While it is possible to overload a microphone, which usually starts no sooner than 125 db - more often at 130 db, the professional grade mics that most of us use are easily able to handle “normal” concert levels, around 100 db at front of house.. As jpschust said, “it’s very rarely from the mics.”
For reference SCI is usually no more than 103 db, Phish is similar.. Even WSP doesn’t exceed 108 db too often. Of course, being closer to the system may mean that the sound is louder but it would be quite rare, and VERY PAINFUL, to have levels above 115-120dB for very long.
Basically, clipping is from having the levels running too hot in the pre-amp. It creates that static/distorion sound, which almost always hurts, more than loud music
.
Commonly it caused by running excessively hot levels - the combination of mic sensitivity and gain - through a pre-amp. Clipping is all or nothing only at the points that exceed the pre-amp’s range. Any audio under the clipping point will sound find but the clipped material will generally sour the recording.
In a case like running into the microphone inputs of a deck (M1 or DA-P1 for example) to reduce the risk of clipping on the inputs to the pre-amp with sensitive/hot output mics and loud source material, you can run the pad on the microphone or front-end of the pre-amp or deck, if available. When using the pad, it drops the initial levels to avoid "brickwalling" (clipping) which is when the levels look like they arent moving and results in a staticy/distortioned sound.
The clearest indicator of clipping is “overs” in the digital domain, or limited meter movement.
So, clipping is most frequently the result of the user setting levels too hot on the pre-amp and generating levels beyond what the pre-amp was intended to do. Mics can distort but only under extreme circumstances that we don’t usually endure as tapers.
I hope this helps.
PhiL and Marc