that no meter will show you.
Where to set the level going into HardStop, why a mix that arrives at minus nought point one is the problem, and how to read on the display exactly how much you are clipping.
Where your key is, what the email field is for, and what happens on this computer when you click Activate.
How a referral link credits a sale, and why some sales made through a link may not be credited automatically.
When a 14-day trial starts counting, why it stays on the computers you start it on, and what happens when it ends.
Every license has three activation seats. Free one from the plugin's Machines tab or the license portal, then activate the new computer.
Use Restore inside the plugin with the email you bought under. A code arrives by email, and every license on that address is restored on this computer.
Signing out removes your license from one computer but keeps its seat reserved. Deactivating gives the seat back so another computer can use it.
Why a plugin you paid for shows "Not activated", and the quickest way back. Usually one click, never a lost license.
Why the plugin could not reach licensing.raytownproductions.com, and how to let your DAW through.
Why your meter says -1.0 dB and playback still goes over, what a true peak is, and the quick fix.
Clippers suit punchy sounds like kick and snare, and sound worst on cymbals, airy vocals and sustained notes. Why, and what to do about it.
What the MODE switch in HardStop Pro changes, why Adaptive keeps hits punchy while sustained notes stay clean, and when Classic is still the right call.
LISTEN plays only the part of your audio that HardStop takes out. What it tells you, quick checks for each kind of source, and the one mistake to avoid.
Basic is the whole clipper, not a crippled demo. Here is exactly what Pro adds, how to tell which one you are running, and what happens to your presets when you upgrade.
What the three quality tiers change, why they usually sound the same, and when the difference matters.
HardStop Pro's character controls. What each one does, where it sits in the chain, and how to tell when you've gone too far.
What a true peak is, what the TP safety limiter does about it, which ceiling to set, and when to leave it off for a louder, more aggressive master.