problem
The stereo bus can clip even when no single track looks extreme.
The mix bus receives every track, return, and parallel path. Their combined peaks can exceed the available headroom even when each source seems safe.
Bus EQ, saturation, compression, and makeup gain can also add hidden level after the balance already feels finished.
Bypass mix-bus processors, then re-enable them one at a time while watching sample peak, true peak, and loudness.
If the clean sum clips, rebalance or trim groups. If clipping appears after a processor, fix that processor's input, output, or makeup gain.
Lower groups feeding the mix bus, reduce unnecessary makeup gain, or control the loudest transient sources before they hit the stereo bus.
Meter Core makes mix-bus clipping easier to locate because peak, true-peak, and loudness changes stay visible while processors are toggled.